If there is one thing we love at the Food Page, it is a dish that takes the familiar flavours of our childhood and turns them into an amazing culinary experience. This week, we are stepping back into the kitchen with the brilliant Chef Mohammad Baydoun. Known for his incredible ability to refine Nigerian ingredients for a global audience, Chef Mohammad has done it again. This time, he shares a sweet ripe plantain recipe. Forget your regular dodo; we are talking about a crispy, savoury, and absolutely addictive Plantain Cake stuffed with Spicy Prawns, served alongside a fiery Chilli Pepper Sauce. It is sweet, it is spicy, and it is the ultimate weekend treat.
According to Chef Mohammad, the magic of this dish lies entirely in the texture. The outside is fried to a deep, golden crunch, while the inside remains soft, sweet, and bursting with juicy prawns. But there is a catch. "The biggest mistake people make is letting too much water into the mix," Chef Mohammad warns. If you want that perfect texture, you have to control the moisture. Here is how to recreate your own Plantain Cake with Spicy Prawns.
Plantain Cake with Spicy Prawns Recipe
The Ingredients
- Ripe plantains – 2 pcs
- Corn flour – 40 g
- Salt – 3 g
- Prawns (cleaned) – 300 g
- Crayfish (blended) – 30 g
- Onion (finely diced) – 80 g
- Rodo pepper (scotch bonnet) – 10–15 g (adjust heat)
- Red bell pepper – 60 g
- Green bell pepper – 60 g
- Crayfish Maggi – 1 cube
- Vegetable oil – 40 ml
For the Chilli Pepper Sauce (Side):
- Rodo pepper – 20 g
- Onion – 40 g
- Oil – 30 ml
- Salt – to taste
Instruction
Step 1: Control the moisture After chopping your cleaned prawns, pat them completely dry with a paper towel. Lightly squeeze out any excess water from your diced onions and peppers. Tip: If you skip this step, your mixture will become watery and break apart the moment it hits the hot oil!
Step 2: In a large bowl, mash your ripe plantains thoroughly. Toss in the chopped prawns, blended crayfish, diced onions, and colorful bell peppers. Crumble in your Crayfish Maggi and add salt to taste. Gradually fold in the corn flour until the mixture binds together into a thick, scoopable paste. Note: The texture should look like a thick dough, not a runny pancake batter.
Step 3: Heat your vegetable oil to 170–180°C. Using a spoon, scoop the mixture (or shape it into small balls with your hands) and gently drop them into the oil. Fry in small batches so you do not overcrowd the pan. Cook for 3–4 minutes until they turn a beautiful, deep golden brown. Remove and drain on paper towels.
Step 4: Roughly blend the rodo pepper and onion together. Heat up your 30 ml of oil in a small pan and fry the blended mix. Season with salt and let it simmer until it thickens into a rich, glossy dipping sauce.
How to Serve
Serve these cakes screaming hot with the chilli sauce on the side. Pair it with a drink to cool down the rodo heat, and you have yourself a five-star hotel experience right in the comfort of your living room.
Prep Smart, Stay Safe
Working with raw prawns and rodo peppers can get messy fast. Always wash your hands, knife, and cutting board with warm, soapy water immediately after prepping the prawns to prevent cross-contamination. To get that stubborn pepper heat off your fingers, rub them with a bit of vegetable oil before washing with soap.
Choosing the Right Prawn
If you are using frozen prawns, make sure they are completely thawed before you pat them dry. For the absolute best flavour and texture, use fresh, medium-sized white prawns. Cutting them into small, bite-sized pieces ensures you get a juicy piece of seafood in every single bite of your plantain cake.
Control the Temperature
If your oil is too hot, the outside of the cake will burn before the prawns cook through on the inside. If it is too cool, the dough will soak up the oil and become soggy. Test the oil by dropping a tiny piece of the mixture in; if it sizzles and rises immediately to the top, you are good to go.
