Brady Evans finds herself slightly surprised with her own flavor combination skills.
Text And Photo By Brady Evans
I found myself being extremely defensive of this meal before my husband or I even took a bite. Maybe it was because I wanted to like this combination so badly or maybe it was because I was creating this recipe on the fly as a I cooked. 
I sort of hid the plantains with my body as I chopped them up on the cutting board, hoping my husband wouldn’t be put off by the false assumption that the night’s dinner included bananas. As I shoveled them into the fry pan, however, he caught me and asked for a “piece of that potato before I cooked it.” I had to admit that these were not potatoes, perhaps his favorite vegetable, but instead plantains.
We both put on a brave face and forged ahead towards dinner.
After each of our first bites, we looked up and found one another in complete surprise: this is really good! I suggest serving this burritos with a savory spicy side dish to balance out the natural sweetness from the plantains.
PrintBlack Bean and Plantain Burritos
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 3-4 servings 1x
Description
Delicious burritos filled with a surprising combination of spiced black beans and sweet plantains, offering a unique and flavorful meal.
Ingredients
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 15 oz (450 mL) black beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 ripe plantains, peeled and diced
- 1/4 cup parsley or cilantro, chopped
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1-2 tsp cumin
- 1-2 tsp coriander
- 1-2 tsp chili powder
- 4 large flour tortillas
Instructions
- Heat olive oil over medium heat in a medium frying pan.
- Add the diced onion and sauté for 3-4 minutes, until it becomes soft and translucent.
- Add the minced garlic and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes, until fragrant.
- Stir in the black beans and diced plantains, mixing well to combine.
- Season the mixture with cumin, coriander, and chili powder, adjusting to taste.
- Add salt and continue to cook for about 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the plantains are tender and the flavors meld together.
- Remove from heat and stir in the chopped parsley or cilantro.
- Warm the flour tortillas in a dry skillet or microwave.
- Spoon the black bean and plantain mixture onto each tortilla, then roll them up to form burritos.
- Serve immediately, optionally with a savory spicy side dish to balance the sweetness of the plantains.
Notes
Serve these burritos with a savory spicy side dish to balance the sweetness of the plantains. You can substitute parsley with cilantro for a more traditional Mexican flavor. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat in a skillet or microwave before serving.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 burrito
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 8
- Sodium: 600
- Fat: 8
- Carbohydrates: 65
- Fiber: 10
- Protein: 8
- Cholesterol: 0
This sounds delicious. Plantains make great savory dishes but I have a hard time finding good one where I live. Mexican markets are my best bet or they are so green I have to wait a while for them to be ripe enough.