This Caribbean vegan plantain curry is filling, delicious and made in one pot. It's packed with sweet potatoes, spinach, kidney beans and fragrant spices. An overall award winning dinner that is great for bulk cooking or weeknights for the family.
**FOR THE SAKE OF GOOGLE SEARCH AND SEO TERMS THE TITLE IS "PLANTAIN CURRY" NOT "CURRY PLANTAIN" as the Jamaican linguistics would call it. I just wanted to clarify the reasons for that specific wording. It's not because I don't know what my own cultural cuisines are called**
Here in the UK I think it's safe to say that British people love their curry dishes. Whenever people think of a curry, they immediately think of Asian cuisines.
Little do people know that the Caribbean has a monopoly on their own rendition of a good old curry - whether it's curried shrimp, beef or Pumpkin Curry
We have a unique vibrant spin on things and this vegan plantain curry (aka curry plantain) is everything you could need on your dinner table - it's plant based, packed with flavour and filling too.
What's the difference between bananas and plantains?
Now that plantains has become a trendy health food, so many people still don't know the difference between a plantain and a banana so let's cover this topic briefly.
In short, plantain derives from the same family as a banana, however, it behaves like a vegetable despite it growing on a tree like a fruit.
Plantains can be boiled, fried, mashed or even roasted just like potatoes.
It is relatively larger in size with robust skin and has a low sugar content (when not fully ripe) and starchier than its banana counterpart.
For that reason, it is considering a cooking banana that cannot be eaten raw.
On the contrary, bananas are small in size, sweeter with less starch and can be eaten on the go, just like a snack!
How to cut a plantain
The good news is that it's fairly simple to cut and remove the skin from a ripe to over ripe plantain
All you need to do is......
- Lay your plantain preferably horizontally.
- Then cut off each of the ends from the plantain and discard,
- Next you then use a knife to score along the skin of the plantain (you will see where the skin separates from the flesh, just like a banana.
- Use your hands to remove the rest of the skin.
Ingredients you will need
- Ripe plantain
- Sweet potato
- Cooked kidney beans (or peas as English Caribbean islands refer to them as)
- Onion
- Scallion
- Bell peppers
- Coconut milk
- Spinach (or use callaloo if you can source it)
- Tomato
- Curry powder
- Ginger
- Garlic
- Black pepper
- Pimento berries (all spice)
- Thyme
- Ground coriander
- Himalayan pink salt
- Water
- Coconut oil
- Scotch bonnet
How to make plantain curry
- Grab a sturdy non stick casserole pot/dutch pot/large skillet and melt the coconut oil on low-medium heat.
- Saute the scallion, onion and garlic until soft and translucent (picture 1)
- Once the onions and so fourth are sauteed, add the bell peppers and ginger and cook for roughly 5 minutes until the peppers have become soft. (picture 2)
- Add the thyme, chopped tomatoes, coriander, pimento berries, black pepper and curry powder. (picture 3)
- Stir all of the spices into the vegetables for about 2 minutes until they become fragrant.
-
- Add the kidney beans, sweet potato and plantain (only add the plantain now if it is firm, not over ripe) along with the scotch bonnet, coconut milk and water. (picture 4-7)
- Bring the pot to a rolling boil, cover with a lid, reduce the heat to medium/low and simmer for about 25 minutes.
- Carefully fold in the spinach 5 minutes before the given cooking time and sprinkle in the pink salt (adjust with further seasoning, if needed). (picture 8)
- If your plantain is soft and over ripe it's best to add them 5-10 minutes before the curry is ready or else they will turn to mush.
Notes and tips
- Please do a taste test of the recipe and adjust the recipe to suit your preference.
- For convenience use a can of cooked red kidney beans make sure it is in water, not salt water and drain off the liquid first.
- If using dried beans make sure to cook them ahead of time. If you have an instant pot/stove top pressure cooker that will hasten the cooking process.
- If you don't like kidney beans, feel free to use any other legume.
- If you want overly sweet plantain, use extra ripe (skin is almost black) but add them towards the end of cooking. I used moderately ripe (with high yellow skin) plantains that are subtly sweet.
- Use white or orange sweet potatoes depending on where you live/availability
- Pimento berries are a whole version of allspice. Use ¼ teaspoon of ground allspice if you cannot obtain the whole berries.
