Mofungo is the easiest Puerto Rican side dish for any occasion. In this recipe, I will show you step by step how to make the perfect mofongo served with a delicious finger-licking pan seared shrimp cooked in a creamy coconut sauce.
My taste buds first came into contact with Mofongo at a Spanish restaurant in Queens NYC several years ago with one of my Dominican co-workers.
The chicken mofongo was soooo goood, It left a lasting impression on my bud’s memory.
Since then, I fell in love with mofongo. Moreover, this recipe is inspired by my first mofongo experience.
There are many variations in the mofongo recipe. Some recipes call for pork rind. However, In the recipe, I have kept it simple, yet flavorful and I have no doubt that you will enjoy.
If you follow my Instagram and other social media platforms you will know that I love tostones or dishes made with plantains. They are super cheap and filling.
History of Mofongo
The word Mofongo originated from the Angolan Kikongo term mfwenge-mfwenge which translates to mean : “a great amount of anything at all”
Mofongo is noted to be inspired by West Africa’s method of making fufu. Fufu is a native dish of Nigeria where starchy root vegetables such as cassava are pounded in a mallet to form a ball of delicious starchy side order.
It is said that the West African ethic groups that migrated to Puerto Rico introduced Puerto Rico and other Caribbean nations to their way of making Fufu that gave birth to Mofongo. (Wikipedia)
The Hispanic or Spanish Mofongo dish is very simple and easy to make. Mofongo can be served with any meat: chicken, fish, shrimp, beef or pork. There are also vegan and vegetarian versions as well. However, I can enjoy it on it’s own.
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Mofongo With Pan Seared Shrimp in Creamy Coconut Sauce.
Here are all the ingredients you will need.
Below are some amazon ingredient links for your shopping convenience.
Shrimp
Fresh Garlic
Garlic Powder
Complete Seasoning
Olive Oil
S & S Sauce
Green Plantains
Paprika
Flour
salt
Coconut Milk
scallion
black Pepper
Canola oil
Your kitchen will need one of these kitchen cookwares and utensil. Click on each for more detailed information and your shopping convenience.
How To Make The Perfect Mofongo: Pan-Seared Shrimp | Creamy Coconut Sauce
Equipment
- Cast Iron Skillet
- Granite Mortar and Pestle
- Cutting Board
- Large Aluminium Pot
- Knife
- Spoon
- Bowls
Ingredients
Mofongo
- 4 Medium Green Plantains
- 5 cloves Fresh Garlic
- 3 tbsp. Olive Oil
- 3 tsp. Salt
- 1.5 tsp. Black Pepper
- 1 cup Canola Oil
Pan-Seared Shrimp
- 1 lb. Shrimp, tail on.
- 2 tbsp. Complete Seasoning
- 3 tbsp. Smoked Paprika
- 2 tsp. Roasted Garlic Powder
- 2 tsp. Salt
Creamy Coconut Sauce
- 1 can Coconut Milk
- ¼ cup Sweet and Sour Sauce
- 1 tsp. Salt
- 1 tsp. Black Pepper
- 2 tsp. Roasted Garlic Powder
Instructions
Let's Cook Mofongo!
- Wash Green Plantains under warm running water.
- Cut ends off each plantain and score each plantain along the "seam" lengthwise. Use a knife to release the green skin from the white starchy fruit.
- Use your fingers to peel off the skin from the white starch.
- Peel all four plantains and get them ready for the next step
- Cut each peeled plantain into about 1-inch pieces. Sometimes I soak the plantain pieces into heavily salted water for 1 hour before frying. But I chose to skip this step and go right into frying them.
- In a cast-iron skillet heat the canola oil over low heat. I love cast iron pots because they evenly distribute heat and are perfect for frying. Here is a 2-in-1 skillet set sold by Amazon that you will like: https://amzn.to/3EOiprz. See link above.
- The goal is not only to brown the plantain pieces, but to cook them thoroughly. Cook on each side for about 3-4 minutes over low flame.
- Remove plantains from hot oil and set them aside in a bowl.
- If you do not own a mortar and pestle you can get your set here: https://amzn.to/2ZYqqv9 or in the link above. In a mortar bowl, add 1 tbsp. olive oil, ½ tsp. salt and ½ tsp. black pepper with 2 cloves of garlic. (The warm canola oil that was used to fry the plantain can be used for this step).
