How to make ecuadorian bolón de verde

Today you will learn a little more about the bolón de verde, its ingredients, how to prepare it and a bit of its history.

What is the bolón de verde?

The bolón de verde is a very traditional breakfast among Ecuadorian peasants that is prepared with plantains and different fillings.

The most typical fillings for the bolón de verde are cheese and chicharrón, but also peanuts or a mixture of several of these, and this is how a mixed bolón would be.

This recipe is prepared in other Latin American countries, although with some variations, for example, in the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico it is known as mofongo and it can be filled with vegetables, meat or chicken, or seafood.

In Peru it is known as tacacho and is stuffed with meat; and in other countries of the Caribbean basin and part of the Amazon it is known as cat head, banana fufú, banana ball or banán – pilé.

And now the recipe for bolón de verde

Making this preparation is too easy and fast, it will only take approximately 45 minutes and you will be super satisfied with this breakfast accompanied by a good coffee or chocolate.

We will tell you two ways to prepare the same Ecuadorian bolón de verde recipe and so you will have no doubts about how to make Ecuadorian bolón de verde.

Below you will have the bolón de verde ingredients and two ways to prepare it.

Ingredients for 6 servings:

• Three green plantains or pintones
• 150 grams of pork rinds (previously fried)
• 150 grams of fresh cheese
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon butter
• frying oil

First way of preparation:

1. Peel the plantains and cut them into three pieces
2. In a pot, add water with salt and bring it to a boil. When the water boils add the split plantains and let them cook until they soften or for approximately 30 minutes.
3. After this time and with the help of a fork or mash mill, macerate the bananas, add a little salt and butter.
4. To make a mixed green bolón, add the grated cheese and the finely chopped chicharrón to the previous mixture. Knead all the ingredients very well by hand, squeezing to make a compact ball.
5. Finally, heat the oil over high heat and fry the bolones until they are golden on all sides.

Enjoy this rich preparation for breakfast with black coffee or as a snack or at any time you feel like it.

Second way of preparation:

1. Peel the plantains and cut them into slices of approximately two centimeters
2. In a frying pan, heat enough oil to fry the plantains. The oil must not be very hot in order to cook the plantains inside and soften them very well, and so that they do not toast on the outside. This can take about 5-8 minutes on medium low heat.
3. When the cooking time has passed, remove the greens and put them in a container and with the help of a resistant glass, a mash mill or with your hands, mash the plantains very well, avoiding large pieces (the texture should not be so fine). like a puree but with small pieces). While you are crushing, you can add a little salt to your liking and the tablespoon of butter for a smoother mixture.
4. Chop the fresh cheese into squares or you can also grate it and reserve.
5. Grind or finely chop the chicharrón and reserve.
6. You can separate the mashed banana into two parts: one part to make the green bolón with cheese or the green bolón with chicharrón, and the other part to make the mixed green bolón (that is, with both ingredients).
7. To the first half of the mashed banana you add half of the cheese or half of the chicharrón, knead everything with your hands pressing hard so that it is a compact ball. This is how you get the first three green balls or balls.
8. To the second half of the banana you add the rest of the ingredients (cheese and chicharrón), knead the other three balls with your hands as well. This is how the mixed green bolons are ready.
9. Finally, heat the oil again but now on maximum heat, add the bolones for approximately 1 or 2 minutes. Turn them over so that they are golden on all sides and that’s it, you can now eat Ecuadorian green bolón prepared at home.

Tips to prepare the bolón de verde

Although this recipe is very simple and easy to prepare, you can apply some tricks to improve it:

1. The best way to peel green plantains is to remove the ends and make a longitudinal cut. With the help of the knife, lift the first part of the shell so that you can remove it completely more easily.
2. If you use lard in your kitchen, you can replace it instead of butter and thus have a more authentic and original recipe.
3. If you want more flavor in this preparation you can add finely chopped onion, chives or cilantro.
4. It is important that you use fresh cheese in this preparation so that it does not melt too quickly.
5. The salt that you add when you are kneading the banana should be the minimum and depending on how salty the cheese you are using is. Also remember that fried pork rinds already contain salt, so you should not overdo it.

How many calories does a bolón de verde have?

Finally, many will wonder about the green calorie bolon, that is, they care about their figure and do not want to overdo it to avoid a few extra pounds or affect their health.

We want to tell you that only the bolón de verde with cheese in a size of approximately 120 grams can have around 300 calories, so if you add chicharrón, egg, coffee or chocolate or other ingredients you can also add calories.

Remember that this preparation is high in saturated fat, so you should eat it and enjoy it in moderation.

Now that you know the bolón de verde Ecuador recipe, we invite you to prepare it at home and offer a different and delicious flavor to your family!

We also invite you to visit another of our articles with more recipes with plantains or green plantains.