- Callaloo makes this recipe more Caribbean, it's a type of spinach. If you can't get hold of it, use spinach or even kale works too.
- Scotch bonnet is optional, use a habanero or chilli or ¼ teaspoon chilli powder if you can't obtain it.
- Use light coconut milk if you want to decrease calorie intake.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I buy plantains?
The best place is from a market that stock African/Latino/Caribbean groceries. Also if you frequent a neighbourhood with this demographic, you will find supermarkets that stock it too.
Can I use a banana instead?
No, the two are NOT interchangeable
Can I freeze the plantain curry?
Yes, this is a freezer friendly meal
Can I make this recipe in my slow cooker?
No, the plantain will breakdown over a course of several hours. It's best to make this recipe on a stove top.
More plantain recipes you may like
- Spicy Shrimp and Plantain
- Pastelon
- Vegan Caribbean Breakfast
- Baked Hake Fillets with Mashed Plantain
- Baked Plantain Chips
- Mashed Sweet Plantains
- Plantain Pie
- Dominican Mangu
- Boiled Plantains with Kale
Don't forget to checkout my Caribbean Veganuary recipe roundup.
**Don't forget to comment below and star rate if you have tried my recipes. Let's be friends and engage on Facebook and Instagram I also like to pin on Pinterest, where you can find more amazing recipes.**
Vegan Caribbean Plantain Curry
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon of coconut oil (28g)
- 2 Scallion chopped
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 2 mixed bell peppers chopped
- 1 tablespoon of ginger (7g) grated
- 6 sprigs of thyme
- l medium tomato chopped
- 1 teaspoon of ground coriander (2g)
- 4 pimento berries all spice
- 1 teaspoon of black pepper (2g)
- 2 tablespoon of curry powder (12g)
- 14 oz can of kidney beans or 1 cup/200g), drained
- 1 medium sized sweet potato chopped
- 2 ripe yellow plantains sliced and halved
- scotch bonnet optional
- 14 oz can of coconut milk (400ml)
- 1 cup of water (250ml)
- A handful of spinach or use callaloo if you can source it
- 1 teaspoon of himalayan pink salt (6g)or to taste
Instructions
- Grab a sturdy non stick casserole pot/dutch pot/large skillet and melt the coconut oil on low-medium heat.
- Saute the scallion, onion and garlic until soft and translucent.
- Once the onions and so fourth are sauteed, add the bell peppers and ginger and cook for roughly 5 minutes until the peppers have become soft.
- Add thyme, chopped tomatoes, coriander, pimento berries, black pepper and curry powder.
- Stir all of the spices into the vegetables for about 2 minutes until they become fragrant.
- Add the kidney beans, sweet potato and plantain (only add the plantain now if it is firm, not over ripe) along with the scotch bonnet, coconut milk and water.
- Bring the pot to a rolling boil, cover with a lid, reduce the heat to medium/low and simmer for about 25 minutes.
- Carefully fold in the spinach 5 minutes before the given cooking time and sprinkle in the pink salt (adjust with further seasoning, if needed).
- If your plantain is soft and over ripe it's best to add them 5-10 minutes before the curry is ready or else they will turn to mush.
Notes
- Please do a taste test of the recipe and adjust the recipe to suit your preference.
- For convenience use a can of cooked red kidney beans make sure it is in water, not salt water and drain off the liquid first.
- If using dried beans make sure to cook them ahead of time. If you have an instant pot/stove top pressure cooker that will hasten the cooking process.
- If you don't like kidney beans, feel free to use any other legume.
- If you want overly sweet plantain, use extra ripe (skin is almost black) but add them towards the end of cooking. I used moderately ripe (with high yellow skin) plantains that are subtly sweet.
- Use white or orange sweet potatoes depending on where you live/availability
- Pimento berries are a whole version of allspice. Use ¼ teaspoon of ground allspice if you cannot obtain the whole berries.
- Callaloo makes this recipe more Caribbean, it's a type of spinach. If you can't get hold of it, use spinach or even kale works too.
- Scotch bonnet is optional, use a habanero or chilli or ¼ teaspoon chilli powder if you can't obtain it.
- Use light coconut milk if you want to decrease calorie intake.
