Green plantain patties stuffed with cheese {Tortillas de verde}
User Reviews
4.9
150 reviews
Excellent
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Prep Time
15 mins
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Cook Time
40 mins
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Total Time
55 mins
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Servings
10 -12 green plantain patties
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Cuisine
South American, American, Ecuadorian
Green plantain patties stuffed with cheese {Tortillas de verde}
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Green Plantain Patties stuffed with cheese, called Tortillas de verde, use cooked green plantains pureed into a dough combined with butter and moisture. This dough encases a cheesy filling such as quesillo or mozzarella. The patties are shaped by hand, often aided with butter to prevent sticking, and cooked to create a golden exterior and soft, flavorful interior filled with melted cheese.
Description
This recipe prepares dough by boiling peeled green plantains until tender, then processing them into a coarse puree mixed with butter and sometimes a bit of the cooking water or an egg to achieve pliable dough. Raw green plantain is grated to add texture and firmness. The dough is seasoned with salt.
Portions of the dough are flattened, filled with a soft cheese like quesillo or mozzarella, and sealed into patties. These are cooked, traditionally on a griddle or frying pan with butter, developing a crusty, buttery outside while keeping a soft inside with melted cheese.
The result is a starchy, flavorful patty with a creamy, cheesy center. Additional fillings like cooked meats can be used but require prior cooking. These patties are commonly served with sauces or salsas such as curtido, avocado sauce, or hot tomato-based sauces to complement the mild plantain and cheese.
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Ingredients
- 5 plantain green
- 2 tablespoons butter plus more to rub on hands when making the dough
- 2-3 water or 1 egg if the dough isn't coming together, from cooking the plantains
- salt ~1 teaspoon
For the plantain patties filling:
- quesillo can also use grated mozzarella cheese, crumbled or queso fresco, about 1 ½ cups
- Other filling ideas include: chorizo, chicharrones or fried pork belly, shrimp, beef or pork picadillo, diced cooked shrimp, or any other filling you would like to try – just make sure the fillings are previously cooked (except for the cheese)
Sauces/toppings suggestions:
- onion in curtido salsa
- tomato in curtido salsa
- avocado sauce
- aji de tomate de árbol or tree tomato/tamarillo hot sauce
- aji criollo
Instructions
For the green plantain dough:
- Wash and peel the green plantains under running cold water, this helps prevents stain from the plantains.
- Cut four of the plantains in half. Keep the remaining peeled plantain in a bowl of cold water.
- Bring water to boil in a large saucepan and add the 4 plantains. Cook until tender, about 30-40 minutes. Exact time will vary based on the size and greenness of the plantains.
- Remove from heat and let the cooked plantains sit in the water they cooked in until they are cool enough to handle (but still warm), if you remove them from the warm water they will get too hard.
- In the meantime, grate the remaining raw plantain using a very fine grater.
- Place the cooked plantains in a food processor and pulse until you have a thick coarse mix. Add a couple tablespoons of the water from cooking plantains (or an egg) and butter or oil, and pulse until the ingredients are well mixed and the dough is a little smoother. If you don’t have a food processor, you can mash or grate the cooked plantains and then mix them with the egg (lightly whisked) and the butter.
- If using the food processor, remove the plantain mix and place it into a large bowl. Rub your hands with a bit of butter or oil, and mix in the finely grated raw plantain and ½ to 1 teaspoon of salt (adjust based on how large the plantains are and your level of tolerance for salt).
- Use your hands to work the dough until you have a smooth mix. If the dough is very dry or too sticky, you can add a bit of the cooking water from the plantains – you will likely need to this if you didn’t use an egg.
- You can also rub your hands with a drizzle of oil to help working the dough.
To make the green plantain patties
- Shape the plantain dough into several small size balls. If the dough is still sticking to your hands, you can drizzle some oil on your hands.
- Make a hole in the middle of each plantain dough ball and fill it with the cheese or your choice of filling.
- Carefully shape the dough into thick patties with the cheese in the center. The plantain patties can be cooked immediately or you can keep them in the refrigerator until ready to cook them. They can be made 24 hours in advance. Just bring them to room temperature before cooking them.
- Cook the plantain stuffed patties on a lightly greased hot griddle or in a frying pan with a small amount of oil, until golden on each side.
- Serve the tortillas de verde or green plantain patties warm with your choice of toppings or sauces.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.9
150 reviews
Excellent
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