Tropical Coconut & Sweet Plantain Braised Greens – Authentic Tuvalu Recipe
Sweet plantains and hearty greens braised together in fragrant ginger coconut cream.
- Country of Origin
- 🇹🇻 Tuvalu (Polynesia, Oceania)
- Dietary Profile
- vegan
- Prep Time
- 15 min
- Cook Time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Signature Staples
- Ripe plantain coins, Swiss chard or spinach, Chickpeas, Thick coconut cream, Ginger
Ingredients for Tropical Coconut & Sweet Plantain Braised Greens (4 Servings)
- 1.25 lbs (or 2.5 cups) ripe plantain coins, prepped into bite-sized pieces
- 1.5 cups Swiss chard or spinach, washed and trimmed
- 1 cup chickpeas
- 1 medium onion and 3 cloves garlic, finely minced with thick coconut cream
- 1.5 tbsp traditional Tuvalu seasoning (ginger, sea salt, lime)
- 2.5 cups rich culinary stock or aromatic cooking liquid, plus 2 tbsp cooking oil
Step-by-Step Cooking Instructions
- Heat oil in a heavy Dutch oven or deep skillet over medium-high heat; brown ripe plantain coins for 5 minutes.
- Add minced onion, garlic, thick coconut cream, and ginger, sea salt, lime, stirring for 2 minutes until deeply aromatic.
- Add Swiss chard or spinach and pour in the braising liquid; bring to a lively simmer.
- Cover and braise over medium-low heat for 20–22 minutes until meltingly tender and the sauce is rich and glossy.
- Stir in chickpeas right before serving warm.