Go Back
–+ servings
savory plantain pancakes
Print Recipe
No ratings yet

Tatale (Ghanaian Savory Plantain Pancakes)

Tatale are golden, crispy plantain pancakes with onions, garlic and ginger. This dish is a Ghanaian specialty and is typically eaten with a bean sauce but it's also delicious on its own.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Total Time55 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Main
Cuisine: African
Servings: 6 pancakes
Calories: 330kcal
Author: Meals by Mavis

Ingredients

For the Tatale

  • 3 firm but ripe plantains (or over-ripe plantains)
  • 1/3 cup cornmeal
  • 1/2 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 egg (beaten)
  • 1 medium onion (grated)
  • 3 cloves garlic (grated)
  • 1 tsp ginger (grated)
  • 2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil (for frying)

For the Bean Sauce

  • 1 can black eyed peas
  • 1 can tomato paste
  • 1 medium fresh tomato (chopped)
  • 1 small onion (chopped)
  • 2 tsp dried thyme
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1/3 cup vegetable broth
  • 2 tsp canola oil

Instructions

For the Tatale

  • Peel and cut the plantains into 3 pieces.
  • If using firm, ripened plantains, finely grate the plantains with a grater and then mash the grated plantains using a potato masher in a large bowl (if using over-ripened plantains, mash them with a potato masher in a large bowl).
  • Add the cornmeal and egg to the mashed plantains and mix well.
  • Add the green onions, garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes (if using), salt, and black pepper to the plantain and mix well.
  • Heat the oil in a frying pan to medium heat.
  • Scoop about 1/3 cup of the plantain mixture, drop it into the frying pan (you might need to use a spatula to help the mixture form into an even, rounded shape).
  • Cook until each side is golden brown.

For the bean sauce

  • In a blender or food processor, puree the fresh tomato, garlic, onion, and vegetable broth.
  • In a small sauce pan, heat the canola oil.
  • Add the tomato puree to the oil and let it cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Add the black eyed peas, tomato paste, thyme, salt, and black pepper to the tomato puree.
  • On low-medium heat, cook the bean sauce until it becomes thick (about 10 minutes).
  • Occasionally stir the bean sauce as it's cooking.

Notes

For this dish, I mashed the plantains until they were about the consistency of mashed potatoes (see the picture below).

Nutrition

Serving: 1pancake | Calories: 330kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 304mg | Potassium: 889mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 1889IU | Vitamin C: 28mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 3mg