An International Food Xperience - Bolon de Verde - Ecuador

There is no dish that fully identifies the coastal food of Ecuador than the famous bolón de verde, whose star ingredient is the green plantain, it is generally considered an ideal dish for breakfast, but it can also be served as an appetizer or accompaniment and is one of the most sought after and desired by local people or foreigners visiting our country.  to the point that various businesses have been generated around its preparation.

The bolones de verde are prepared with green plantains or plantains, which are cooked and crushed until they form a kind of dough, which is filled with cheese or pork rinds or chorizo. On the coast there is no richer breakfast than a delicious bolón de verde accompanied by a fried egg, chili, and a cup of cafecito. The classic bolón de verde comes with cheese only. But from then on, you can add any toppings you want. Cheese ball: only has cheese. Bolón de chicharrón: it only has pork rinds. Bolón mixto: A mix of cheese and pork rinds.

Green bananas can be difficult to peel. The best way to peel a green banana is to make a longitudinal cut at one of the edges or edges of the rind. The cut must be made carefully so that only the rind penetrates, without touching the flesh of the banana, then use the knife to raise the rind and then finish by peeling the banana with your hands. The greener the bananas, the harder they are to peel, in which case you can use the knife directly to remove the rind. The liquid from green bananas can stain utensils and hands, to avoid this I recommend peeling them in a bowl with cold water. Enjoy the recipe for bolón de verde con queso, a typical breakfast dish on the Ecuadorian coast.

Green Bolon Recipe

INGREDIENTS

3 green bananas, peeled and cut into chunks

1 cup shredded queso criollo or mozzarella cheese

3 – 4 tbsp butter or lard

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp chili powder optional Salt to taste

STEP-BY-STEP DIRECTIONS

1. Once the greens are peeled, cut them into medium-sized pieces.

2. Now you need to cook the banana pieces in a pot with water and salt. Do this for about half an hour at medium-low temperature. When the pieces are a little soft, remove them and put them in a bowl to mash them.

3. DO NOT throw away the water where they were cooked, reserve some for later use. With the help of a mortar and pestle, or the bottom of a glass, crush the banana pieces until they form a homogeneous dough.

4. While mashing, add the butter (or lard), cumin and chili pepper.  If you see that it's a little dry, add some of the water where the greens were cooked. Then, add the shredded cheese (or any other toppings you like).

5. Finally, grab a piece of the dough and shape it into a rounded shape. NOTES This is the classic green bolon recipe. However, there are those who add one more step and that is that they fry it before serving it. That is, once you have the ball of green, put them in a frying pan over high heat and fry them until you get a crispy coating. This last recipe is very commonly found in the province of Manabi / Ecuador. Remember: Anyone can eat bolón, but only royalty eat bolón de verde Ecuatoriano :)
   

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