Unripe Plantain is embedded with many nutritional benefits one cannot imagine, it is cooked in various ways, depending
on what recipe you plan to make.
The woman in the kitchen would think of purchasing them from the market often times, when prepare the family meals.
Plantain can be cooked: boiled, roasted, mashed, baked, grilled or even as
plantain porridge.
Unripe Plantain Porridge: Cooked with fish, vegetables and a sprinkle of oil, it offers a truly balanced diet that consist carbohydrates, proteins lipids, vitamins and minerals as just a meal.
Ingredients:
– 6 Pieces of green / unripe plantain
– Vegetable leaves ( ugwu or spinach)
– Dried fish
– Shrimps
– Pepper
– Onions
– 2 cloves of garlic
– Small sliced ginger
– Palm oil
– Tomatoes
– A bit of sugar
– Salt
– Seasoning cubes of your choice.
Direction:
1. Wash your unpeeled green plantain in warm water first before you start.
2. Holding the plantain down with one hand, cut off both ends.
3. Remove the peel by making a vertical slit on the side of the fruit, about a quarter of a centimeter deep, just below the
covering with a kitchen knife.
4. Dip in water and allow to soak for about 5 minutes, this will make the peel come off more easily.
5. Wash and slice the vegetable leaves (Ugwu or dried ugwu or spinach vegetable.
6. Then peel the plantain skin with a knife.
7. Cut some pieces of plantain and blend it into a paste as the thickener. Then slice the plantain into medium sized cubes and place into the cooking pot or sauce pan.
8. Pour some water till it covers the plantain then boil for about 10 to 20 minutes.
9. Add dried fish , crayfish, pepper, shrimps, few slices of onions, garlic, ginger tomatoes, a bit of sugar, salt, seasoning
cubes . Then allow to boil for 10 – 15 minutes. Ensure to stir occasionally.
10. Add palm oil, stir and cover for 5 minutes.
11. Add Ugwu leaves, stir, and allow to simmer for another 5 minutes. The porridge should now be soft with a thick creamy paste to the base and ready to be served.
Nutritional benefits:
1. The fiber content reduces cholesterol level which reduce the risk of developing any heart disease.
2. It is extremely low in fat and salt.
3. The presence of potassium in an unripe plantain prevent heart attack and hypertension by controlling the heart rate and blood pressure.
4. The presence of serotonin, that aids and improves blood flow and reduces homocystine a condition that causes
coronary artery disease and stroke.
5. It contains vitamin B6 which helps in the production of red blood cells.
6. Vitamin B6 helps to cure inflammation of the nerve.
7. Due to the low carbohydrate content it can serve as a diet for the control of weight, type 1 or type 2 diabetes,
hypertension and a few other medical conditions.
8. It reduces constipation.
9. Aids in circulatory and digestive system.
10. It contains vitamin A for good eye sight and vision.
11. It also contains calcium which helps to prevent disease such as osteoporosis. While calcium is needed for stronger
bones, muscles, nail s and teeth.
12. The presence of phytochemical properties such as leucocyanidin can prevent ulcer.
13. The presence of vitamin B6 and C makes unripe plantain good for skin complexion, builds immunity against disease and free radicals.
14. Be it roasted or cooked, it increases sperm volume and thicken fluid.
15. It enhances sexual performances, reduces sexual weakness, impotence and increase libido.
Include unripe plantain into your meal plan today and start having the many medicinal and therapeutic properties it possesses.
Food recipes such as unripe plantain with ginger and garlic, roasted or parboil can work wonders in our body system. All the prevention and diseases it will be curing.
OTHER HEALTH BENEFITS:
1. It enriches the heart: Unripe plantain contains some amount of serotonin which dilates the arteries, improves blood flow and reduces homocysteine (a condition that causes coronary artery disease and stroke).
Its richness in potassium makes it heart friendly by preventing heart attack and hypertension through controlling heart rate and blood pressure in our body and cell. Also, its fibre content is great for reducing cholesterols level which reduces the risk of developing any heart diseases.
2. It can treat anaemia and neuritis: Its presence of vitamin B6 can help in curing neuritis (inflammation of the nerve), and anaemia: a medical condition where someone is having low red blood cells in the blood, which causes weakness.
With inclusive into meal plan and consumption, it can cure anaemia and neuritis and serves as a preventive measure.
3. It’s a great meal for weight loss and healthy eating: It’s relatively low in carbohydrates, with high fibre content, essential vitamins and minerals. When consuming with lots of vegetable soup and chicken, it makes a great weight loss and a healthy meal.
4. Eating unripe plantain helps with the circulatory and digestive system
5. Its source of vitamin A, B6 and C helps with better vision, better skin complexion, builds immunity against diseases and free radicals.
6. It helps with bowel movement: Its richness in fibre makes bowel movement easier which also reduce constipation.
7. It makes a great meal for diabetics: Unripe plantain is very low in sugar compared to ripe or overripe plantain and this makes it a good choice for diabetes especially when added with other fibre and protein-rich food such as green vegetables. Thus, it makes a great choice for preventing diabetes.
8. It helps builds and strengthens stronger bones: Unripe Plantain is rich in calcium which is the essential mineral needed for stronger bones, muscles, nails and teeth. A healthy meal with unripe plantain inclusive will prevents diseases such as osteoporosis which involves the weakening of the bones and causes fractures.
9. It can prevent ulcer: Unripe plantain contains phytochemical properties such as leucocyanidin which can prevent ulcer.
10. It boosts s*xual performance: Make it part of your healthy meal plan, it will help you in improving s*xual performance through increased li.bido, improve male fertility, thicker sp.erm and volume.