Peel the plantains using the instructions on the link provided. Then, using a sharp knife, cut into 1 inch pieces as seen in this post's picture collage. Place in a big bowl or dish.

Clean and chop all the vegetables in 1/2 inch pieces.

Peel the garlic cloves.

Clean and shell the shrimp and cut into two pieces if big. Place in a bowl and add the juice of one lime/lemon, the pepper and 1 teaspoon of salt.

Set all prepped ingredients aside and get ready to cook.

On a 12 medium to large frying pan, add 3 tablespoons of oil, or as needed to coat the bottom and fill up about 1/4 of an inch. Allow to heat on high.

Add the cut plantains and separate if needed with a fork, turning them in two minutes or when the bottom looks golden to light brown. Fry both sides and quickly set aside on a bowl.

Place three to four pieces of plantain in the mortar (more if mortar is bigger) and mash with the pestle.

Add two to three garlic cloves per mofongo (more or less per your taste) and a dash of salt on top of them so the salt absorbs the oils in the garlic. Mash garlic into the plantains, turning the dry mash with a spoon.

Add a teaspoon of butter if desired to make plantains more malleable.

Continue to mash until the plantains take the shape of the mortar. If you are mashing without a mortar, see instructions in the first part of this post on how to do it with a small soup bowl.

Place the half-moon shaped plantain mash on a plate. Repeat as needed.

Mash or crush three to four cloves of garlic to add to the shrimp.

On another frying pan, add 1 table-spoon of oil and allow to heat on high.

Add the onions, garlic and pepper and immediately add the shrimp.

Add half a cup of water and allow to boil, adding and dissolving the tomato paste in the boiling water. Add more water if needed to loosen the sauce, stirring for 3 minutes or until prawns are ready.

Serve over the mofongo.

Enjoy!