Green Plantain Pancake w/ Cheese and Tomato Scallion Sauce (Arepa de Platanos Verde con Queso y Salsa de Tomate y Cebolla)

Yes, another frying recipe. Don’t you love it? This dish is super delish and easy to make. So I mixed a bit of Ecuadorian w/ Colombian in this recipe. Plantains with cheese represents well, both (hehe) and the pancake feel to it and sauce is Colombian. Great for a brunch or as an appetizer. Enjoy!

Makes for 7-8 pancakes

Printable Recipe.

Ingredients:

2 Large or 4 Small to Medium Green Plantain, peeled
8-10 ounces of Fresh White Cheese (Colombian queso fresco), cubed
Oil, for frying
Salt

For Sauce:

2 Large Plum Tomatoes, chopped
2-3 Scallions, finely sliced
1/4 Cup Cilantro, chopped
Salt, to taste
Smidgen or Pinch of Cayenne Pepper
2 Tbsp Butter

Preparation:

Begin by making the Sauce. In a small sauce pot add in all the ingredients except the Cayenne Pepper. Stir to combine, cover with lid and cook on low heat while working on the pancakes.

Fill a medium-sized pot to cook the plantains. Fill just enough water to cover the plantains and sprinkle in some salt. Bring to a boil and cook the plantains until fork tender. Then transfer it all in a large bowl and mash until smooth. Use your hands too to get a smoother texture.

Place a piece of plastic wrap on your work surface. Grab a piece of the mashed plantain and roll it into a ball. Then pat it down to a pancake form. Place a piece of cheese in the middle. Grab another plantain ball and place it on top. With the help of the plastic wrap combine both pieces of plantains to make one pancake by patting it down or with a rolling-pin. Then set aside. Repeat this procedure until all mashed plantain is used up.

Fry pancakes on medium heat 2-3 minutes on each side. Have ready a plate double lined with paper towel to absorb excess oil. Going back to the sauce. It should be saucy by this point. Add in the Cayenne Pepper before serving. Serve the pancakes warm with the sauce on top or on the side. OH! And for brunch a sunny side up egg will do the trick 😉