Plantain “Gnocchi”

Yes, you read that right. In this post, I am going to show you how to make really easy and quick plantain gnocchi. It is soft, slightly sweet and incredibly delicious.

What is Gnocchi

Before we get into the recipe, let’s talk about what exactly gnocchi is and where it comes from. There are numerous articles across the web that dive into the history of gnocchi. A few I referenced for this post can be found through these links (link 1, link 2, link 3) . Traditionally, gnocchi is made with flour, salt, potatoes and an egg. Many look to Italy for the origins of gnocchi but gnocchi and potato “dumplings” can be found well around Europe. I also think of dumplings in Jamaican Peas stew; although not related, there is a textural resemblance. There has been some speculation that gnocchi (derived from the word noccha), which means knuckles.

Where is gnocchi from?

Many have pointed out the origins of gnocchi all the way to the Roman empire, where gnocchi was made with flour and eggs. The first written recipe for gnocchi was written during the renaissance period by Bartolomeo Scappi using flour, breadcrumbs and water. Over time, the recipe evolved, with the inclusion of potatoes in the 19th century as they became more common in Europe to give us the beloved recipe we know today. They are mainly associated with Northern Italy, where potatoes are generally grown. Looking at the history of gnocchi, the recipe evolved over time as food cultures evolved, and thus, its evolution in the present day is still in the spirit of how we came to know of gnocchi.

Why Add Plantains to gnocchi?

If you scour the internet, you will be greeted with squash and sweet potato gnocchi recipes. So, plantain is truly not far-fetched. This is a recipe that has been in the works, on and off since 2020. I am a sucker for sweet and savoury meal combos — slightly sweet gnocchi with a savoury sauce is a match made in heaven. The plantain gnocchi presents this perfect match. Aside from the flavour, like potatoes, plantains are starchy and can serve as a great alternative to potatoes. The perfect plantain for this recipe is one that is yellow with a few black spots. If you want more details on plantains, please check out my ultimate plantain guide.

What you will need

This is a very simple recipe that only requires 4 ingredients — a plantain, flour and salt

• Plantain: You will need a plantain that is firm and ripe. Refer to the photo for the stage of ripeness for this dish.
• Flour: basic all-purpose flour works here
• Salt: Any salt of choice.
• Water

How to make the gnocchi

Note, these pictures are not overly saturated. The ripe plantain was incredibly yellow, which made the gnocchi look incredibly bright.

A full video can be found at this link (click here)

What to serve the gnocchi with?

You can serve the gnocchi with any sauce of choice but here are a few ways you can make this

• My vegan pesto sauce
• The umami oil from my Bambara bean hummus recipe

Print Recipe

Dinner

By Afia – Serves: 3

Prep Time: 15 minutes – Cooking Time: 30 minutes – Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 large ripe plantain
• 1 cup of all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp of salt
• 2 tbsp of water

Instructions

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1. Peel plantain and cut into 1-inch thick medallions

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2. Steam in a pot. Steaming is better than boiling because we do not want to introduce extra liquid into the dough

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3. The plantains should take about 5-10 minutes to cook. To check that they are ready, they should be soft, bright yellow and the core is cooked through. (if the core still looks pink, the plantain is not cooked)

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4. mash the plantains in a bowl

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5. Add your flour and salt to the bowl and combine well. You do not want to overwork the dough

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6. As you are combining the flour and plantain, add the water slowly till everything combines into a ball. You may not need all the water, or you may need a little bit more.

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7. Once everything has come together, cut the dough into four pieces then roll each piece into sticks

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8. Cut the sticks into 1.5-inch pieces to form your gnocchi

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9. At this point, bring a pot of water to boil.

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10. As the water is boiling, you can shape your gnocchi using a fork (demonstrated in the video)

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11. once you are done shaping the gnocchi, place them in the boiling water.

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12. The gnocchi is ready when they start floating to the top. Remove the gnocchi and set them aside.

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13. Once it is all boiled, you are ready to serve with your sauce of choice.