Ripe Plantain Loaf

Name: Ripe Plantain Loaf (Ofam)
Yield: Makes 1 cake
Cuisine: Western
Ingredients: 1 to 3 fresh chili peppers (or to taste), seeded and ground or minced (to start try just a part of a jalapeno [mild], or cayenne [hot], or habanero [hottest]); 1 to 3 fresh chili peppers (or to taste), seeded and ground or minced (to start try just a part of a jalapeno [mild], or cayenne [hot], or habanero [hottest]); 1 to 3 fresh chili peppers (or to taste), seeded and ground or minced (to start try just a part of a jalapeno [mild], or cayenne [hot], or habanero [hottest]); 1 to 3 fresh chili peppers (or to taste), seeded and ground or minced (to start try just a part of a jalapeno [mild], or cayenne [hot], or habanero [hottest]); Up to 1 cup good-quality red palm oil; ¾ cup rice flour or all-purpose flour; ¾ cup rice flour or all-purpose flour; 1 to 2 teaspoons salt (or to taste); 3 tablespoons grated fresh ginger; 1 cup finely grated onion; 2 pounds overripe (black) plantains

Ofam

Preparation info

Makes
1
cake

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

The Ghana Cookbook

By Fran Osseo-Asare and Barbara Baëta

Published 2015

About

Ofam is Ghana’s challenge to Western holiday fruitcakes: a rich, heavy plantain loaf made from sweet, over-ripe plantains, spices, and red palm oil. It is not difficult to make, but does require some special ingredients—over-ripe plantains and palm oil.

Ingredients

2 pounds overripe (black) plantains
1 cup finely grated onion
3

Africa
Ghana
Dessert
Bread
Vegan

Method

Directions

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
Peel the plantains and mash them. Traditionally a wooden mortar with a wooden pestle is used. If they are very ripe a fork will do fine, or use an apɔtoyewa, potato masher, ricer, glass, or similar.