Beignets de carnaval à la banane jaune (vegan plantain fritters)
How could you resist these plantain deliciously fried sweet dough with notes of plantain lime zest and warm spices…
Beignets de carnaval are sweet pate a choux fritters that are really popular in Guadeloupe during the carnival season. I can still remember the doughnut-like smell in the kitchen from freshly made fritters, the different shapes and styles of fritters from house to house you would visit and also how I would always lick the cinnamon sugar off my plate afterwards!
If you love treats such as doughnuts and churros, there is a good chance you will find these little fritters highly addictive. If that wasn’t enough of a good news, you actually don’t need to make a choux pastry for this vegan version! How you ask?
It all started with me gathering and mixing all the ingredients to make a vegan choux pastry and when it didn’t work out, I ended up adding yeast and some more flour to have something that I know would puff and rise, which ended up actually being quite similar to puff puffs!
Puff puffs are yeasted fritters from West Africa. They are really popular in Nigeria and also Ghana were they are called bofrot. They are usually spiced with nutmeg and some also offer a variation with plantain as well. I highly recommend that you watch a video of how puff puff is made, it is amazing to see how the dough is dropped in the oil, usually by hand! I also do recommend that you use two teaspoons, like we do back home in the Caribbean just to be safe!
Warning: Only fry food that you are comfortable with. Keep an eye on the oil temperature and do not overfill.
Beignets de carnaval à la banane jaune (vegan plantain fritters)
Ingredients:
1 large extra ripe plantain
1 tbsp ground flax seeds
400 gr of all purpose flour
5 gr dried instant yeast
50 ml unsweetened plant-based milk (I used soy milk)
20 ml water or aquafaba (homemade or from chickpea can)
50 gr margarine or vegan butter
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp lime zest
0.25 tsp allspice (bois d’inde)
Instructions:
Peel the plantains and cut them into small chunks. Mash them using a fork or potato masher until they are smooth and free of lumps. Add the flax seeds and the spices: cinnamon, lime zest and allspice and mix.
In a tall glass, put the lukewarm plant-based milk (around 40°C or 140°F) and add the yeast and mix well until diluted. Leave the mixture to foam for at least 15 minutes.
In a separate bowl, add the flour and create a well in the center of the flour. Then add the yeast mixture and mix until combined.
Add the mashed plantains mixture and mix well.
Gradually add the margarine or vegan butter teaspoon by teaspoon. The dough should remain soft, like a overly thick pancake batter.
Heat vegetable oil in a deep frying pan over medium-high heat.
Using your two teaspoons, form and drop spoonfuls of the batter into the hot oil, being careful not to overcrowd the pan.
Fry the fritters until they are golden brown on both sides, turning occasionally to ensure even cooking.
Remove the fritters from the oil and place them on a rack or paper towel to drain any excess oil.
Serve the fritters hot and enjoy!
Tip:
For a more authentic feel, I recommend dusting them in cinnamon sugar or icing sugar while they are still a bit hot.