Dominican Mangu (Mashed Plantains)

Dominican mangu – a popular breakfast dish hailing from the Dominican republic consisting of green plantains that are boiled then mashed.

I don’t think you can go wrong with plantains (plantano in spanish). If you’re from the Caribbean you will already know that plantains have a tendency to appear in many dishes – boiled, roasted, fried, baked you name it and at least one island has been there, done that and got the t-shirt.

You guys already know how much I love plantains but you see this isn’t about me at all. I’m here to show you what the Caribbean has to offer from the English speaking islands right down to the Spanish ones, every island has their own unique signature style dish and I’m more than happy to share them with you.

As with anything it takes some trial and error, sometimes the results are sheer perfection the first time around, while other times it’s sub par.

I couldn’t help but share this Dominican breakfast recipe with my readers, it’s very simple yet filling courtesy of the main star of the show – mr platano.

If you are a big fan of latino recipes then don’t forget to check out my Cuban Black Bean Soup and my Picadillo dish which is a great weeknight dinner.

What is Dominican mangu?

What is Dominican mangu you ask? Good question! Mangu, the name is believed to have derived from the expression of a US marine after eating some mashed plantain, he described as “man good”.

The name has since revolved to the Spanish pronunciation mangu.

In short, the dish mangu consists of green plantains that are boiled until tender with salt and mashed in a small amount of water.

It’s savoury, not sweet like Yellow Plantain it’s the sister recipe to my Green Banana Mash which is a great side dish.

What is mangu usually served with?

Dominicans typically eat mangu for breakfast, it can be served as a main meal with eggs, red onions and salami or as a side dish.

I recreated this as an evo-vegetarian dish and omitted the salami.

You can omit the eggs and salami to cater to a vegan palette or serve in the traditional way.

How long should I boil the green plantains for?

The plantain should be boiled until it tenderises which should take roughly 10-15 minutes. Use a fork to prick the plantain.

The fork should prick the plantain with no effort and be soft to the touch. That’s when you know it’s thoroughly cooked

Is Dominican mangu spicy?

As you may have already noticed I have’t spoken about any herbs or spices, something that’s normally featured within Caribbean cuisines.

Mangu is very mild in taste but incredibly fulling due to the high level of fibre and of course we procure a good source of iodine from the sauteed red onions.

How to make Dominican Mangu 

1, start off by cutting you green plantain in two equal halves

2, Each plantain should be halved as shown above

3, Score the side of the plantain in order to prepare the skin to be removed

4, Use your hands to break away the rest of the peel, it should be easy to remove as you proceed to do this.

5, Place the peel plantains in a saucepan ready to be boiled

6, As you can see this is what the plantain looks like once boiled, as more yellow hue and tender when pricked with s fork.

7, Grab a potato masher and proceed to break down the plantains. You can either do this is small batches if you find it unmanageable. As instructed add some hot water, a small amount at a time to help form the mash.

8, Once done you plantain mash should be mushy and resemble the above.

Notes and tips

• Mangu is free from gluten and paleo friendly
• You can purchase green plantains from an ethnic grocery store .ie Caribbean, African, Latino and south Asian
• Serve the mangu alone or a vegan “meat” option to suit your dietary requirement
• When mashing the mangu use some of the water used to boil the plantain with if you are facing any difficulty with making the mash.
• Remember you want GREEN plantain for this recipe NOT the YELLOW ones.
• Avoid green plantains that are turning or should I say ripening and becoming yellow. They won’t make that perfect mangu.
• While you are peeling each plantain, you might want to place a bowl of saline water next to you to add each peeled plantain so they don’t discolour too much (if at all).
• For best results, serve your mangu WARM because the texture changes to more solid as it cools down. If you want to re-heat your mangu, simply add a splash of water to it before doing so.

Other plantain (platanos) recipes you may like

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Dominican Mangu (Mashed Plantains)

Paleo, gluten free mashed plantains, creamy and delicious

4.56 from 9 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: Caribbean

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 316kcal

Author: Charla

Ingredients

• ▢ 4 large green plantains peeled
• ▢ 1 large red onion sliced
• ▢ a knob of dairy free butter see my recipe
• ▢ 2 tbsp of coconut oil
• ▢ 1 tbsp of apple cider vinegar
• ▢ 2 tsp of himalayan
• ▢ ** egg and/or salami for opting for non vegan option

Instructions

• Cut each peeled plantain horizontally down the middle so you should be left with 8 giant pieces in total.
• Fill a large saucepan with 3/4 of water, add the plantain then bring to the boil and reduce to a simmer.
• Add 1tsp of pink salt to the hot water and cook until the tender.
• Remove the plantain from the water with a slotted spoon and discard the majority of the water. You will need approximately 1 cup worth of water to aid breaking down the plantain.
• Use a potato masher to mash the plantain while adding a small amount of water at a time until the desired texture is achieved. How much water you use will vary according to preferred consistency.
• Once the plantain resembles mashed potato add a knob of butter.
• Heat the coconut oil in a frying pan and sautee the red onions until they become transparent.
• Season with the remaining salt and sprinkle the apple cider vinegar over the onions.
• Serve alone or with the option salami and egg.

Notes

• Mangu is free from gluten and paleo friendly
• You can purchase green plantains from an ethnic grocery store .ie Caribbean, African, Latino and south Asian
• Serve the mangu alone or a vegan "meat" option to suit your dietary requirement
• When mashing the mangu use some of the water used to boil the plantain with if you are facing any difficulty with making the mash.
• Remember you want GREEN plantain for this recipe NOT the YELLOW ones.
• Avoid green plantains that are turning or should I say ripening and becoming yellow. They won't make that perfect mangu.
• While you are peeling each plantain, you might want to place a bowl of saline water next to you to add each peeled plantain so they don't discolour too much (if at all).
• For best results, serve your mangu WARM because the texture changes to more solid as it cools down. If you want to re-heat your mangu, simply add a splash of water to it before doing so.

Nutrition

Calories: 316kcal | Carbohydrates: 60g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Sodium: 1194mg | Potassium: 933mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 2017IU | Vitamin C: 35mg | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 1mg

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