Ecuadorian Bollos de Pescado (Green plantain and fish tamales)

Bollos de Pescado, aka Ecuadorian green plantain and fish bollos, feature a soft green plantain dough filled with tender, flaky fish, all steamed in a banana leaf! This traditional Ecuadorian delicacy is absolutely delicious!

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What is an Ecuadorian bollo?

A bollo is a savory steamed cake that is actually quite similar to a tamal. However, instead of using corn, the dough or masa is made with a mix of green plantain, refrito or sofrito, and peanut butter. They are filled with fish or seafood (occasionally with pork), and then wrapped in a banana or plantain leaf and steamed to perfection!

The combination of green plantain with peanuts and fish or seafood has become a distinctive cultural and gastronomic hallmark of Ecuador. Unfortunately, these flavors and dishes are less known worldwide compared to the renowned Peruvian or Mexican cuisine.

Interestingly, Ecuadorian bollos share similarities with Dominican and Puerto Rican tamales or pasteles, which also use a green plantain-style masa or batter. In Colombia, they also prepare a variation of plantain tamales called envueltos de maduro, but the difference is that they are made using sweet ripe plantains. In many Latin American countries, tamales, envueltos, or hallacas are also made using banana leaves as wrappers.

This Ecuadorian fish bollo recipe, which combines the authentic flavors of green plantain, albacore tuna, and peanuts, has an ancestral connection with the pre-Columbian people of Latin America.

Ingredients You Need to Prepare Bollos de Pescado

For the Broth

• Water: All you need for the liquid here is water!
• Vegetables: For lots of flavor, you must add aromatic vegetables like onion, garlic, scallions, and celery. 
• Herbs: Fresh parsley and fresh cilantro are added as well. 
• Salt: Add to taste. 
• Fish Filets: You can use any fish you like, in Ecuadorian the most used fish for this recipe is tuna or albacore (fresh or frozen, even canned), but you can also use corvina, mahi mahi, seabass, red snapper, cod, etc. In some parts of Ecuador, they also use whole fish to prepare these green plantain bollos.

For the Green Plantain Batter or Dough

• Green Plantains: Use plantains that are super green! If they are turning yellow, they will be harder to grate and the flavor will be more on the sweeter side.
• Achiote: Achiote adds color to the dough or masa. Achiote is also known as annatto. You can find achiote in the form of whole seeds, ground into powder, in a paste, or infused in oil. If you don’t have achiote, you can omit it or add a bit of paprika. 
• Peanut Butter: A bit of peanut butter is added here and then it is topped with the peanut sauce for added nutty flavor! If you are allergic to peanut butter, you can replace it with almond butter (it’s not traditional, but it works well).
• Vegetables: Green bell pepper, onion, and garlic make up the refrito/sofrito that adds an extra layer of flavor to the batter. Set some of the refrito aside to use in the peanut sauce. 
• Oregano: Dried oregano works well here. 
• Cilantro: I always use fresh cilantro, but you can use dried if you need to. 
• Salt & Pepper: To taste. 

For the Peanut Sauce

• Peanut Butter: Make sure to use unsweetened peanut butter!
• Refrito: Use some of the refrito that you previously made for the plantain mixture here. 
• Fish Broth: This is where that fish broth is added! It will make the peanut sauce savory and so delicious. 
• Salt: To taste. 

For the Fish Filling:

• Fish: Use the cooked fish from the broth made above. Another alternative is to use canned tuna (and store-bought fish broth). There are also variations where raw seasoned fish fillets are added directly as a filling (without prior cooking).
• Peanut sauce: Add some extra peanut sauce on top of the fish fillets when filling the bollos.

For Assembly and Serving

• Banana or Plantain Leaves: You can find these frozen at Latin grocery stores!
• Lime Slices: Bollo de pescado is taken up a notch with a little squeeze of lime on top!
• Aji or Hot Sauce: I like to serve this with a side of homemade hot salsa. 
• Peanut Sauce: Be sure to top them off with the homemade peanut sauce!
• Curtido de Cebolla: Basically lime pickled red onions, you can choose to add tomato or not!
• Rice: Serve with a side of rice for a full meal.

How to Make Bollos de Pescado

Prepare Each Component

1. Prep the Broth and cook the fish: The first step is to prepare the fish broth. In a large pot, add the water, the small onion, the scallion or spring onion, the garlic cloves, celery, parsley, cilantro and salt. Bring the water to a boil. Add the fish filets (albacore tuna or other), and cook covered on low medium heat for approximately 10-15 minutes or until the fish is tender, the exact time will vary based on the type of fish used. After this time, remove the fish from the pot and strain the broth. Let the broth cool, as you will use it to make the batter for the bollos. Cut the cooked albacore into bite-sized slices and set aside.

• Make the Refrito: To prepare the refrito or sofrito, in a pan, add ¼ cup of the achiote oil and sauté the red onion and crushed garlic. When the onions are translucent, add the chopped green bell pepper and cook for 5 more minutes. Then add the oregano, chopped cilantro, salt, and pepper. Divide the refrito into two equal parts, one for the green plantain batter, and the other for the peanut sauce.

