As a lover of plantains, I try to keep them handy. One of the things I tried this year when I got an air fryer, was to cook mofongo in it. The end results was worth it of a toddler eating it. I must say my toddler inherited my love for plantains.
I use plantains as much as normal people use potatoes. It has the versatility of turning anything a potato can do into a 100X better. Check my previous posts on plantains here, here , here, here, and here for more ideas. It is a staple at my house, even now that I have gone into a ketogenic lifestyle. My toddler absolutely loves them and they are Whole30 compliant.
My family in Puerto Rico reminded me of these little gems a while back when they were making soup with mofongo balls. It is delicious! Nothing compares to a good homemade broth or mondongo, the morning after a long night of drinking or studying. LOL! In fact, my love for mofongo grew beyond my family’s teachings when I went to college. There was this famous small restaurant that had, hands-down, the best broth with fried pork and mofongo. It could have revived a dead one for sure!
I hope you like them as much as we do. You can do the whole process in the air fryer by placing the plantain disks in the air fryer at 350F for about 5-8 minute. Then flip them to the other side and cook for another 5 to 8 minutes until the color is a darker yellow. The air fryer turn the plantains a bit dry and crispier than the frying pan, but it gives you the flexibility of just using one kitchen appliance if you want to. So without further discussion, here is the recipe.
Air Fryer Mofongo Balls
Ingredients
- coconut oil for frying
- 1 plantain sliced in 6 to 8 disks
- 1/4 tsp Himalayan Pink Salt or to taste
- 2 slice cooked bacon crushed, reserve bacon fat (optional)
- 1-2 cloves garlic smashed
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
Instructions
- Peel the plantain in 6 to 8 disks and add them to a water bowl with salt or adobo. Leave soaking in the water for about 10 minutes.
- Place the plantain disks in the air fryer at 350F for about 5-8 minute. Then flip them to the other side and cook for another 5 to 8 minutes until the color is a darker yellow.
- Or traditional method first, prepare a frying pan with coconut oil, or your preference, and set on medium heat. Add the plantain disks, without crowding the pan, and fry for about 8 to 10 minutes until both sides are slightly golden, but not darker than yellow mustard.
- While plantains cook, add 1/4 tsp of salt and 2 garlic cloves to a pilon or mortar and smashed into a paste. Once the garlic paste is done, add the bacon and mixed or crushed, if not done so already.
- Once the garlic and bacon paste is done, add the plantains with a 1/4 cup of chicken broth, few tablespoons of butter (optional) or 2 tbsp of the frying oil or bacon fat (optional). You can use the liquid of your preference. I use bacon fat and chicken broth to assist with smashing the plantains and mixing them in with the paste.
- Once the mofongo is all mixed, set in a plate and divide in 6 to 8 balls. Prepare your air fryer with parchment paper and place the mofongo balls in the basket. Set the air fryer between 350F to 400F for about 6 to 10 minutes, moving the balls as the time progresses. Once done, let them cool off for a bit before eating them. Buen Provecho!
Notes
Nutrition
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