By Josephine Agbonkhese

Plantain season is a golden opportunity to add variety to your meals. The versatile, starchy cousin of bananas and a staple in Nigeria, unlike sweet bananas though, plantains are best cooked and can be fried, baked, boiled, or mashed into endless delicious forms.

They’re packed with potassium, fiber, and an irresistible flavour when ripe.
Here are two recipes that showcase this staple’s versatility.

Goat Meat & Plantain Pepper Soup

This hearty West African-inspired pepper soup combines tender goat meat with ripe plantains for a spicy, flavourful broth. It’s warming, nutritious, and ready in about 1.5 hours.

Ingredients (Serves 4-6)
1-2 unripe plantain
600g goat meat with bones
1 small red onion
2-3 scotch bonnet
Thinly chopped or 3 Tablespoons ground pepper (Atagungun)
2 tablespoons pepper soup spice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon minced ginger
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Dry or fresh efinrin/ basil leaves Or utazi leaves
2 Seasoning cubes
Salt to taste

Preparation:
Peel, and then slice your plantain into small pieces and set aside.
Wash and chop the goat meat, add the onions, ginger, garlic, seasoning cubes and salt to taste. Place on low heat and leave to simmer for 5-7 minutes.
Add water, leave to boil for 10 minutes.
Then add the plantain and leave to cook for another 20minutes or until both plantain and goat meat are almost soft. Then add the pepper soup spice and pepper. Add more water if your pepper soup turns out too thick. Then leave to cook till the goat meat and plantain are very soft.
Serve hot with a bottle of red wine.

Grilled Plantains & Pepper Sauce
This is a very simple, straightforward, and satisfying recipe which can be made on the outdoor grill, oven-baked, or air-fried.

Oven-Bake
Preheat the oven to 400F
Place peeled plantain slices on the grill and cook for about 10-15 minutes per side until golden brown.

Air-frier method
Preheat the air fryer to 400°F
Place the plantains in the air fry basket for 10-12 minutes.
Then, flip to the other side and air fry for another 10-12 minutes or till golden brown on all sides.

Serve hot with your favourite pepper sauce. Add grilled fish or chicken by the side.

Serve hot with your favourite drink.