Ivorian · side
Alloco (Fried Ripe Plantain with Piment Relish)
Alloco (Fried Ripe Plantain with Piment Relish) reads sourness 5.4, citrus 5.3 and heat 4.4 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Ivorian side, about 23 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.
The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10
- Umami & Savory — 4.0 / 10
- Sweet & Fruity — 4.8 / 10
- Sour & Bright — 7.0 / 10
- Bitter & Earthy — 1.4 / 10
- Rich & Fat — 4.8 / 10
- Aromatic & Spice — 4.8 / 10
The measured notes (of 18)
Sourness 5.4 · Citrus 5.3 · Heat 4.4 · Sweetness 3.8 · Salinity 3.8 · Richness 3.7 · Nutty 3.6 · Allium 3.4 · Fruity 3.1 · Umami 2.5 · Earthy 1.2 · Bitterness 1.1 · Floral 1.1 · Herbaceous 1.1
What's in it (9)
- plantains — 900 g
- salt — 5 g
- peanut oil — 690 g
- onion — 180 g
- tomatoes — 200 g
- scotch bonnet chillies — 200 g
- bouillon — 4 g
- lime juice — 15 g
- peanut oil — 14 g
Time & effort: about 23 min · effort: medium
Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 94.8 kcal, 1.1 g protein, 0.2 g fat, 24.8 g carbs
How it's cooked (6 steps)
- Peel the plantains and cut them on a steep diagonal into slices about 1.5 cm thick, allowing 5 minutes. They must be properly ripe, with black skins and yielding flesh, or they fry dry and starchy instead of sweet.
- Sprinkle the slices lightly with the salt.
- Heat the frying oil to 175 C and fry the plantain in three batches, about 3 minutes a side, until the slices are deep gold and the edges have caramelised almost to brown.
- Lift them out and drain on paper for 2 minutes.
- For the relish, stir together the sliced onion, diced tomato, chopped piment, crumbled stock cube, lime juice and the tablespoon of oil, and let it stand 10 minutes.
- Serve the alloco hot with the relish spooned alongside, as it is sold from roadside braziers in Abidjan.
Dishes with a similar flavor shape
- Ketoprak (Jakarta Tofu and Noodle Salad) — Indonesian
- Frango a Zambeziana — Mozambican
- Gingered Bulgur Salad with Grapes — Mediterranean
- Mbaazi za Nazi (Pigeon Peas in Coconut Milk) — Swahili Coast
- Sambar (Toor Dal and Vegetables with Tamarind) — Indian · Tamil Nadu
Keep reading: what sourness, citrus, heat mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.
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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.