Plantain is the one ingredient almost every West African kitchen abroad keeps on the counter. Ripe or green, fried, roasted or boiled, it is cheap, filling and endlessly versatile. Here are three classics.

First: pick the right ripeness

Skin colour	Taste and texture	Best for
Green	Firm, starchy, not sweet	Fufu, chips, boiled plantain, porridge
Yellow with a few spots	Slightly sweet, still firm	Bole, savoury dodo
Yellow with lots of black spots	Sweet and soft	Classic dodo, kelewele
Almost fully black	Very sweet and soft	Plantain pancakes, mosa (puff-puff style)

Peeling tip: cut off both ends, score a shallow line along the skin, then lift the peel off with your thumb.

1. Perfect dodo (fried plantain)

1. Slice ripe plantain diagonally, about 1 cm thick, for crispy edges, or into rounds for soft caramelised centres.
2. Heat neutral oil (vegetable, groundnut or canola) to about 175°C / 350°F. A test piece should sizzle at once.
3. Fry in batches without crowding the pan, 2 to 3 minutes per side, until deep golden.
4. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with a pinch of salt while hot.

Air fryer or oven: brush slices with a little oil and cook at 200°C / 400°F, turning once, until golden.

2. Oven-roasted bole

Bole is Port Harcourt street food at its best: smoky roasted plantain served with pepper sauce, groundnuts or grilled fish. You can get close to the roadside taste at home.

1. Use firm, just-ripe plantains. Peel them and leave them whole or halve them.
2. Rub lightly with oil (palm oil gives extra flavour).
3. Roast at 200°C / 400°F on a rack over a tray for 25 to 35 minutes, turning every 10 minutes, until charred in spots and soft inside.
4. Finish under the grill (broiler) for 2 to 3 minutes for a smoky char.
5. Serve with a quick pepper sauce: blended scotch bonnet, onion, palm oil, salt and a seasoning cube, fried for 5 minutes.

3. Plantain fufu from scratch

Plantain fufu is a gluten-free swallow made from green plantains. It is lovely with egusi, okra or efo riro.

1. Peel 4 to 5 green plantains and cut into chunks.
2. Boil in salted water for 15 to 20 minutes until fork-tender.
3. Drain and blend until smooth, adding only 1 to 2 tablespoons of water if needed.
4. Return to a pot over low heat and stir hard with a wooden spoon for 5 to 10 minutes, until thick and doughy.
5. Shape into balls with wet hands and serve with soup.

Shortcut: plantain fufu flour works too: stir into boiling water a little at a time until smooth and firm. Leftover fufu keeps 2 to 3 days in the fridge; reheat by steaming.

Finding ingredients abroad: most African and international grocery stores carry these. Check our Tokunbo Directory for African-owned stores near you.

Over to you: Team dodo, team bole or team plantain fufu? Tell us in the comments or share your story.

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