- Use the pestle to crush the garlic into the olive oil. In a circular motion, grind oil and fresh garlic together; the aroma is to die for.
- After the garlic is completely ground, it should resemble a paste-like consistency.
- Add about 4-5 pieces of cooked fried plantain to the garlic mixture in the mortar bowl. Use the pestle to crush the plantain until they are soft and pasty. At this stage, you can add 2-3 pieces more plantain pieces and repeat the process.
- You will need to repeat the same process for the other pieces of plantain. If the plantains become too dry, you can add a mixture of oil-water or vegetable stock to soften the Mofongo. Spoon the Mofongo from mortar and store it in a bowl.
Now it Time To Pan-Sear Some Shrimp.
- You can use whatever type of shrimp you like. However, In this recipe, I am using the peeled shrimp tail-on from Amazon: https://amzn.to/3BMEVyS (see link above).Wash shrimp in lemon juice and water. Season with roasted garlic powder, smoked paprika, complete season, salt, and black pepper. Allow marinating in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours.
- I love this aluminum pot and every kitchen should have one. Here is a link for your shopping convenience: https://amzn.to/3BGR9sL or in the link below.Heat olive oil in your aluminum pot over medium flame.
- In a container, season ½ cup all-purpose flour with ½ tsp. salt, pepper, and paprika. Dredge each shrimp with seasoned flour and set aside. Coating the shrimp with this seasoned flour will add texture when fried and also act as a thickening agent for the coconut sauce.
- Add shrimp to hot oil and sear on each side for about 2 minutes until golden brown.
- Remove cooked shrimps from the pan and set them aside in a bowl.
`Let's Make The Creamy Coconut Sauce
- After you have removed the pan-seared shrimp from the pot, pour the can of coconut milk into the same aluminum pot.Use a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the pan to release the bit and pieces from the shrimp. This will take the flavor profile of the coconut sauce to another level.
- Season coconut sauce with salt, black pepper, garlic powder, sweet and sour sauce. Mix well. Over low heat allow cooking for another 2 minutes.
- To the coconut sauce, add the pan-seared shrimp to the coconut sauce and simmer for another 2-3 minutes over medium heat. The sauce will begin to thicken. Therefore, stir occasionally to avoid burning.
- Serve shrimp in coconut sauce with the Mofongo. This is optional, but you may garnish the dish with green onion slices. I promise you that you will definitely enjoy this meal. If you are allergic to shrimp, you can replace it with chicken, fish, beef, mutton, or lamb.
Notes
Mofongo With Shrimp In Coconut Sauce
You will also love this Jerk Chicken Mac and cheese recipe. Click HERE or on the picture for the recipe.
You will also love this plantain dish. Click HERE or on the picture for the recipe.
Thanks for dropping by. I would love to know what you think. Leave a comment and star rating.
This recipe looks amazing! Am pinning this for later so I can wow my family! Thanks!
Never heard of it before! Looks good!
I learned a new word today! This looks amazing. Your recipes are always so creative.
Lovely recipe! I like learning dishes from different countries especially now that we cant travel.
I’ve never heard of Mofungo but I did just learn what Platines were the other day! I love shrimps so this dish is definitely one I want to try out!
Kevin, this sounds like what dreams are made of! Such a great dish, I had no clue about Mofongo as I had never heard of it – this is what I love about your blog, it’s always a discovery for a foodie like me! Thank you for sharing this recipe, I hope I get to try it soon x
This may be a stupid question, but the green plantains look like unripe bananas. Are they a banana breed or from a similar family? Would this recipe work if your swapped shrimp for one of the other meats you mentioned?
This looks so good
Thanks you Katherine
I’ve never heard of Mofongo before but this sounds absolutely delicious! It was fascinating to learn a bit about the history of the dish as well.
https://www.femaleoriginal.com
Thanks for dropping by Faye
Vegan so I made the coconut sauce by searing plant-based meat Jackfruit instead of shrimp. I made my own sweet and sour sauce as well and this was the thing that tied my healthier (and and dryer version) together! It just worked perfectly, no mortar so I used the food processor, it was freaking delicious! Can’t find many online recipes of mofongo with a sauce, this one is delicious and perfect! I froze the leftover sauce but it won’t last long, I will eat it by months end haha! Ill try this recipe again, Thank you!
Thank you Kitty for sharing your cooking experience. I am glad my mofongo shrimp recipe was an inspiration for your vegan dish. I appreciate your feedback.