Skip to content

Meat, Africa and overseas

Foutou banane with light chicken sauce

Foutou banane with light chicken sauce is a shareable Ivorian dish for 4, ready in 1 hour 10 minutes, medium difficulty, around €3.80 per person. The key is two simple moves, skimming the broth so it stays clear, and pounding the plantains while still hot for a smooth, lump free dough.

Tonight, a big shareable Ivorian dish with a light, fragrant chicken broth and plantain foutou balls to dip into it.

Foutou banane with light chicken sauce
Total time
1 h 10
Difficulty
Medium
Cost per person
€3.80
Calories per person
580 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Fall, Winter

Foutou banane is made of smooth, stretchy dough balls pounded from green plantains, meant for dipping into a clear chicken broth fragrant with ginger, garlic, and chili. The sauce simmers slowly with tomatoes and eggplant, which eventually break down into the broth and thicken it gently without ever making it heavy. The chicken, cooked low in that same broth, stays tender and fully infused with flavor.

This is a dish for a Sunday, or any evening when you have a bit of extra time, since the foutou needs to be pounded by hand. It's meant to be shared, with everyone dipping their own ball of dough into the communal sauce, which makes it a great choice for guests or a longer family meal than usual. With Mon Chou, you know exactly when to start each step so everything comes together at the same time.

The ingredients

4 people

Butcher

  • Chicken thighs 6

Fruits and vegetables

  • Green plantains 4
  • Eggplants 2
  • Tomatoes 3
  • Onions 2
  • Chili pepper 1
  • Fresh ginger 20 g
  • Garlic 2 cloves

Pantry

  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

The step by step recipe

  1. Put the chicken in a pot with the onions, garlic, ginger, chili, salt, and a liter and a half of water. 5 min

    Skim the broth at the start, it will stay clear and clean.

  2. Let it simmer over low heat, then add the tomatoes and eggplant cut into large chunks. 35 min

    Pierce the eggplant before adding it so it cooks through.

  3. Meanwhile, peel the plantains, cut them up, and boil them in salted water. 20 min

    Drop them into cold water right after peeling to keep them from turning black.

  4. Drain the plantains and pound them with a pestle or fork, adding a bit of the cooking water, until you get a smooth dough. 10 min

    Wet your hands to shape the balls without sticking.

  5. Serve the light sauce in big bowls with the chicken, the softened vegetables, and a ball of foutou.

    Mash a piece of eggplant into the sauce, it turns silkier.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pick plantains that are very green and firm, they pound into a smoother dough than riper ones.
  • Set aside some of the plantain cooking water before pounding, you'll use it to adjust the dough's texture as you go.
  • Keep the broth at a gentle simmer rather than a hard boil, the chicken stays more tender and the liquid stays clear.

The variations

  • Swap the chicken for smoked fish or stewing beef, adjusting the broth's cooking time accordingly.
  • For a vegetarian version, replace the chicken with chickpeas and use vegetable broth instead of water.
  • To save time, swap the hand pounded foutou for plantain mash made in a food processor, less traditional but much faster.

What to serve it with

  • Fresh chili on the side for extra heat
  • Cold water or ginger juice
  • Lime wedges to squeeze over

Storage

The chicken broth and vegetables keep for 2 to 3 days in the fridge in a sealed container, and freeze well for up to 2 months. Foutou doesn't keep as well and turns firm once cold, so it's best made fresh right before serving. Reheat the broth gently over low heat, adding a splash of water if needed.

Questions about this dish

Why doesn't my plantain dough turn out smooth?

A lumpy dough usually means the plantains cooled down before pounding. Pound them while still hot, right after draining, adding the cooking water a little at a time.

Can you make the foutou ahead of time?

Foutou is best made right before serving since it firms up as it cools. You can prepare the chicken broth ahead and simply reheat it at mealtime.

What kind of chili works best for the light sauce?

One small whole chili is enough to flavor the broth without making it too hot, remove it before serving for a milder sauce. You can also crush it slightly if you want more heat.

Can kids who don't like spice eat this dish?

Yes, just leave the chili out of the broth before cooking or serve it on the side. The broth stays fragrant thanks to the ginger and garlic, with no heat at all.

How long does it take to make a plantain foutou with a light chicken sauce?

Count 1 h 10 in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “medium”.

How many calories are in a plantain foutou with a light chicken sauce?

About 580 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a plantain foutou with a light chicken sauce cost?

About €3.80 per serving, or €15.20 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains none of the major allergens tracked by Mon Chou. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

African and overseas cuisines

See all

Recipes with eggplant

See all