The Mangaloreans are bananas for bananas. They eat banana buns (see here) for breakfast, banana chips or toffee for a late-morning snack, and for dinner they eat this plantain curry, sometimes on banana leaves.
It’s best to use ripe plantains for this recipe. They tend to have a few worrying black spots on the skin but are usually perfect inside. If you can only find unripe green or yellow plantains, they will work too but will be a bit starchier and less sweet.
Serves 4 as a main course
2 plantains (about 2½ pounds)
optional: juice of 1 lemon
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
2 tablespoons desiccated or fresh grated coconut
4 large ripe tomatoes
canola or coconut oil
1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
½ pound shallots, thinly sliced
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
1¼ teaspoons ground red chile
¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
11/3 teaspoons salt
¾ cup canned coconut milk
15 fresh curry leaves (optional)
To prepare your plantains, cut them while they’re still in their skins. Trim the top and bottom of each plantain and cut into three sections, then halve each section lengthwise. Peel just before using so they don’t discolor (or peel in advance and pop them into a bowl of cold water with the lemon juice).
Place a large lidded frying pan over medium heat and, when hot, add the cumin and coriander seeds. Stir-fry for a couple of minutes, until the cumin seeds turn a shade darker and the coriander seeds turn golden, then throw in the coconut. Stir-fry for another minute, then transfer to a mortar and pestle. Grind the seeds and coconut as finely as you can.
Chop each of your tomatoes into 8 wedges. Put 2 tablespoons of oil into the same frying pan and, when hot, add the mustard seeds and shallots. Fry for 6 minutes, until the shallots are soft. Add the garlic and cook for a further 2 minutes, then add the tomato wedges. Cook for around 6 minutes, until they start to soften and collapse, then add the cumin, coriander, and coconut mix, as well as the ground red chile, turmeric, and salt, and stir to mix.
Peel the plantains, or drain from the lemony water if using, and add to the pan. Stir to coat with the masala, then add the coconut milk and ½ cup of water—or just enough to cover the plantains. Cover with the lid and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until the plantains are tender and a knife slips through them easily. Check the chile and the salt levels, then take off the heat.
Transfer the curry to a serving dish. To finish, put a tablespoon of oil into a small frying pan over medium heat and, when hot, add the curry leaves. Let them crackle and harden until they stop crackling, which will take a minute, then pour the oil and leaves over the plantain curry. Serve with rice and a fresh leafy salad.
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