Ángela says
I have been used this recipe many times it’s a cherished family meal 💙
Charla says
Aww glad to hear that Angela.
Gail says
Love this recipe! Savory, tasty and all of everything Caribbean.
Charla says
Thanks Gail.
Sonya says
I just made this tonight. First I love curry, but eating this dish tonight it’s just OK and I’m hoping that it will be better tomorrow once the flavors meld together. I had ripe but firm plantains and the sauce got really thick so I added about another 1/4 cup of water to help thin it out. I’m just not sure what’s missing here, but it didn’t meet my expectations based on all the rave reviews and the prep time to make this I was a bit disappointed. Not sure I will make again.
Charla says
Hi Sonya, Thank you for making my recipe and leaving a comment. It is unfortunate that you were disappointed with the overall results. Please keep in mind that recipes are a general guide so when you say something was missing, did you try to tweak the recipe to suit? I always emphasize the importance of taste testing the recipe as you go along and if that doesn't work then the recipe isn't for your palate. In an ideal world I would love everyone to like my recipes, but that just isn't life. I hope this doesn't deter you from trying my other recipes.
K says
Wow! I’m amazed and I must say, I saved this because I was beyond curious and it looked good. I’ve never had anything like it.
Instead of scotch bonnet I used a diced jalapeño, including all the seeds. I also used a white sweet potato because it’s what my market had. I also added a little bit of scotch bonnet pepper sauce.
That said, even with the variations I had to make due to availability this was delicious. The flavor profiles of sweet, spice and savory are there. Even with my white sweet potatoes I did taste a bit of sweetness, which was perfect for me. I can’t wait to try this with orange sweet potato.
Thanks for sharing
Charla says
Hey K, thank you for your positive feedback. I'm so glad you like the recipe!
Auntgiggles says
OMG!!! This is SOOOO DELICIOUS!! I can’t stop eating it!! I will be making this OFTEN!! Thank you so much for the recipe!!
Charla says
You are very very welcome and I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe.
Lola says
I followed the recipe almost exactly and it’s good!! I used regular salt, canned beans, and African ground pepper instead in scotch bonnet- I also added an extra plantain. The flavor is nicely balanced and I love the different textures of each ingredient. 10/10, will definitely make it again
Charla says
Glad you enjoyed the recipe Lola.
Sara says
This is amazing! My husband was very skeptical because he's very "meat and potatoes", but he tore this up!! The flavor profile is spot on. Thank you for sharing!
Charla says
Thank you so much Sara.
MK says
Very tasty. For me a little more salt & hot sauce to taste but a meal I look forward to making again. Delicious.
Charla says
No problem! Glad you liked the recipe and will be making it again MK.
Julie Pflanzer says
So delicious! What I created came out great, following the recipe pretty much exactly as written! It will be a rotation in our cooking for sure! Thanks for sharing ☺️!
Charla says
Hi Julie, another happy tummy! Glad you all enjoyed this recipe!
Amy says
Served this to my boyfriend's Jamaican parents. They described it as 'ok.' I thought it was nice, but the plantain if you're cooking from not ripe probably needs an extra 5 mins to take the edge off the 'bite.' so maybe add that before the sweet potato so that isn't overcooked. Curry also needed more seasoning/spices than the recipe said or it wouldn't have tasted of much
Charla says
No problem, not everyone is going to like my recipes, thank you for trying it!
Lily says
Hi, I was wondering if the nutrition details were for the whole dish or just one serving.
Charla says
per serving!
Inger says
Outstanding! My husband is from Jamaica, and he thought it was indicative of what he had grown up with. I used greens, not spinach; it was perfect and delicious . Thank you!!!
Charla says
Hi Inger, thank you so much. I am humbled, more happy tummies! So glad you both enjoyed it and thanks for the wonderful feedback.
Cheryl says
Made this last night it was super easy and delicious. Thanks for sharing your recipes
Charla says
Thank you so much Cheryl. I am humbled, another happy tummy!
Donna Cooper says
So delicious! I swapped out kidney beans for black eyed because it's what I had plus I put it all in my slow cooker and it was amazing - the whole family loved it, even the ones who don't like sweet potato!
Charla says
Yay! Thanks for the positive feedback Donna. It's also good to know that the recipe works in the slow cooker too.
Lisa B Reich says
Made this in my Instapot!
