When it is cool outside, which thankfully isn’t too frequently in Jamaica we love to serve the island’s local spicy version of that Italian classic, Lasagne.
Unlike its Italian cousin, our Caribbean Lasagne is completely wheat free as it uses plantain in place of pasta sheets which means it has 0 food miles when served in the Mille Fleurs restaurant.
Get ready to be mesmerised by the baked plantain’s intense aroma and crisp topping that you’ll yearn for again and again in place of traditional baked pasta dish.
Caribbean Lasagne
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Our spicy wheat-free Caribbean Lasagne is irresistible to even the most pernickety baked pasta fan. Try it with adzuki beans as a vegetarian treat.
Author: Barbara Walker
Recipe type: Dinner
Cuisine: Jamaican
Serves: 6
Ingredients
- 5 or 6 ripe plantains, peeled, sliced lengthwise
- 4 Eggs lightly beaten
- Salt to taste
- 1 large pot of Red kidney beans cooked
Ingredients for the Meat Sauce- 2 lbs Minced Beef
- Vegetable Oil for frying
- 2 tsp Coriander
- 1 teaspoon of Ground Cumin
- ½ cup Coconut Cream
- 2 Onions minced
- 2 Cloves of Garlic minced
- ½ Scotch Bonnet Chili minced
- 1 Carrot, finely grated
- 1 Sweet Pepper finely chopped
- Salt and Pepper
- Large sprig of Thyme
- ¼ chopped Scallion
- 1 bunch Thyme chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/ 175°C and grease a rectangular or square pan with butter
- Fry plantain slices in non-stick pan with a little oil until they are golden brown on both sides
- Place on paper towels to absorb any excess oil and keep aside.
- Fry onion until transparent.
- Add scallion, thyme, scotch bonnet, sweet pepper and carrot and cook until soft
- Add garlic and brown the minced beef.
- Add the coconut cream and reduce until thick. Add the kidney beans.
- Pour half of the beaten eggs into the baking dish,
- Then place a layer of plantains and a layer of layer of meat sauce. Alternate as if you were preparing traditional lasagne, making the last layer plantain.
- Cover with the rest of the beaten eggs and bake for 30 minutes.
- Let stand at least 15 minutes before serving. Serve with a kitchen garden green salad.
