Boronia (Colombian Eggplant and Plantain Mash)

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Boronia is a mash of boiled eggplant and ripe plantain, folded through with hogao, the Colombian sofrito of onion, tomato and garlic. It comes from the Caribbean coast and it is sweet, smoky and soft, served hot as a side or a light main. Serves four.

Prep Time5

Cook Time15

Total Time20

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Colombian

Keyword: boronía

Servings:

Calories: 287kcal

Author: Angela Giraldo

Ingredients

3 eggplants peeled and quartered
2 ripe plantains the skin should be well darkened: the sweetness is what balances the eggplant
2 tablespoons oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 teaspoon salt, plus pepper to taste the teaspoon is for the salt; the pepper goes in the hogao, to taste

Instructions

Peel the eggplants and cut them into quarters. Peel the plantains and cut them in half.
Put the plantains and eggplants into plenty of water and cook until they are soft enough to mash. They are ready when a fork goes in with no resistance.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a pan over medium heat and cook the finely chopped onion until it turns translucent.
Add the garlic and the peeled, chopped tomato, season with pepper, and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, until the mixture has thickened into a sauce. This is hogao, the Colombian sofrito.
When the plantains and eggplants are soft, drain them well, let them sit a moment, then mash them with a fork or process them to a purée. Stir half the hogao through the mash.
Serve hot, with the rest of the hogao spooned over the top.

Notes

Drain the eggplant and plantain properly before mashing. Both hold a lot of water after boiling, and a wet mash turns into soup rather than the thick purée this should be. The plantains need to be ripe, with dark skin: their sweetness is what balances the eggplant, and a green one leaves the dish flat and starchy. Half the hogao goes into the mash and half on top, which is deliberate and gives you two textures. Boronia is a Caribbean coast dish and is usually eaten alongside rice or fish.

Nutrition