Mangu

Story

Mangu is the Dominican Republic's most beloved breakfast dish, a smooth, creamy mash of boiled green plantains enriched with butter and the starchy cooking water. Food historians trace its origins to the West and Central African tradition of pounding boiled root vegetables into fufu, a technique and concept brought to Hispaniola by enslaved Africans during the colonial period. A popular folk story claims the name comes from American soldiers during the early twentieth-century US occupation exclaiming 'man, this is good,' though linguists consider the African etymology, pointing to Congolese words for boiled mashed staples, far more convincing. Served as 'los tres golpes' alongside fried Dominican salami, queso de freir and eggs, mangu topped with softened pickled red onions remains the defining breakfast of the Dominican Republic.

Ingredients

• For the mangu:
• 4 large green plantains (about 900 to 1000 g total), peeled and cut into 4 chunks each
• 2 to 2.5 litres water
• 10 to 12 g fine salt, for cooking water, plus more to taste
• 40 to 60 g unsalted butter
• 120 to 240 ml reserved plantain cooking water
• For the pickled red onions:
• 1 large red onion (about 175 g), thinly sliced into half-moons
• 20 ml apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
• 2 to 3 g fine salt
• 20 ml olive oil

Method

• 1. Cut off both ends of each plantain, score the thick peel lengthwise and pry it off. Cut each plantain into 3 to 4 chunks.
• 2. Place the chunks in a pot, cover with water, add the salt and bring to the boil over medium-high heat.
• 3. Boil for 15 to 20 minutes until very tender and easily pierced with a fork.
• 4. While the plantains cook, prepare the onions. Place the sliced red onion in a bowl with the vinegar and a pinch of salt. Toss and leave to macerate for at least 10 minutes.
• 5. Heat the olive oil in a small pan over low to medium-low heat. Add the vinegar-soaked onions with their liquid and cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes until softened but still with a little bite. Remove from the heat.
• 6. When the plantains are tender, reserve 120 to 240 ml of the cooking water, then drain the rest.
• 7. While still hot, transfer the plantain chunks to a large bowl or back into the empty pot. Add the butter and begin mashing with a potato masher or fork until the butter is incorporated.
• 8. Gradually add the reserved cooking water a few tablespoons at a time, mashing constantly until the mangu is smooth, creamy and thick but not stiff or dry. The texture should resemble very soft mashed potato.
• 9. Taste and adjust salt. Spoon onto plates, top generously with the warm pickled red onions and serve immediately alongside fried salami, fried cheese and eggs if making los tres golpes.

Common questions