Fried Plantains
This year I am dedicated to trying new foods! First on my list: PLANTAINS! I picked up two plantains a while back and they’ve been sitting on my counter forever so that they can get super black. I hear that is the best time to cook them. (major thanks to those who told me to take them out of the fridge in my “What’s In A Diva’s Fridge” video)
This was my first time tasting & cooking plantains so I talked to A LOT of people before attempting to try this recipe, if you can even call it a recipe. It’s so simple but I really didn’t want to screw these things up because I’ve been so excited about them.
After looking at tons of” how to cook plantain” videos and fried & baked plantains recipes, I really learned a lot about this amazing fruit. Here are a few plantain facts so you can say you learned something new today:
- Plantains are not bananas, although they are related to the banana they are not suitable to eat raw and must me cooked. (Yall know I would have tried to eat it raw had I not read this)
- Plantains are starchy and often used as a vegetable the same way we would use a potatoes. It is usually fried or baked. They are very popular in West Africa and Caribbean countries.
- A regular banana is ready to eat when the peel is yellow, however a plantain is considered ready to eat when the peel is black or almost black
- Plantains are a good source of potassium, vitamin A & C. They are also high in fiber and used as an energy booster!
So after talking the ears off of MsJaMayka (hey girl!!!) she gave me tons of tips on how to cook some good, authentic Jamaican fried plantains!!! I owe you one girl cause I was ready to throw these things in some batter first LOLLL!
They turned out so sweet, crisp on the outside & so delish …but I confess….after I ate a few of them I started getting curious…I tried some with powdered sugar (so freakin good) then I tried one with cinnamon-sugar (good as well) and then I just had to try it with some peanut butter (that was just ok but my toddler liked it) Next I think I will try baking them to see how they compare.
Overall I will definitely be cooking these again soon. I hear they go great with soups! They are such a easy and tasty snack. Thanks to everyone who gave me tips and advice on how to prepare the best plantains.
- Plantains (The skin should be mottled with yellow & black)
- dash of salt
- Canola Oil or Coconut oil
- Cut off the ends of the
- plantains
- Remove the skin by running a knife down the middle and peeling back the skin.
- Dice the plantains at a diagonal.
- Place them in a bowl and sprinkle on a few dashes of salt. Toss the plantains and let them sit while the oil heats.
- In a skillet (cast iron works best) heat your oil on medium high heat. Just enough to halfway cover the plantains is fine.
- When the oil is really hot, place the plantain in the oil in a single layer. *Mine started to stick to the bottom of the pan so you may want to move them around a bit when you first put them in the oil.*
- Let them cook for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Reduce the heat if they are cooking to fast or starting to burn.
- When done, drain on paper towels.
I love plantain!! I grew up eating them. I am from Puerto Rico and we always had Plantains. I never wait for them to get black I like them when they are yellow and black. When they are black they are too sweet for my taste. I think that you should Google on how to make pastelon. its made with sweet plantains and its soooooo delicioso
Here is an alternative to making fried plantains Ghanaian style, called Kelewele. I’m Ghanaian and this is my favorite snack, so I make it all of the time. It incorporates cayenne pepper, lemon juice, ginger and onion. Mix these ingredients with the lemon juice and marinate the sliced, diced, or rounded plantains for 5-10 mins. Then just fry it in canola or vegetable oil until golden brown (omit using olive oil…very bad after taste in my opinion). Enjoy!
-P.S. I love your site!
>This blog post shows a pretty accurate, but version of the Kelewele (spicy/tangy/sweet fried plantains),
http://betumiblog.blogspot.com/2011/06/king-of-kelewele-recipe-53.html
Forgot to mention to add salt to the mixture as well 😉
We like to fry them when the skin is yellow, and the plantain is firm, because it’s too mushy when it gets black (unless it still feels firm and has a bit of yellow in it), but yeah, fried plantains are a staple here in the Caribbean, lol. BTW, I love this entire website!
Can I just give you a way Puerto Ricans make fried plantains, called “tostones”. I’m not Puerto Rican, my husband is. And if I’m wrong about any of this recipe, please tell me. Diva you are free to try this out. You don’t use the black plantains, you use green ones. Cut the tips of the plantain and run a knife down the sides to get the peel off, making sure not to pull the banana along with it. Cut the banana on a slant like Diva did above. Heat enough cooking oil to cover the banana slices with. DO NOT OVERCROWD!!! Be careful of splashing hot oil!!! You may get burned (who has a platano burn?) so keep children and pets out of the kitchen (or far enough away). Fry both sides until brown, I want to say 4 minutes. Take them out and put them on a plate. Use the bottom of a heavy glass or pan to smash the plantain flatter, like a latka (Jewish potato pancakes). Put them back into the hot oil (yeah I forgot to tell you – don’t tun the oil off) about 2 minutes (probably shorter) on each side until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle w/salt while hot. Serve w/a garlic oil (OMG it’s so good). Heat up some oil oil in a small pan with crushed garlic. I don’t use measurements, I use what I think I will like. Heat it up a little bit and then run it through a blender (one of those small bullet blenders are good). Serve w/the tostones – dip them in the oil or drizzle the oil over them. The oil will last so refrigerate when done and microwave for a little to break up the oil.The oil gets better w/the garlic over time.
oh yes! I have heard of this recipe! I wanted to try it, and i think i will! Thanks a lot!!!
Do you also make fried bakes? (flour, salt, baking powder, yeast, kneaded into a dough, rolled into little balls, flattened and fried in oil) Tastes soooo good, and is a breakfast must have in the Caribbean!
PS I like to save my left over oil (provided i haven’t fried chicken or fish, lol) and add some crushed garlic to it 🙂
Just finished downing my plantains, they are so good. My oldest son wasn’t too fond of them. But, me and my baby boy tore them up. So good is what my two-year old said.
Great recipe, I think the Haitian way is better. We add a few steps and use something called a 'Tostonera' to flatten the plaintain, we also submerge the plaintains in salt water an hr before frying