Aloco, Western Africa

A very popular dish found in the small roadside restaurants of the Ivory Coast (Cote d'Ivoire), Aloco (Alloco, Aloko, or Bananes Plantains a l'huile de palme) is a combination of plantains, fried in palm oil, plus tomatoes, onions, and chile peppers, usually served with grilled fish.
Note: As is the case with other African dishes made with red palm oil, other oil (e.g., peanut oil) can be substituted; but using red palm oil results in an authentic flavor and color, which cannot be duplicated with other oil.

Ingredients:
Red Palm Oil
Several Ripe Plantains peeled and cut into discs or cubes
Salt
Two Tomatoes, peeled (if desired) and chopped
One onion, chopped
One chile pepper, cleaned and chopped

Heat one or two cups of palm oil in a skillet. Sprinkle the raw plantains with salt. Fry the plantains until they are golden brown. Remove the plantains from the oil and drain on a paper towel. It may be best to fry the plantains in a few batches.

In the same skillet and oil in which the plantains were fried, fry the onion, tomato, and chile pepper for a few minutes, stirring often. Add a few spoonfuls of water, reduce heat, and simmer for several minutes until a thick, chunky sauce is obtained. Some cooks add a splash of vinegar.

Place the plantains on a plate, cover them with a grilled fish, and pour the onion-tomato mixture over them.