Plantains, a staple throughout much of Africa, are spiced up here to be served as a slightly sweet side dish. Warm, deeply satisfying, and quick, this is unusual and good even on weeknights. Best with West African, Caribbean (especially Lechon Asado, page 375), Mexican, and South American dishes. Other vegetables you can prepare this way: green bananas or potatoes, both of which will need longer cooking time.

Ingredients

　　4 ripe (yellow-black) plantains, peeled (page 473) and cut into 1-inch rounds

　　1/2 teaspoon salt

　　1/2 teaspoon curry powder, preferably homemade (pages 592–593)

　　Pinch of ground cloves

　　1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus more to taste

　　1/2 teaspoon ground allspice or cardamom

　　1 1/2 cups coconut milk, homemade (page 584) or canned

Step 1

Step 2

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.