Charla says
Yay! I need to try it in my instapot too, hope you enjoyed it using that method.
S says
This is amazing! I love it and always look forward to making it whenever I get plantains. Thank you!
Charla says
Thank you! You are very welcome 🙂
Laura says
one of the best dishes!
so yummy!
Charla says
Thank you so much.
Fonte says
Hi, I am yet to make this recipe….very excited to make it as well. Can I use unripe plantains for this recipe?
Charla says
Hello there, yes you can use unripe plantain instead, if you want to. The recipe will have more of a savoury edge if sweet plantain isn't used.
Fonte says
Thank you so much
Natasha Carter says
Great version of a Ital stew, works great with Goya’s frozen tropical vegetables yucca plantain pumpkin And I added some okra
Charla says
Thanks Natasha, those additions sound amazing, glad you enjoyed the recipe 🙂
Adam says
Made this based on what was on the first several pages, assuming that you hadn't given any quantities. By some miracle, I guessed almost exactly right and it came out fine. But I wish you would not bury the actual recipe so far down the page.
Charla says
Thanks for making the recipe. For future reference, every recipe post has a "Jump to recipe" button right at the top of the page (it is underneath the title of the recipe). If you click on that it brings you directly to the recipe card where the instructions, quantity and notes are. If you don't want to read/scroll through the entire post then that button works like a charm. Some of my readers prefer to do this and scroll up to the step by step pictures (in that order). I hope that helps should you want to make any of my other recipes.
Björn says
Thank you so much for this divine recipe! It was so easy to follow. The smell and the taste took me on a journey to the Caribbean Sea. 🥥 I am very happy and relieved that I finally made this dish. Thank you once again. Much love from Namibia! 🇳🇦
Charla says
Oh wow! All the way from Namibia, I am humbled and I am elated that you loved the recipe, it's definitely a readers favourite. I hope you try some more of my recipes.
Jayleena says
Absolutely delicous!!! Perfect texture and flavor!
Charla says
Thank you so much Jayleena
Craig says
I’ve made this twice and the family loves it. Very different flavours from what we normally use. Goes great with a dollop of coconut yoghurt!
Charla says
You are very welcome Craig, I gotta try with a dollop of coconut yoghurt when I make it next.
Adaeze says
I must try this! It makes sense now lol. I made a curry "banana" split last month and it was sooooo amazing but I look forward to trying this plantain curry. I'll be sure to leave a comment on how it turns out.
Charla says
Please do!
Odel Gilbert says
I laughed when I first saw this recipe, saying are they crazy??? Then I decided to try it since my husband is trying to eat vegan/vegetarian but still wanted caribbean flavour. I am so glad I came back to this recipe. It turned out fabulous and I think it is probably the best curry I have ever prepared!
Charla says
Hi Odel, Thank you so so much for your positive feedback. I'm so glad to hear that you were able to overcome your skepticism of the recipe to the point where you made it and loved it. No offence taken, I'm just happy that you loved the curry!
Danielle says
I honestly had no idea what this would taste like but I’m so glad it made it! It’s so good!!
Charla says
Yay! Another happy tummy! A lot of people are apprehensive but they end up loving this curry which always makes me smile, so thank you so much.
Rachel Prout says
Thank you for this delicious recipe, I've made it twice now and think it'll become a regular! I live in the Caribbean so am lucky enough to be able to use local ingredients. (The only thing I did differently was to add a tsp of sugar to sweeten it a bit more, because I use the firmer yellow plantains).
Charla says
No problem Rachel. I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Nicole says
Hi, I was noticing that the base flavors of the curry are what is found in Puerto Rican sofrito. Could the sofrito be used instead of the onions, garlic, bell pepper, etc?
Charla says
Hi Nicole, yes you are more than welcome to use Sofrito instead of the individual ingredients, that will work out just fine.
Linda says
I really want to get into Ital Rasta cooking but can’t find scotch bonnet peppers where I live. What do you think about habanero pepper as a substitute? Or is there another pepper that would be better?
Charla says
Hi Linda, thanks for reaching out to me. Yes, you can substitute habanero if scotch bonnets aren't available where you live. They are very similar in terms of their heat. Only scotch bonnets yield a slightly sweetness to them compared to habaneros but this won't impact the overall results of whatever recipe you use them in. I hope that helps!
