These savory plantain cakes are a delicious side dish for any meal and take only minutes to prepare. Simply serve them alongside your favorite dipping sauce and enjoy!
I just recently reviewed a set of rosé wines, and one of the pairings I suggested was simply out in the sun with friends and perhaps fresh fruit – among a small list of other suggestions. After I posted that, I thought to myself “How utterly boring and out of character for me,” if I were to actually follow that first bit of pairing advice. So, I thought to myself, what would I ‘actually’ pair with a balmy August day out on the porch with a very light, very fruit-forward rosé wine?
Surprisingly, I didn’t get quite the answer I was looking for. Indeed, I was a fair bit too stubborn to cooperate with…well, ‘myself.’
Being the stubborn, set-in-my-ways ‘gourmet’ that I am, I kept answering myself, out loud on more occasions than I care to admit, with such antics as “But I wouldn’t be drinking a super-light fruity wine!” “But why not sangria instead?” “Super light? Fruity? I’m no Millennial!”
Yes, this rosé craze is something I’m struggling with, but then it struck me. I recalled one of the first sangria recipes I had ever learned, and it was a largely a ‘fruit forward’ affair, and the pairing was a savory platter of plantain cakes with an herbed sour cream based dip. The two complimented each other fantastically to create a quintessential ‘under the sun’ or ‘balmy day in the shade’ appetizer.
Naturally, that’s where today’s recipe comes in – Plantain Cakes.
Savory Plantain Cakes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 10-12 plantain cakes 1x
Ingredients
- 3-4 small ripened plantains
- 1/2 cup AP flour
- 1/3 cup cornmeal
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 2 teaspoons oregano
- 1/4 cup grated cheese
- 1/3 cup buttermilk
- 1/3 cup scallions
- 4 cloves garlic
- Oil for frying
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a food processor until well combined. The mixture should be like a thick batter.
- In a medium cast iron pan, heat oil. Once the oil is hot enough, drop heaping tablespoons worth of batter into the hot oil. Fry for about 3 minutes on each side or until golden and crispy around the edges.
- Lay the cakes out onto a paper towel lined cooling rack.
- Serve while hot alongside sour cream or your favorite sauce.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
To start things off, we begin by combining the ingredients listed below in a food processor, and pulsing until the mixture is thick and batter-like. We then heat a large cast iron frying pan with oil, and carefully place tablespoons of the batter into the oil, and let each portion fry for about three minutes, or until they are nice and golden.
You’ll want to serve these while they’re hot, and just like that you’ve got a great snack for a balmy summer day.
Enjoy with Love!
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angiesrecipes says
They look super yummy! I haven't seen plantain here yet..wish I could taste one of yours :-))
Valerie says
My Mom would love trying this dish. It sounds like it's got an interesting flavor mixing savory with sweet.
Claudia Lamascolo says
this looks so delicious I have never had anything like these before. I would love to try this recipe.
Veena Azmanov says
Ha.. I must admit I have never made plantains myself till date. I love them. My mom and grandmom often made these. This looks so good. Must buy some soon and try this recipe. Looks so good.
Noel Lizotte says
What a great appetizer! I tried plantains in a few recipes back in the 1990s when they were really "exotic" in mid-Ohio. Never got so far as to try anything like this however. Need to see if I can find plantains this weekend.
Marisa Franca says
Well, I still waiting for my invitation -- did I miss it somehow?? Those plantain cakes look amazing. What a wonderful pairing for a light wine. I can almost taste the fruity wine taste along with the savory plantain cakes -- so yummy!! Anyway, if you have any more wine parties I'll send you our address.
Jyothi (Jo) says
You had me at savory. I just love savory recipes. What a great appetizer! Plantain, yam, young jackfruit cakes are my favorite kind of appetizers! Looks delicious!
Veena Azmanov says
I love the idea of using plantains as cakes. We make a lot of cakes and fritters so this would be a great addition to our dinner table. Love the flavors you have going. sounds yum.
Ashley @ Big Flavors from a Tiny Kitchen says
I don't know that I've ever had plantains in cake form like this before, but they look great! What a fun pairing for the rosé. They seem like a great appetizer or side dish - really versatile!
Sharon says
I love the crispy store brought plantain chips so I know I would love these homemade cakes with dipping sauce.
Karyl Henry says
My parents are from Trinidad, so I grew up eating plantain. But I've never had them like this before! What a unique twist. I love frying up slices of plaintain, so I will for sure try it this way too
Jenni LeBaron says
I have very little experience with plantains but your recipe makes me want to give it another go because they look so good! What a great alternative to zucchini fritters!
Claire | The Simple, Sweet Life says
What a great appetizer! I've never cooked plantains, but I'm totally intrigued now. I'll definitely have to give these a try!
Holly says
I love plantains and these cakes look fabulous! I love that you made them savory!
Kim @ Berly's Kitchen says
Plantain cakes make great appetizers or snacks. Savory is definitely the way to go. These sound amazing and not too hard to make either. I'll have to look for some plantains at the store. Haven't found any since leaving Florida, and I'm suddenly realize how much I miss them!
Vanessa Vickery says
This recipes looks so good! I have never tried a savoury plantain cake before. Can you sub in regular bananas? I haven't seen plantains here in Australia.
Leslie says
I’ve never been much of a plantain fan, but I think it’s because I’ve never found the right recipe - these look awesome!
Heather says
Love the savory combination of flavores and absolutely perfect with a litht wine. Easy to make and a great compliment to any meal.
Pam Greer says
My local Caribbean restaurant serves something similar and I love them! I had no idea how I could make something similar at home! I can't wait to try these!
Thanh | Eat, Little Bird says
I've never cooked with plantain before so it was interesting to see this recipe. The cakes sound delicious!
Susie Anderson says
I'm not a huge lover of fruity wines, but I do love rosé. And I have to agree that this is the most perfect pairing for a nice summer day. I'd also eat these all by themselves 🙂
Catherine Brown says
Oh, wow! These look delicious! I haven't used plaintains often... you've inspired me to get on it! I like the use of cornmeal here too. 😉
Daniela says
I'm originally from Costa Rica where we make all sorts of sweet and savory treats with plantains, so this recipe really reminded me of home. I particularly love the idea of serving them with sour cream. Yum!
Tina says
Catherine! These look so delicious! I cannot wait to get the ingredients and make this recipe 🙂
Stephanie says
Absolutely delicious! I added jalapeños too.