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Rellenitos de plátano
Plantain dumplings with sweet beans
Guatemalan plantain dumplings filled with sweet black beans and chocolate, fried and dusted with sugar
Rellenitos surprise everyone who hasn't grown up in Guatemala: soft, sweet plantain dough wrapped around a filling of black beans cooked down with chocolate, cinnamon and sugar, then fried and rolled in sugar. They're sold in panaderías and at fairs, and made at home for afternoon coffee and Christmas. The beans taste nothing like a savoury dish; think of a fudgy chocolate paste. Chef's tip: mash the plantains while hot and chill the dough for 20 minutes; cold dough wraps cleanly without sticking to your hands.
- Total time
- 75 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the dough
- 3 ripe plantains (yellow with black spots)unpeeled, ends trimmed, halved
- 1 pinch salt
For the filling
- 9 oz cooked black beansdrained
- 1 ⅜ oz dark chocolatechopped; check it's dairy free
- 1 ¾ oz sugar
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
For frying and coating
- 1 ¾ cups vegetable oilfor shallow frying
- 4 tbsp sugar
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Boil 3 ripe plantains (yellow with black spots) in their skins for 15–20 minutes until a knife slides in easily and the skins split. Peel while hot and mash with 1 pinch salt until completely smooth, then chill for 20 minutes.
20 minStep 2: Meanwhile, blend 9 oz cooked black beans to a paste. Cook in 1 tbsp vegetable oil over a medium-low heat with 1 ¾ oz sugar and ½ tsp ground cinnamon for 8–10 minutes, stirring, until thick enough to hold a trail when you drag a spoon through. Stir in 1 ⅜ oz dark chocolate until melted. Cool.
10 minStep 3: With lightly oiled hands, flatten a golf-ball piece of plantain dough into a 7 cm disc. Put 1 heaped tsp of filling in the middle, fold over and seal into a small oval or half-moon. Repeat to make about 12. Common mistake: underripe plantains; green ones won't mash smooth and the dough cracks.
15 minStep 4: Heat 1 ¾ cups vegetable oil to 350°F in a frying pan over a medium heat. Fry rellenitos in batches for 2–3 minutes per side until deep golden with dark caramelised spots.
12 minStep 5: Drain on kitchen paper, then roll in 4 tbsp sugar mixed with ½ tsp ground cinnamon while still warm. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 300 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 50 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does rellenitos de plátano take?
- About 75 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 35 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 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.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of cooked black beans?
- Kidney or pinto beans, same amount.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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