When I first heard about mangu, it immediately reminded me of fufu, foutou, mofongo, kuku, or other similar mashed plantains dishes ubiquitous in West Africa and the Caribbean. The link was obvious to me, slaves had tried to replicate dishes they had in happier times, before they were transported across the Atlantic. Very few know of that that connection, which probably stems from the fact that very few people travel to both West Africa and the Caribbean. Mangu is eaten as breakfast and I heard that it was a potent remedy against hangovers. I have never tested it myself, but feel free to try and report on the experiment in the comments below.
Mangu Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 unripe plantains
- 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons oil
- 1 cup room temperature water
Onion garnish
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 2 Large onions
- 1 tablespoon fruit vinegar
- salt
Directions
1. | Peel the plantains and cut in 8 pieces. Remove the seeds at the center if you'd like. |
2. | Add salt to a pot of water. Boil plantains until tender |
3. | Take the plantains out of the water and mash them immediately with a fork. Add olive oil and keep mashing until the texture gets smoother |
Preparing the garnish | |
4. | Heat up a tablespoon of oil in a pan |
5. | Add sliced onions, cook and stir until transparent |
6. | Add vinegar and season with salt to taste |
7. | Garnish mangu with the onions and serve with sunny side- up eggs or Dominican fried eggs, salami or cheese. |
Note
Adapted from: http://www.dominicancooking.com/532-mangu-mashed-plantains.html