Plantains in Coconut Milk

This plantain dish is comfort food across West Africa and the Caribbean, and this version leans into Indian spice with curry powder, cinnamon, and cloves. Sliced plantains simmer gently in coconut milk until they’re tender and the spiced milk has been absorbed into every piece.

The beauty of this recipe is its simplicity. Everything goes into one pot, the coconut milk goes in, and low heat does the rest. As the plantains cook, they soak up the curried coconut milk like sponges, turning creamy and rich with warm spice in every bite.

Start with one cup of coconut milk and add more if the plantains absorb it all before they’re fully tender. Ripe plantains (yellow with black spots) cook faster and taste sweeter. Green plantains are starchier and take longer but hold their shape better.

Kitchen Tips

• Keep the heat low. Coconut milk scorches easily, and a gentle simmer gives the plantains time to absorb the liquid slowly.
• Don’t stir too often. Ripe plantains are soft and break apart with rough handling. Gentle is the name of the game.
• The dish is done when the plantains are fork-tender and the coconut milk has thickened into a clingy glaze rather than a pool of liquid.

Variations

• Add a handful of fresh spinach or kale in the last few minutes for greens.
• Stir in a squeeze of lime juice right before serving for a bright, acidic contrast.
• Use this as a side for grilled fish or jerk chicken.