Authentic Jamaican Dumpling Recipes: Cassava, Banana, Oatmeal and Plantain Dumplings.

Let's Make Jamaican Oatmeal Dumplings

• Oatmeal dumplings are not your typical Jamaican dumpling. I add oatmeal to boost its nutritional value while also adding texture.

  You will be using your hands a lot in these recipes. Before making any Jamaican dumplings, make sure you wash your hands with soap and water and that your nails are clean.
• In a saucepan bring to boil 8 cups of water; season with a dash of salt.
• In a mixing bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, coconut flour, oatmeal, and salt.

  Add the room-temperature water to the flour mixture and use your fingers to form a dough. Knead the dough mixture until it is completely combined. The dough should be firm and tightly packed.
  
• The dumplings' size and shape do not have to be perfect. Roll a piece of the dough between the palm of your hands to form roughly 2-inch balls.
  
• Use your thumb to flatten the ball of dough into a disc-like shape. However, you can form the dumplings into any shape you like.
  
• What is your favorite way to shape your dumplings: round, disk-shaped, or tube-like?
  
• Add dumplings to the salted boiling water and cook for 10 to 15 minutes or until they begin to float to the surface.

  DO NOT cover the saucepan with a lid. This will keep the liquid from overflowing onto the stove.
  
• Remove from the heat after 10 to 15 minutes and serve as a side dish with your favorite protein source. It serves 4 to 6 people.
  

Jamaican Banana Dumpling

• I ate banana dumplings for the majority of my childhood. Granny (RIP), my next-door neighbor, often made banana dumplings for me when I was a kid.

  I remember them for their distinct flavor, and they turn purplish-brown when left in the water after cooking. I'm guessing this is due to the oxidation of the green bananas.

  To lighten the dumplings, she adds a small amount of baking powder to the flour mixture. However, I left it out of my recipe, because I prefer my dumplings to be tight and dense.
• Bring 10 cups of water to a boil in a saucepan; season with a teaspoon of salt.
• Cut off each end of the green bananas to peel them. Make an insertion slit from one end to the other with the blade of a knife. Peel back the green skin from the starchy white flesh inside with your fingers.
  
• Cut the bananas into about 1 to 2-inch pieces.
  
• Add to the blender with 1 cup of water and blend until pureed. Traditionally the bananas are grated using a grater. But for more convenience, a blender will suffice.
  
• Combine the banana puree, flour, 2 tablespoons of water, and salt in a mixing bowl. Bring the mixture together with your fingers and knead with your palm. The dough should be smooth. If it becomes a bit sticky, sprinkle it with flour and knead until smooth.
  
• Take about a palmful of dough and roll it between your palms to form a ball, just like I did with the oatmeal dumpling.

  Flatten the dough ball with your thumb to form a disk-like shape about half an inch thick.

  The good thing about Jamaican dumplings is that they don't have to be perfect; just try to keep them close to the same size.
  
• Cook in the boiling salted water for about 15 minutes or until they begin to float around. Just remember they may have a purplish hue after they are cooked; this is a normal part of the process.
• Remove from flame and serve with your favorite meat. This recipe serves 4 to 6 people.
  

Plantain Dumpling Jamaican Style

• Follow the same step-by-step instructions for making banana dumplings above.
  
• In contrast to the banana dumplings, plantain dumplings are formed into 1 to 2-inch balls rather than disk shapes and boil in salted water for 10 to 15 minutes.

  This is another "easy breezy" side order and pairs well with any fish, poultry, or meat.

  My plantain dumpling recipe serves about 3 people.
  

Let's Make Jamaican Cassava Dumplings

• I enjoy them all, but cassava dumpling is probably my favorite because it is one of my top three starchy root vegetables. Let's make it!
  
• In a saucepan, bring 2 quarts of water to a boil; season with a few dashes of salt.
• Peel the cassava root leaving the white starch flesh. Cut it into quarters and remove the center fibrous vein that runs through the center.
  
• Cut cassava into small pieces and puree in a blender with 1¼ cups water until smooth.
  
• In a mixing bowl, combine the pureed cassava, flour, and salt. Using your fingers, mix together until a smooth dough forms.
  
• Pinch off a palmful of dough and rub it between your palms to form a cylinder shape. To make a submarine-shaped dumpling, run your thumb down the center of the dumpling dough and flatten it to about ½ inch thickness.
  
• Cook in the salted boiling water for about 15 to 20 minutes. The recipe makes 10 dumplings which are about 3 to 5 servings.
  
• These submarine Jamaican Cassava Dumplings serve about 5 to 7 people.
  

OTHER JAMAICAN DUMPLINGS

Jamaican "Flour Dumplings"

• The Jamaican flour dumpling, also known as "flowa dumplin," is the mother of all dumplings in Jamaica. She has the basic ingredients for all Jamaican dumplings.

  Flour dumplings are a staple side dish if you were born and raised in Jamaica. You can make a cheap side dish that complements almost any dish using only flour, water, and salt.

  They are also used as a thickening agent in soups and stews in the form of "spinners" (small worm-looking dumplings) to add body and fullness to these dishes.

Cornmeal Dumpling

• Consider combining 1½ cups flour, ½ cup cornmeal, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ cup water to make a dough that is formed to make delicious yellow disk-shaped dumplings.

  Cornmeal Dumplings are very popular in Jamaica. They are also served as a side order and are also added to many soups and stews.

  Add some sugar to the mixture, and create a sweet dumpling called "Festival" that is fried until golden brown. This sweet dumpling is often served with fried fish or eaten as a snack.

Fried Leftover Jamaican Dumplings

• Most Jamaicans are aware that leftover dumplings can be reheated in boiling water or microwaved. However, they are best when thinly sliced and fried in oil until golden crispy brown.

  If you have any of these dumplings left over, consider frying them for a delicious snack or bread replacement.