AI-generated image
Plantain mosa
Sweet plantain puffs
Mosa: soft, sweet puffs of overripe plantain and pepper, a Lagos small-chops favourite
Blackened, very ripe plantains that are too soft for dodo find a second life as mosa, the little fried puffs that sit on Lagos party trays beside puff puff, samosas and spring rolls. Mashed plantain is mixed with flour, onion and a bit of chilli, dropped into hot oil and fried until crisp outside and custardy and sweet inside, with a gentle heat. They take less than half an hour. Plantain sugars burn fast, and too-hot oil gives dark puffs with raw middles, so fry at a steady medium heat. Most people go wrong with a batter that is too runny; it should drop from the spoon in a blob, or the puffs spread flat. Chef's tip: the blacker the plantain skin, the sweeter and softer the mosa.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 2 very ripe plantainsskins mostly black, about 400 g peeled
- 3 ½ oz plain flour
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ oniongrated
- ½ scotch bonnet chilli (optional)very finely chopped; leave out for children
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 cups vegetable oilfor frying
Shop this recipe on Amazon
Fresh ingredients (2)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Mash 2 very ripe plantains with a fork until almost smooth. Stir in ½ onion, ½ scotch bonnet chilli, ¼ tsp ground nutmeg and ¼ tsp salt.
3 minStep 2: Add 3 ½ oz plain flour and ½ tsp baking powder and mix into a thick batter that drops slowly from a spoon. Add 1–2 tbsp water only if it is too stiff to drop.
2 minStep 3: Heat 2 cups vegetable oil in a deep pan to 350°F, until a drop of batter sizzles and rises within a few seconds.
5 minStep 4: Drop heaped teaspoons of batter into the oil, 6–8 at a time. Fry for 3–4 minutes, turning, until deep golden and puffed. Break the first one open to check it is cooked inside.
12 minStep 5: Drain on paper towels and serve warm.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 280 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 45 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does plantain mosa take?
- About 25 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 15 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 vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of baking powder?
- ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda + ½ tsp cream of tartar per 1 tsp.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Taiwanese grilled corn
At Raohe and Shilin night markets the grilled-corn stalls are easy to find: look for the queue and the smoky, sweet smell. Cobs are par-cooked, then turned slowly over charcoal while the cook brushes them with a dark glaze of sacha sauce, thick soy paste, garlic and chilli, layer after layer, until the kernels are sticky, slightly charred and deeply savoury. It is eaten hot from a paper sleeve while walking the market. Sacha (shacha) sauce, a Taiwanese barbecue paste, usually contains dried fish and shrimp; vegetarian sacha is sold in Asian shops. Contains soy, wheat and fish. Chef's tip: brush thin coats and turn often; one thick coat burns before the corn chars.
Taiwanese
Masala khakhraCrisp roasted wheat crackers
Khakhra are thin chapaties roasted slowly on a griddle until they turn crisp, like a cracker. This masala version adds gram flour, fresh fenugreek, turmeric and chilli to the wheat dough. They are a light Gujarati breakfast or tea-time snack, and lovely with pickle, chutney or a smear of butter. You can also make them in a roti maker.
Indian
MathiaMoong and urad dal wafers
Mathia are thin, crisp, slightly sweet and peppery wafers made from mathia flour, a mix of ground husked moong and urad dal. They are a classic Gujarati Diwali snack. The dough is pounded until pale, rolled very thin between plastic sheets and fried one at a time. They are fragile, so store them gently. To make mathia flour, finely grind 4 parts husked green gram lentils with 1 part husked black gram lentils.