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Jamaican Plantain Porridge

Jamaican Plantain Porridge

Jamaican Plantain Porridge is creamy and flavorful, with just the right amount of sweetness to top it off.

This Jamaican Plantain Porridge recipe is another breakfast option that I grew up on.

It was either Oatmeal by itself, Green Banana/ Green Plantain with or without the oatmeal or Cornmeal Porridge.

There was another porridge that my mother didn’t cook so often called Hominy Porridge.

Anyways, those were the Porridge that I grew up on for breakfast, lunch and sometimes even for dinner.

Yes, when my mother couldn’t afford anything else, it would be porridge for dinner and it was delicious just as it was for breakfast.

Now that I am a mother with two beautiful children, I often prepare porridge for them and the Plantain Porridge is one of their favorites.

Jamaican Plantain Porridge with cinnamon powder sprinkle on top.

Blending Green Plantain

Blending the green plantains can take up to 1 to 2 minutes, but then again it all depends on the blender speed that you use.

Make sure it is blended smooth, creamy and no small tiny pieces are visible.

You don’t want when you are eating it, you are tasting some grains in the porridge.

So blending the green plantains may take more than 2 minutes.

Also, as listed in the ingredients section, you can add evaporated milk to some water to make it be 3 cups of liquid to blend the green plantains.

Liquid for Boiling

For this Plantain Porridge recipe, I used water for blending and for boiling with a cup of coconut milk in the end.

Back home we have the luxury of getting a dry coconut to make fresh coconut milk from scratch.

So coconut milk would always be used to boil the mixture.

However, you can do a mixture of either coconut milk (either canned or fresh) or with evaporated milk too.

Even regular milk can be used to boil for this porridge.

Plantain Porridge in a white bowl with a green plantain beside it.

What to serve with this Jamaican Plantain Porridge

With any Porridge, you can eat it just by itself.

However, back home in Jamaica, we eat Porridge with buttered slice hard-dough bread or some crackers.

Another great option to serve with this porridge is some Jamaican Festivals or Jamaican Fried Dumpling (Johnny Cake).

However, if you want to go fancy, you could add some sliced ripe bananas, mangoes or even some blueberries to it also.

How to make Jamaican Plantain Porridge?

The first thing to do is to pour the water into a medium pot with salt and allow to boil. If you are using cinnamon stick, add it also to boil with the water.

Boiling water, salt with a cinnamon stick to make Jamaican Plantain Porridge.

Secondly, peel the skin off the 2 Plantains, wash and slice into about 1 inch size. Place them into a blender with the water and the oatmeal. Blend until smooth, just about 1 to 2 minutes or longer.

Peeling a green plantain for the Jamaican Plantain Porridge.
Blending the 2 plantains, water and oatmeal.

Add blended mixture to the boiling water. Make sure to stir often to prevent lumps. Add the coconut milk and allow to cook for a few more minutes.

Pouring the blended mixture to the boiling water.

Finally, add the flavors and spices: nutmeg, ground cinnamon (if you didn’t use a cinnamon stick) and vanilla extract. Sweetened with the can of condensed sweet milk. Cool and enjoy.

Adding the flavors and spices to the porridge, with the coconut milk already added.

Plantain Porridge Recipe

Ingredients

  • 2 green plantains (peeled, washed and sliced)
  • 1 cup oatmeal
  • 3 cups water for blending
  • 4 cups water for boiling
  • 1 cup coconut milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon or 1 cinnamon stick
  • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 can sweetened condensed milk

Instructions

  1. Pour the 4 cups of water into a medium pot with the salt and allow to boil up. If you are using cinnamon stick, add it to the water to boil also.
  2. Peel, wash and sliced the green plantains into about 1 inch size. Add them to the blender along with the oatmeal and the 3 cups of water and blend until smooth. Just about 1 to 2 minutes.
  3. Pour the blended mixture to the boiling water as you stir with a whisk. Continue to stir to prevent the mixture from forming lumps as it cooks on medium low heat. Cover and let it cook for about 20 minutes, stirring after 5 to 7 minutes to prevent lumps as it thickens while it cooks.
  4. Add the 1 cup of coconut milk and stir. Let it cook for another 10 minutes.
  5. Add the ground cinnamon (if you didn’t use the cinnamon stick), nutmeg and vanilla extract and stir. Open the can of sweetened condensed milk and pour to sweeten the porridge to your taste. If it is not sweet, then you can add some sugar to it. Make sure to check the consistency, if it is too thick, you can add about 1/2 cup to 1 cup of water or evaporated milk to porridge.
  6. Remove from the heat. Serve warm and enjoy.

