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Masaco de plátano
Pounded plantain with cheese
Masaco de plátano: Santa Cruz's pounded green plantain with cheese
Breakfast in Santa Cruz and the Bolivian lowlands often means a mound of masaco with a cup of strong coffee: green plantain fried and then pounded with butter and grated cheese into a dense, savoury mash. Many cruceños mix in shredded dried beef; this vegetarian version uses only cheese, which is how plenty of families make it too. Bolivian lowland cheese is usually set with animal rennet, so use a vegetarian Cheddar-style cheese if that matters to you. The usual mistake is frying the plantain until crisp: it must stay soft inside or it won't mash. Chef's tip: pound the plantain while it is still very hot; once it cools it turns hard and rubbery.
- Total time
- 35 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 4 green plantainspeeled, cut into 4 cm chunks
- ¾ cup sunflower oilfor shallow-frying
- 1 ⅜ oz butter
- 7 oz firm white cheesegrated; vegetarian rennet if needed
- ½ tsp salt
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: To peel 4 green plantains, cut off both ends, slit the skin lengthways and prise it off with your thumb. Cut into chunks.
5 minStep 2: Heat ¾ cup sunflower oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and fry the chunks, turning, until pale gold all over and soft when pierced, about 10 minutes. They should not brown deeply.
10 minStep 4: Pound with a pestle or the end of a rolling pin until broken into a rough, sticky mash.
5 minStep 5: Add 7 oz firm white cheese a handful at a time, pounding to blend it in until it melts into strands. Shape into balls or a mound and serve warm.
5 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 480 kcal
- Protein
- 12 g
- Carbs
- 56 g
- Fat
- 24 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does masaco de plátano take?
- About 35 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
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