• Prep the Plantain Dough: Next, proceed to peel the green plantains and grate them on the finest side of the grater. If you can’t do it quickly, add a little achiote oil to prevent the plantains from oxidizing. It is also advisable to rub a little bit of regular oil on your hands to prevent them from getting stained (from the green plantains).

• Add Peanut Butter to the Dough: Add half of the achiote oil and half of the peanut butter (you can heat it in the microwave for about 20 seconds to make it easier to knead). Knead the mixture a little, and, at this point, you can add the fish broth. You will usually use about ¾ cup -1 cup of fish broth for each 1 cup of the grated green plantains. 

• Make Peanut Sauce: To prepare the peanut sauce, pour the other half of the refrito or sofrito into the blender along with the other half of the peanut butter, and ½ cup -1 cup of fish broth. Process until you obtain a homogeneous cream. Taste and adjust the salt if necessary. Pour half of the peanut sauce over the green plantain batter and mix it with your hands until it is soft and has an almost creamy texture.

• Set Aside for Later: Save the other half of the peanut sauce to top the fish when filling the bollos and for serving. You can also make an extra batch of the peanut sauce if you want extra to serve. 
• Cook the Green Plantain Dough, Batter or Masa: Turn the stove to medium heat and place a deep non-stick pot or pan on the stove. Pour the plantain batter into the pan and cook for about 15-20 minutes, stirring constantly with a wooden or silicone spoon. When the batter is cooked, it will easily come off the walls of the pot without sticking.

Assemble & Steam

1. Fill the Leaves: Choose the side of the plantain banana leaf that has the least texture and spread a little achiote oil on the leaf. Place 3 to 4 tablespoons of cooked green plantain batter and use a spoon to flatten it. Add a few pieces of albacore fish and a tablespoon of peanut sauce.

• Fold: Bring the two side ends of the plantain leaf together and roll them like a scroll until the bun is wrapped. Flip the two ends back.

• Close with Twine: Then, with a smaller piece of the leaf, make a band to tighten the ends you just flipped and finish by tying it with the leaf or a piece of cooking twine. If your leaves are large enough you can also just gently fold the edges without having to tie them. Repeat these last steps until you assemble all the bollos.

• Steam: Place the green plantain bollos in a large pot with a steamer and hot water, add a tight-fitting lid, and cook/steam the bollos for about 25-30 minutes. The exact time depends on the size of the bollos and also on the desired consistency. 

• Serve & Enjoy: Serve the bollos warm and topped with extra peanut sauce, curtido salsa, spicy aji sauce, and slices of lime. You can also serve them with a side of rice.

Tips for Success

• To steam them correctly, it is important to secure the bollos firmly, using kitchen string or the leaves themselves, to prevent them from falling apart and losing the ingredients. The good thing about green plantain dough is that it is already cooked before assembling the bollos, so the steaming time is usually less than when preparing tamales or humitas.
• Banana leaves play a fundamental role in preparing bollos de pescado. They provide portability, serving as an improvised plate, and most importantly, contribute a distinctive flavor to the dish. Despite the possibility of using other wrappers, banana leaves are irreplaceable as they impart the characteristic flavor that defines bollos.
• For those living outside of Latin America, sometimes frozen banana leaves can be found in stores that sell Latin products. If they are expensive or you don’t have enough leaves, use a small piece of banana leaf for each bollo and complete the rest of the wrapping with aluminum foil or parchment paper. This way, you can still impart a touch of the characteristic flavor from the leaves.

Ecuadorian Bollos de Pescado

These Ecuadorian bollos de pescado or plantain and fish tamales are made with a green plantain dough, filled with fish, and steamed in banana leaves.

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Course: Breakfast, Brunch, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine: Coastal, Ecuadorian, Latin American

Keyword: Albacore, Banana leaves, Bollos, Comfort food, Envuelto, Green plantain, Peanuts, Steamed

Prep Time: 1 hour hour

Cook Time: 1 hour hour

Total Time: 2 hours hours

Servings: 12 bollos or green plantain tamales

Ingredients

For the broth:

• 8 cups of water 8 cups = ~2 liters
• 1 small white onion about 80 grams or 3 ounces, quartered or cut in half
• 1 stalk of spring onion or scallion cut in large pieces
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 celery stalk chopped
• 6 parsley sprigs
• 6 cilantro sprigs
• 1 teaspoon of salt adjust to taste
• 1 lb of fish filets – we used albacore tuna (fresh or frozen,) – you can also use corvina, mahi mahi, seabass, red snapper, cod, or any fish you like

For the green plantain batter or masa:

• 3-4 green plantains approximately 1 kg (2 lbs)
• ½ cup of achiote or annatto oil divided into two equal parts (120 ml in total)
• 9 ounces of peanut butter unsweetened, 9 ounces = 250 grams
• 1 green bell pepper finely chopped (100 g)
• 1 red onion finely chopped (150 g)
• 3 garlic cloves crushed
• 1 teaspoon dry oregano
• 2-3 tbs of chopped cilantro
• Salt and pepper to taste

For the peanut sauce:

• 4.5 ounces of the remaining peanut butter – from above , adjust to taste – 4.5 ounces = 125 grams
• Half of the previously prepared refrito or sofrito
• ½ cup-1 cup of fish broth adjust to your preference
• Salt to taste if needed

To assemble the green plantain bollos:

• Banana or plantain leaves washed and cut into 12 pieces of about 16 inches or 40 cm long – you can find these frozen at Latin grocery stores

To serve:

• Limes slices
• Ají criollo or hot sauce
• Peanut sauce
• Curtido de cebolla – with or without tomato
• Rice

Instructions

• The first step is to prepare the fish broth. In a large pot, add the water, the small onion, the scallion or spring onion, the garlic cloves, celery, parsley, cilantro and salt. Bring the water to a boil.
  
