Easy Sunday Recipe.

Try this for Lunch - Pounded plantain served with baby snails and Ponmo sauce

Pounded Plantain

Plantain (ripe and still solid,the over ripe ones will make your meal too sweet and soggy)

Salt

Kitchen mortar and pestle

Method:

Cut your plantain into two or three pieces with the skin on,place in a pot of boiling water and add a little bit of salt. Allow this cook for 10-15 mins(depending on the size of the plantain,15mins is enough time for it to cook through).

Deep a fork through the plantain,if it comes out clean then you know it's ready to be pounded. Peel of the skin and pound the plantain in the mortar(it's important to do this while it's still hot),pound till you have a smooth consistence and the plantain can be scooped into round shapes. Tie in a clean nylon and set aside in a cooler to keep warm.

 Sauce

Unripe rodo (6pcs), Ripe rodo (6/7pcs),ripe tomatoes(2large pcs),onions(optional),palmoil,ponmo,baby snails,salt,seasoning cubes.

Method:

Clean your baby snails with alum or very hot salted water&set aside,clean your ponmo thoroughly and cut into bite size pieces. With a hand grater,give your pepper combo a rough chop then set aside. Place a clean non-stick pan on medium heat,then add two/3serving spoons of good palmoil. 

Soon as it's a bit hot(not smoking hot),pour in your snails and stir fry for 2mins,season and then add your ponmo. Keep stirring around for another 5-8mins then add your roughly chopped pepper,turn down the heat and allow the sauce sizzle slightly for another 15-20mins. Taste and adjust seasoning to your preference and it's ready to be served.

Plating: 

Take one of the plantain rounds or balls and place on a flat plate,with a soup spoon(also known as ladle or better still that type of spoon used by northerners for fura). Gently press it into the bowl,to form a little plantain bowl(as seen in the pic below). Serve your sauce in the hole created and garnish with finely chopped rodo/Ugwu. 

Happy Sunday everyone,enjoy