Spicy Kaakro/Kaaklo

Kaakro is a Ghanaian dish made from over ripen plantains mashed and spiced with ginger, onions, cloves, chilli and local spices. It’s a great way to use your over ripe plantains. Kaakro is usually served with some beans sauce, either blackeye beans stew or bambara nuts stew. It’s quite a filling meal so it’s normally eaten for brunch or lunch.

Spicy Kaakro/Kaaklo

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Ingredients

  

• 3 Ripe Plantain (over ripened)
• 1/2 Medium Size Onion
• Tiny piece of Scotch Bonnet Pepper (to your taste)
• Tiny piece of Red Pepper (either banana or birds eye chili)
• Fresh Ginger (thumb size)
• 1/2 – 1 tbsp of plain flour
• 1 tbsp Smoked Shrimp (Optional)
• 1 Hwentia
• 4 Cloves
• Salt to taste
• Oil (preferably palm oil) for deep frying

Instructions

 

• Grind the onion, ginger &peppers with a food processor, blender or the traditional earthenware &mortar, Asanka. Grind into a smooth paste.
• Now grind in the cloves & hwentia or 7 Spice Blend  if using instead of the other spices, also add the smoked shrimps (if using, it is recommended to give a lovely taste).
• Peel the plantains, cut up into pieces and grind into the onion mixture. Ideally, you want a lumpy thick mixture. If using a blender, you may end up with a very smooth runny mixture which will require a little be more of flour for a firmer kaakro
• Once all the plantains have been grounded, add in the flour and mix well. The amount of flour needed for a slightly firm kaakro depends on how ripen the plantains are. For a very soft over ripen plantain, add a little extra flour. Work the mixture by adding 1/2Tbsp of flour at a time.
• Heat up the oil in a deep frying pan. When the oil is very hot, spoon the Kaakro mixture into the oil, about 1heaped table spoon for one.
• Let it fry until golden brown on one side and turn it over. When the kaakro is cooked it will rise up to the surface and it is easier to turn. You may want to reduce your heat to medium so that it cooks right through without burning.
• Remove cooked kaakro and place on a kitchen towel to drain most of the oil.
• Serve the kaakro with blackeye beans stew or bambara nuts sauce.

Notes

Alternatively, use 1/2 Tsp Aftrad Village Kitchen’s 7 Spice Blend.