• Add the fish filets (albacore tuna or other), and cook covered for approximately 10-15 minutes. After this time, remove the fish from the pot and strain the broth. Let the broth cool, as you will use it to make the batter for the bollos.
  
• Cut the cooked albacore into bite-sized slices and set aside.
• To prepare the refrito or sofrito, in a pan, add ¼ cup of the achiote oil and sauté the red onion and crushed garlic. When the onions are translucent, add the chopped green bell pepper and cook for 5 more minutes. Then add the oregano, chopped cilantro, salt, and pepper. Divide the refrito into two equal parts, one for the green plantain batter, and the other for the peanut sauce.
  
• Next, proceed to peel the green plantains and grate them on the finest side of the grater. If you can’t do it quickly, add a little achiote oil to prevent the plantains from oxidizing. It is also advisable to rub a little bit of regular oil on your hands to prevent them from getting stained (from the green plantains).
  
• Add half of the achiote oil and half of the peanut butter (you can heat it in the microwave for about 20 seconds to make it easier to knead). Knead the mixture a little, and, at this point, you can add the fish broth. You will usually use about ¾ cup -1 cup of fish broth for each 1 cup of the grated green plantains.
  
• To prepare the peanut sauce, pour the other half of the refrito or sofrito into the blender along with the other half of the peanut butter, and ½ cup -1 cup of fish broth. Process until you obtain a homogeneous cream. Taste and adjust the salt if necessary.
  
• Pour half of the peanut sauce over the green plantain batter and mix it with your hands until it is soft and has an almost creamy texture.
  
• Save the other half of the peanut sauce to top the fish when filling the bollos and for serving. You can also make an extra batch of the peanut sauce if you want extra to serve.
• Turn the stove to medium heat and place a deep non-stick pot or pan on the stove. Pour the plantain batter into the pan and cook for about 15-20 minutes, stirring constantly with a wooden or silicone spoon. When the batter is cooked, it will easily come off the walls of the pot without sticking.
  

To assemble and steam the bollos de pescado:

• Choose the side of the plantain banana leaf that has the least texture and spread a little achiote oil on the leaf. Place 3 to 4 tablespoons of cooked green plantain batter and use a spoon to flatten it. Add a few pieces of albacore fish and a tablespoon of peanut sauce.
  
• Bring the two side ends of the plantain leaf together and roll them like a scroll until the bun is wrapped.
  
• Flip the two ends back.
  
• Then, with a smaller piece of the leaf, make a band to tighten the ends you just flipped and finish by tying it with the leaf or a piece of cooking twine. If your leaves are large enough you can also just gently fold the edges without having to tie them.
  
• Repeat these last steps until you assemble all the bollos.
• Place the green plantain bollos in a large pot with a steamer and hot water, add a tight-fitting lid, and cook/steam the bollos for about 25-30 minutes. The exact time depends on the size of the bollos and also on the desired consistency.
  
• Serve the bollos warm and topped with extra peanut sauce, curtido salsa, spicy aji sauce, and slices of lime. You can also serve them with a side of rice.
  

More Ecuadorian recipes with green plantains to try:

1

Green plantain patties stuffed with cheese {Tortillas de verde}

Ecuadorian green plantain patties stuffed with cheese, also known as tortillas de verde, made with a dough of green plantains, a cheese filling (or your choice of filling), and cooked on a griddle or frying pan.

Check out this recipe

2

Bolon de verde or fried green plantain dumplings

Bolon de verde are green plantain dumplings stuffed with cheese, chorizo or chicharrones and fried until crispy.

Check out this recipe

3

Majado de verde or mashed plantains

Majado de verde is a green plantain mash made with green plantains, onions, garlic, and achiote. Majado is served with fried eggs and cheese slices.

Check out this recipe

4

Sudado de pescado or fish stew with plantains

This Ecuadorian sudado de pescado or fish stew is prepared with fish poached in a sauce of onion, tomato, pepper, garlic, cilantro, and green plantains.

Check out this recipe

5

Ecuadorian green plantain dumpling soup – Caldo de bolas de verde

Caldo de bolas de verde is a typical Ecuadorian soup of green plantain balls or dumplings stuffed with meat and served in a delicious broth with corn and yuca.

Check out this recipe

6

Patacones or tostones

Easy recipe for homemade patacones or tostones, a popular Latin American appetizer or side dish made with twice fried slices of green plantains.

Check out this recipe