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Plantain & Vegetable Stir Fry

Also known as Plantain & Vegetable Stir Fry (Nigerian Style)

Nigerian Plantain and Vegetable Stir Fry is a modern, health-conscious Nigerian dish that brings together the beloved fried plantain (Dodo) with a colourful stir-fry of seasonal vegetables in a lightly spiced Nigerian-style sauce. This dish emerged from the urban Nigerian health food movement and is popular among fitness-conscious Nigerians who want a lighter, vegetable-forward meal that still carries the characteristic Nigerian boldness of seasoning.

Plantain & Vegetable Stir Fry, Nigerian cooking

Ingredients

  • 3 ripe plantains (yellow skin), peeled and sliced diagonally
  • 1 big red bell pepper (Tatashe), thinly sliced
  • 1 big green bell pepper, thinly sliced
  • 2 big carrots, peeled and julienned
  • 1 big handful of green beans, trimmed and sliced
  • 1 big onion, thinly sliced
  • 2 Atarodo (hot chilli peppers), finely sliced
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon of ground ginger
  • 3 cooking spoons of vegetable oil — 2 for frying plantain, 1 for stir-fry
  • 2 big tablespoons of soy sauce
  • 2 seasoning cubes (Knorr), crushed
  • Salt to taste
  • Fresh spring onions for garnish

Method

  1. 01

    Frying the Plantain. Heat 2 cooking spoons of vegetable oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Fry the plantain slices for 2 to 3 minutes per side until golden. Remove and drain on paper towels. Set aside.

  2. 02

    Stir-Frying the Vegetables. In the same pan or a wok, heat 1 cooking spoon of oil over high heat. Add minced garlic and ginger. Fry for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add sliced onion and Atarodo. Stir-fry for 2 minutes.

  3. 03

    Adding the Vegetables. Add the carrots and green beans first (harder vegetables). Stir-fry for 3 minutes. Add the bell peppers. Stir-fry for 2 more minutes — the vegetables should be slightly tender but still vibrant and slightly crunchy.

  4. 04

    Seasoning. Add soy sauce, crushed seasoning cubes and salt. Stir everything together over high heat for 1 minute.

  5. 05

    Combining with Plantain. Gently fold the fried plantain slices into the stir-fried vegetables. Stir carefully to avoid breaking the plantain. Cook for 1 minute just to warm the plantain through. Garnish with sliced spring onions and serve immediately.

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