Synamon says
Hello,
I accidentally bought spring onions instead of scallions at the store. Can I use these in the recipe or will it dramatically change the taste?
Charla says
Hi there, don't panic spring onion/green onion and scallion are virtually interchangeable so it won't have an impact on the overall taste/results. Enjoy your curry when you make it!
Synamon says
LOL! You must’ve sensed my panic through the screen. Thanks so much for answering! I just finished cooking/eating this dish and it was DELICIOUS. I had to use spinach and a habanero because my local Asian market didn’t have callaloo or a scotch bonnet pepper but it turned out so deliciously creamy and decadent with just enough kick from the pepper. This will definitely be a repeated meal!!!! Thank you so much for this amazing recipe 😊
Charla says
You are very welcome, yes I could sense the panic but no worries I got you. I will always endeavour to answer comments/emails as soon as possible. I'm so glad that you liked this recipe, it's very very popular with lots of positive feedback, thanks again! Hope you make more of my recipes and don't hesitate to reach out to me with any questions or concerns.
Jason says
This is amazing
It is such a shame that I have lived my whole life up to now without trying this. Thank you so much for rectifying that!
I made the curry powder from your recipe too and it made soooo much so I am now forced to try more of your food! I’m super excited
Charla says
Thank you so much Jason. Please do check out some of my other dishes, you will love them!
Narayani says
Oh man!! This curry is amazing! I love plantains and was looking for a new dish to try. This turned out great. The flavors are lovely and complex and meld so well. I didn’t have a scotch bonnet so ended up using crushed red peppers and home grown rainbow chard instead of the spinach.
Charla says
Hi Narayani, I'm so happy that you enjoyed the curry and most importantly made your own adaptations to suit. Thanks for the feedback!
Celeste says
This recipe has now been added to my family classics! Although it took me way more than 10 minutes to prep all the ingredients (maybe cuz I made it for 6 people), once all the chopping was done, wow did all the ingredients come together so heavenly. I've cooked riz collé from Hatian cuisine before and I can see that you remained faithful to the authentic Carribean flavors (fresh thyme, pimento berries, scotch bonnet, etc...). Thank you Charla for making vegan cuisine an absolute delight!
Charla says
Thank you so much Celeste for your wonderful feedback. I'm so glad that you enjoyed the curry!!
Cass H. says
I tried this recipe on Sunday. It came out wonderful. Good flavors put together for this recipe. I did have over ripped plantains and I did exactly as you suggested and added those much later in the cooking process. They came out very good, not mushy. The only change I had to the recipe was using Red Small Beans instead of Kidney Beans. That's all I had on hand. I also had black beans. I thought those would be able to mesh well with everything. Thanks for the recipe. My family loved it.
Charla says
Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback. I'm so glad to hear that you were able to enjoy the recipe even with the use of different legumes (black beans are a great addition anyway) and I'm also happy to hear that you followed the instructions to the tee for using over ripe plantain.
Adelina says
This recipe was amazing! The flavours were beautiful. My Italian husband said this was the best things I’ve ever cooked for him. Thanks for sharing!
Charla says
Thank you so so much Adelina for your wonderful feedback. I'm so glad that you and your husband enjoy this dish 🙂
Zainab says
Made this for lunch and it was so so good. Substituted pimento berries with 3 cloves, 1/8 tsp cinnamon powder, 1/8 tsp nutmeg powder and instead of fresh thyme I used 1/4 tsp dried thyme. Cooked it in my instant pot for 3 minutes on high pressure, it was perfect.
Is there a side dish that goes with it? I had it as a soup.
I also printed the recipe in case I lose it 😉
Charla says
Thanks Zainab. I'm glad you were able to substitute and still make it taste just as good. I would pair it with cauliflower rice or brown rice.
Michelle says
Made this dish today and it was so flavourful and delicious. Thanks for the recipe.
Charla says
Thanks for the feedback Michelle. I really appreciate it.
Denise says
This recipe is absolutely amazing!! Thank you so much! Definitely a keeper ❤️
Charla says
Hi Denise, thank you for your feedback and you are welcome.
Christina says
This was very good! I didn’t have pimento berries and therefore added clove and a dash of cinnamon and also omitted the scallions and spinach. Other than that followed the recipe and was delicious. Thank you!
