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.

Course Appetizer, Breakfast, Brunch, Side Dish

Cuisine Ecuadorian, Latin, South American

Keyword Bolon de verde, Cheese, Green plantain, Green plantain dumplings, Mashed green plantain balls, Plantains

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 35

Total Time 45

Servings bolones

4 green plantains peeled and cut in medium sized chunks
4-5 tbs butter or lard
2 tbs oil canola or sunflower
1 tbs hot pepper or chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 cup grated cheese and/or 1 cup cooked chorizo or chicharrones (fried pork belly) or bacon
Salt to taste
Ground peanuts optional - add when mashing the green plantains

Melt the butter or lard over medium heat in large sauté pan
Add the plantain chunks and cook for about 40 minutes or until they are very soft, turn them about every 10 minutes, they should be slightly golden but not too crispy.
Sprinkle the cooked plantains with the chili powder, cumin and salt.
Transfer the plantain pieces to a bowl, do this while they are still hot (but be careful not to burn yourself).
Mash the plantains using a wood masher - or just a regular potato masher – until you obtain chunky dough like consistency.
Form balls slightly smaller than the size of a tennis ball with the dough.
Make a hole in the middle of each ball and fill it with the cheese or chorizo or chicharrones (mixed with ground peanuts), gently press the filling into the hole, cover the filling and reshape it back into a ball shape.
Heat the oil over high heat, add the stuffed plantain dumplings and fry them until they are golden and crispy on each side.
Transfer to plate lined with paper towels to drain the grease and serve immediately.