Aborrajados (Colombian Fried Plantain with Cheese)

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Ripe plantain fried, flattened, wrapped around a slice of cheese, dipped in a sweet batter and fried again. It comes from Valle del Cauca and it is eaten with coffee or hot chocolate. Plantain, not banana: a banana falls apart at the flattening stage. Serves four.

Prep Time5

Cook Time7

Total Time12

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Colombian

Keyword: aborrajados, ripe bananas

Servings:

Calories: 261kcal

Author: Angela Giraldo

Ingredients

2 large very ripe plantains plantain, not banana. The skin should be mostly black
Oil, for frying
4 slices mozzarella, or the cheese you prefer queso costeño or campesino is traditional; mozzarella melts more and is the usual substitute
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour for the batter
2 eggs
2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons milk
A pinch of salt

Instructions

Heat the oil in a large pan or pot over medium heat.
Peel the plantains and cut them in half, put them in the pan and turn the heat down to medium-low.
Fry them for about 3 minutes, turning, until golden on all sides.
Lift them onto paper towels to drain. Then put each piece between two sheets of plastic wrap or baking paper and flatten it with your hand or the base of a plate.
Lay a slice of cheese on each flattened piece and fold the plantain around it into a small patty, pressing the edges to seal.
In a bowl, mix the flour, sugar and salt, add the eggs a little at a time, then the milk, until you have a soft batter. Set it aside.
Dip each patty in the batter and fry over medium heat for about two minutes, turning once, until golden.
Drain on paper towels and serve with a cup of hot chocolate.

Notes

The plantain has to be very ripe, with the skin mostly black. A yellow one is starchy rather than sweet and will not caramelise, and the whole point of an aborrajado is the contrast between sweet plantain and salty cheese. Do not skip the flattening: it is what makes a pocket for the cheese and what gives the finished aborrajado its shape. Seal the edges properly, or the cheese escapes into the oil during the second fry. They are eaten hot, when the cheese still pulls.

Nutrition