Mangú is probably the thing that Dominicans who follow the ketogenic diet or a low carb diet miss the most. It would seem impossible to have it again. Here are some tricks to enjoy your tasty Dominican-style breakfast.
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If you are looking for the traditional Mangú breakfast recipe (Los Tres Golpes), follow that link. This is not that. However, if you follow a keto, LCHF or ketogenic diet, or are simply interested in lowering your carb intake, then yes, you've found the right place.
This is not the first time that I transform one of those sacred Dominican dishes to adapt them to a different diet. Most famously (or infamously), our Vegan Sancocho Recipe is really popular, but not without controversy.
Why a keto "mangú"?
I don't just write about what interests me, I am also always picking ideas and requests from our readers. I am not here to tell anyone how to eat. That is above my paygrade. I just love helping those people that, for one reason or another, have a special diet, and miss their Dominican staples. Why not? It's a great creative outlet.
In this recipe (and serving suggestions), I have made some significant changes from our beloved Los Tres Golpes. Notably, I have substituted longaniza for salami, as salami contains fillers that are not keto-friendly. Fresh longaniza has no fillers, and little to no preservatives (and if you can't find it, we have a recipe for homemade longaniza!). I also used onion powder instead of onions. More on that further down.
The most controversial changes are going to be the ones I made to mangú. Yes, I used that stereotypical keto staple, cauliflower, to add to the plantain. As you almost certainly know, plantain is very high in carbs. Not a keto-friendly food by any stretch. So, I am going to go ahead and answer a few questions that I anticipate you'll have:
Does this taste like cauliflower?
Cauliflower has very little taste, which is why it is used in anything from "pizza" to muffins. I can't detect much of its taste. It mostly tastes like plantain.
Why not add water to the "mangú"?
Because cauliflower has a lot of water, it is unnecessary.
How close is this to traditional mangú.
Hmm... I'd say quite close. It's paler, smoother (I love that!). It doesn't have onions (to save on carbs), but you can certainly taste the plantain and some onion flavor in it.
How many carbs are there in this "mangú"?
Yeah, here's the moment of truth. I used a small plantain in this (170 g), which roughly contains 45-50 g net carbs. The cauliflower adds most of the bulk in this, but the plantain serves as the binder (you know how mangú gets really hard without adding water) and contributes most of the flavor in it. The total carb in a serving (⅙ of the total) is 11 net carbs, approximately. Not super low, but you will have to work this into your carb allowance for the day. Be mindful that this is a small portion of "mangú".
Serving with 1 fried egg, 2 slices of queso de freír (or halloumi), and 3 small pieces of sugar-free longaniza (as pictured) should add an extra 3 g of carbs.
See more keto recipes on our blog.
I hope you find this recipe useful, and if you have any questions, please let me know.
Buen provecho!
Keto Dominican Breakfast [+ Video]
Ingredients
- 1 unripe plantain, halved
- 1 quart water for boiling, (1 liter)
- 1 cauliflower head, cut into florets, and washed (¾ lb [0.3 Kg]
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon salt, (or to taste)
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
Instructions
Boiling the plantains
- Boil the plantain over medium heat until it turns fork tender. Add the cauliflower and simmer until it is heated through, but before it is fully cooked (or it will turn mushy). Remove plantain and cauliflower from the water and place in the food processor.
Making the puree
- Add butter, and blend until you obtain a smooth mash without any clumps. Season with salt to taste. Pour in the onion powder and mix. Remove from the processor and set aside. Wait 2-3 minutes to serve, the mixture may look thin right out of the processor, but it'll thicken when it's a bit cooler.
How to serve
- Fry queso de freír, longaniza, and eggs and serve together. You may also serve with avocado.
Video
Tips and Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is calculated automatically based on ingredients listed. Please consult your doctor if you need precise nutritional information.
Oh lord, thank you, thank you, thank you. I can now die a happy (and healthy) woman. You have no idea how much I missed my mangu ???? and now I had it. I just added more butter, but it was really good. 10/10
Ohh, I'm new to keto diet but I was looking for some breakfast ideas. Thank you!
Hey Clara! Thank you for this keto mangu recipe. This convinced my Dominican husband that he can survive on keto diet 🙂
It doesn’t let me rate any of your recipes tho :/. I’m on iPhone.