Amongst Amazonian communities in northeastern Ecuador, chucula is a staple meals. At its most elementary it’s merely ripe bananas blended with water, just a few spices, and a sweetener comparable to panela or honey. It’s easy to organize, simply boiled in a pot, and may then be eaten both heat or chilly. This recipe, which is tailored from The Latin American Cookbook by Virgilio Martínez (© 2021 Phaidon Press) is a variation from different elements of the nation the place milk often replaces the water, yielding a richer consistency akin to a smoothie.
Featured in “Why Virgilio Martínez Wants You to Rethink Latin American Food.”
Chucula (Ecuadorian Candy Plantain Pudding)
A easy, spoonable deal with from South America’s western edge.
Yield: serves 5
Time:
35 minutes
Components
- 4 very ripe plantains, peeled and sliced (about 1 lb. 2 oz.)
- 2 cups complete milk
- 4 cinnamon sticks
- 2 cloves
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp. sugar
Directions
- To a small pot over medium-high warmth, add the plantains and sufficient cool water to cowl. Convey to a boil and prepare dinner till the fruit may be very delicate, 10–quarter-hour. Drain, discarding the cooking liquid, then utilizing a potato masher or fork, mash to a high-quality purée.
- In the meantime, to a small pot, add the milk, cinnamon, cloves, and vanilla. Convey to a boil over medium warmth, then stir within the reserved plantain purée and sugar. Proceed cooking, stirring regularly, till thickened and effervescent, about quarter-hour. Take away from warmth; take away and discard the spices. Cool barely, then switch to serving bowls or coups and serve heat or cowl loosely with plastic wrap, refrigerate, and serve chilled.
