Congo- Lituma Recipe

Congo Lituma

One of my friends is originally from Congo, which is a former colony of France. When I asked him about the typical cuisine, he gave me this recipe for lituma, and an accompanying stew called pondu. Lituma is a very simple dish made from boiled plantains and salt. It is quite filling, even on its own. Plantains look similar to bananas, but they are less sweet, denser and often harder.

Luckily, in London it is very easy to find plantains even at the normal supermarket. However, they are usually very green and need to sit at home for awhile to ripen. So far, I have not visited Congo, and I hope one day to go and try the original versions of the food! The recipe for lituma is very healthy, and it has no oil nor sugar, only a pinch of salt. Although the lituma it can be reheated, it tastes best freshly boiled and mashed. Also, if it starts to get dry, you can add a little water to the mashed mixture.

Ripe plantains for lituma
Peeled plantains for lituma

Ingredients

8 Ripe Plantains
Salt to taste

Instructions

First, peel the plantains and cut them into large pieces.

Next, bring a pot of water to boil. Then sprinkle in the salt and add the plantains. Boil until the plantains are soft.

Then drain the water and mash the plantains. Place the mixture on a plate and make it into a ball shape. Then use either a knife or wire to cut it into pieces. Serve as a side with pondu (cassava leaf stew).

Boiling plantains for lituma
Drained plantains ready for mashing into lituma

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