Charla says
No problem Christina! Glad it worked out for you.
Janean says
This was an easy recipe and it turned out great! I love curry and I like trying healthy alternatives to my favorite dishes. I added broccoli and carrots to mine because I had them on hand and it turned out wonderfully. Definitely adding it to my make again list!
Charla says
Thank you so much Janean
Sylvia says
This is an amazingly good dish. It's my first attempt at this type of curry. It's definitely a keeper!
Charla says
Thanks for the feedback Sylvia!!
Mckenzie says
Hi there, I can’t wait to make this recipe! But I was actually wondering if you could tell me where you got that pot or what brand it is, I’m totally in love with it!
Charla says
Thank you! I'm confident that you will love the curry. In terms of the pot, I actually brought 2 (small and large) from an Indian store. I'm not sure where you are based but I did a quick search on Amazon and believe you can get mine in black from there. I think the brand is called "Sterling". Here is the link https://www.amazon.co.uk/Marble-Coated-Non-Stick-Casserole-Tempered/dp/B07HFGZHGD/ref=sr_1_7?dchild=1&keywords=sterling+casserole+pot&qid=1590685167&sr=8-7
Natalie says
A flavourful burst of Caribbean flare! It honestly felt like transporting the experience of travels to the home. I made a few additions to this recipe, but the base one itself is still INCREDIBLE. I can't thank you enough for sharing.
Charla says
Thank you Natalie. I'm always thrilled when my readers provide feedback (good or bad). Glad that this recipe impressed you, you are more than welcome!!
Jahmela says
Vegan or not, this stew is Sooo tasty, I always love the taste of sweet and savory together in my mouth. We ate on this for 3 days!
Charla says
Thanks for the feedback Jahmela
Summer says
I can’t wait to make this!!! Just a quick question, for the plantain is it a soft yellow plantain or the green plantain?
Thank you!
Charla says
Hi Summer. I'm excited for you because so many people have enjoyed this recipe. It's yellow plantain that you need. I've just updated the recipe card to reflect this
Stephanie says
Hu Charla,
I just made this for my own Valentine's Day, cold rainy weekend. It tastes and smell like love. I'm currently looking over your site for a low sugar dessert.
May I make a suggestion. I use a lot of recipes and many of them have the ingredients listed in the order of use. It makes the recipe easier to follow, especially when there are a lot of ingredients.
Charla says
Thanks for the constructive feedback, I will definitely keep that in mind for upcoming recipes.
For a low sugar dessert, I would recommend this Vegan Key Lime Pudding (Keto Option) one. I hope you enjoy the Plantain curry and Happy Valentine's day to you.
Kitty says
I’ve never made Caribbean food before, but my boyfriend and I loved it! We bought allspice and fresh thyme specifically for this recipe, and I’m glad we did bc the flavor blend was so unique and unlike anything I’ve ever tried. This is going into our meal rotation for sure and I can’t wait to check out more of the recipes here!
Charla says
Thank you for the feedback. I can so glad to hear that you liked the recipe so much that it will be part of your mealprep.
Tisha says
This is an awesome vegetarian dish! So much flavor and so hearty!! Can't wait to try it!
Charla says
I hope you like it Tisha
Alison says
I love that this dish is naturally vegan and so full of flavor! I hadn't cooked with plantains before, and was excited to give this recipe a try. Delish!
Charla says
Thanks Alison, plantains are so easy to cook with I promise you won't regret it.
Sara says
Finally made this and it was so yummy!! I never knew plantains could be made into curry.
Charla says
I'm so glad you enjoyed the dish Sara
Sara Welch says
What a delicious and savory soup! Everything a gourmet meal should be, and then some!
Charla says
Thank you so much Sara
Lisa Bryan says
Wow, I love the idea of plantains in a curry! Great way to add some sweetness into it.
Charla says
Yes! It adds sweetness to the dish for sure!!
Gemma says
Absolutely loved this curry, I had never tried plantain before until giving this recipe a try...simply delicious !!!
Charla says
Yay! I'm so glad that you enjoyed the recipe Gemma.
Phoxy says
Was looking for a curry dish for my meatless Monday.. didn't take long.. I added a plantain but it's delicious
Charla says
Thanks Phoxy