Tatale is fried plantain fritters which is also a popular Ghanaian dish. I did this for Ghananain Independence Day recently because it is such a classic. It is basically made with overripe plantains and spices and peppers. I used a traditional Asanka, which is an earthenware pot (pictured below) which is used to grind the plantains until it gets mushy. This Asanka pot is also used for grinding pepper or boiled vegetables without a blender. The next best alternative is using a food processor and pulsing it in short bursts to get a semi-smooth paste.
These plantain fritters resemble pancakes but are much thinner. The more pepper you use the better these would taste. The best plantain to use is plantain which is blackened and soft. The main ingredients for this aside from the plantain is palm oil. Palm oil is what gives the tatale its rich flavor and distinct taste because it is made from palm fruit. This oil has a very red color and tastes slightly spicy. The next best alternative is virgin oil. The texture of the plantain fritter dough needs to be soggy; too much flour turns it into pancakes.
Other awesome fried plantain recipes on the blog are:
Ingredients
4 overripe plantain, peeled
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon garlic pepper (or cayenne pepper)
2 habenero peppers, chopped
1/2 cup palm oil
Instructions
- Mash all the ingredients except the palm oil in a large bowl until you get a purée.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of palm oil in a non stick frying pan and scoop small amounts of the plantain purée unto the hot oil to form a circle.
- Fry until lightly browned on both sides (for about 5 minutes per side).
- Repeat steps 2-3 for the remaining batter.
- Serve warm.