Notes

  1. You can use fresh coconut milk or canned coconut milk to boil or blend the green plantains. Evaporated milk can be used too.
  2. If the sweetened condensed milk isn’t enough to your taste, then add about 1/4 cup of sugar or less.

Additional Porridge Recipes

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Please let me know what you think about my Jamaican Plantain Porridge in the comment section below.

Thanks for stopping by and please come back again.

Blessings and Love, as you carry on, on your YouNique Journey!

Jamaican Plantain Porridge recipe

Jamaican Plantain Porridge Recipe

Yield: 6 Servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

Jamaican Plantain Porridge is creamy and flavorful, with just the right amount of sweetness to top it off.

Ingredients

  • 2 green plantains (peeled, washed and sliced)
  • 1 cup oatmeal
  • 3 cups water for blending
  • 4 cups water for boiling
  • 1 cup coconut milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon or 1 cinnamon stick
  • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 can sweetened condensed milk

Instructions

    1. Pour the 4 cups of water into a medium pot with the salt and allow to boil up. If you are using cinnamon stick, add it to the water to boil also.
    2. Peel, wash and sliced the green plantains into about 1 inch size. Add them to the blender along with the oatmeal and the 3 cups of water and blend until smooth. Just about 1 to 2 minutes.
    3. Pour the blended mixture to the boiling water as you stir with a whisk. Continue to stir to prevent the mixture from forming lumps as it cooks on medium low heat. Cover and let it cook for about 20 minutes, stirring after 5 to 7 minutes to prevent lumps as it thickens while it cooks.
    4. Add the 1 cup of coconut milk and stir. Let it cook for another 10 minutes.
    5. Add the ground cinnamon (if you didn't use the cinnamon stick), nutmeg and vanilla extract and stir. Open the can of sweetened condensed milk and pour to sweeten the porridge to your taste. If it is not sweet, then you can add some sugar to it. Make sure to check the consistency, if it is too thick, you can add about 1/2 cup to 1 cup of water or evaporated milk to porridge.
    6. Remove from the heat. Serve warm and enjoy.

Notes

  1. You can use fresh coconut milk or canned coconut milk to boil or blend the green plantains. Evaporated milk can be used too.
  2. If the sweetened condensed milk isn't enough to your taste, then add about 1/4 cup of sugar or less.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 221Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 559mgCarbohydrates: 35gFiber: 3gSugar: 15gProtein: 3g

The nutritional information that is provided, is computer generated and therefore it is an estimate. Please do your own research with the ingredients that are listed here, if you have any concern about any specific diet or your health.

Thandy

Thursday 16th of March 2023

This is a great recipe . Because of what was in my pantry , I used a oat flour blend instead of oatmeal. Wonderful breakfast for all .

Yanique Vincent

Monday 20th of March 2023

Hi Thandy, I am glad you were able to use what you had at home and it still turned out great. Awesome.

Nic

Friday 25th of November 2022

Can this recipe be made and stored, to eat over a few days?

Yanique Vincent

Friday 25th of November 2022

Hi Nic, Yes you can store it in the fridge for up to 3 days. Please keep in mind of the coconut milk. Personally I will keep mine in the fridge for about 2 to 3 days in an air tight container to avoid the coconut milk from going bad. I hope that helps.

stacy-ann Russell walker

Monday 15th of November 2021

Nice recipe indeed. Instead of using oatmeal I added some flour to give it that thickness.

Yanique Vincent

Wednesday 17th of November 2021

Hi Stacy-Ann, Thank you for giving it a try, I am glad it turned out nice and that you made it your own. Awesome. Thanks again.

Maggie

Thursday 28th of January 2021

Why do you use oatmeal when blending the plantain? Can it be left out or does it help with something?

Yanique Vincent

Thursday 28th of January 2021

Hi Maggie, I added the oatmeal to give it some thickness. You don't have to add it to the blended plantains. However, please make sure to lessen the water that is used to boil the mixture by 1 cup. Please let me know what you think about it, if you try it. Thanks much.

Lina

Saturday 15th of August 2020

Could I make this recipe using yellow plantains instead of green?

Yanique Vincent

Saturday 15th of August 2020

Hi Lina, I have never used the yellow plantains to make porridge, only the green ones. The yellow types are ripe ones and are very sweet. Both green and yellow (ripe) ones can be fried, but I use the green ones to make porridge. Therefore, I am not sure if anyone has ever used the yellow (ripe) ones to make porridge.

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