PLANTAINS IN COCONUT MILK

NDIZI (PLANTAINS IN COCONUT MILK)

This recipe does not involve much work BUT...is quite time consuming since it has to cook on low heat. Like many of the dishes in Swahili cuisine, this one is also prepared using coconut milk. It is a sweet dish and tastes simply exotic.


INGREDIENTS


8 Plantains (The yellow ones..NOT green ones)
2 Cups Sugar
4 Cups Coconut Milk
1 Cup Water
2 tsps Cardamom Powder


PREPARATION

Peel the plantains, cut in 2 or 3 pieces across and then slit them lengthwise as shown here

Take a heavy based saucepan and add the sugar and 1 tsp of cardamom powder

Pour in the coconut milk and the water

The coconut milk should just cover the plantains.










Place the saucepan on high heat until the coconut milk comes to the boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to extremely low so that it is only very slowly simmering. Cover. Uncover from time to time to check, but do not stir at any stage. Only shake the pan. Let it cook for 3 hours.


NOTE: You may cook this for only one hour but the colour will not change to the one shown here. It will remain the same as when the plantains were uncooked. They will be good enough to eat but there will be a difference in taste and texture. If you do not intend to cook for 3 hours, then OMIT THE 1 CUP OF WATER.

Towards the end of cooking time, add another teaspoonful of cardamom powder. If there is too much liquid remaining, increase the heat and let it dry only until a little bit of sauce is left. 


Take the pan off the heat and let it cool. It is best served slightly warm or cooled to room temperature. They will also not taste good while hot. Also do not dish out while hot - chances are they will break as they are very soft while hot. 

DISH OUT THE PIECES OF PLANTAINS ON THE SERVING PLATE AND THEN POUR OVER SOME OF THE COCONUT SAUCE OVER.