Rellenitos de plátano

Guatemalan fried plantain bites filled with black bean paste

Origin: Guatemala

From the journey of Banana.

Rellenitos de plátano are one of Guatemala's most beloved street foods and home confections, small, oval-shaped cakes made from mashed ripe plantain, filled with sweetened black bean paste, rolled in sugar, and fried until golden. The dish is a perfect encapsulation of Guatemalan mestizo cooking: a fusion of indigenous Maya ingredients (black beans have been cultivated in Mesoamerica for over 7,000 years) with the plantain that arrived via the Atlantic trade routes introduced by Portuguese and Spanish colonisers in the 16th century. By the late 19th century, when Central America had become the global centre of the banana industry, with vast commercial plantations transforming the landscape of Guatemala, Honduras, and Costa Rica, the plantain had fully naturalised into Guatemalan daily life. Rellenitos are served at markets (mercados), in comedores (local eateries), and made at home for breakfast, as a sweet afternoon snack (merienda), or for festive occasions. They occupy that happy culinary space between savoury and sweet, the earthy, rich bean paste contrasting with the caramelised sweetness of ripe plantain.

Ingredients

Plantain Shell

  • 3 very ripe plantains (skin should be black or heavily black-spotted)
  • 1 pinch salt

Bean Filling

  • 400 g tinned black beans, drained and rinsed (or 250g home-cooked black beans)
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 0.5 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder (optional, for depth)

Coating

  • 3 tbsp sugar (for rolling)

Frying

  • 500 ml neutral oil, for frying

Method

  1. Make the bean filling: place the drained black beans in a small saucepan with sugar, cinnamon, and cocoa (if using). Cook over medium heat, mashing the beans as they heat, for 5–8 minutes until you have a thick, dry paste that holds its shape when pressed. Taste and adjust sweetness. Set aside to cool.
  2. Cook the plantains: cut off the ends, score the skins, and peel. Boil in lightly salted water for 10–12 minutes until completely tender. Drain and mash thoroughly while still hot until very smooth: no lumps. Season with a pinch of salt.
  3. Once the plantain mash is cool enough to handle, wet your hands and take about 2 tablespoons of the mash. Flatten it into a small oval disc in your palm. Place a small log of bean filling (about 1 tablespoon) in the centre.
  4. Fold the plantain mash around the filling, pressing and smoothing to enclose it completely in a smooth, oval shape. Repeat with remaining mash and filling to make 10–12 rellenitos.
  5. Roll each rellenito in the sugar until coated on all sides.
  6. Heat the oil in a heavy pan to 175°C / 350°F. Fry the rellenitos in batches of 3–4 for 2–3 minutes per side, turning carefully, until deep golden-brown on all sides. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Serve warm.

Notes

Rellenitos are at their best eaten warm, when the plantain shell is still lightly crisp from frying. The bean filling can be made a day ahead and refrigerated. Some Guatemalan cooks add a small piece of queso fresco to the filling alongside the beans: a savoury note against the sweet plantain. In Guatemala, they are often sold in pairs, dusted in sugar, wrapped in paper.

The Gastrographer

The Gastrographer

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