Love plantains? Check out our 3 ingredient crispy plantain chips and also batter fried plantains.
What are plantains?
Latin American and Caribbean cuisine often uses plantains, which resemble bananas but have a unique taste. Unlike bananas, plantains are high in starch content and possess thicker skin. While bananas can be eaten raw, plantains must be cooked before eating. These are best served as a side dish with savory meals. You can use plantains as a substitute for potatoes or sweet potatoes in your meals. Plantains can be enjoyed at all three stages: Green, Yellow, Black, or dull yellow with black spots. As plantains ripen, their starch content converts to sugar, making them soft and sweeter, less firm. When plantains are green, they are best suited to make crispy chips, tostones, battered fritters (pakoras), and vegan coconut-based curry.As plantains ripen, they are best for frying, pan frying, used in desserts, or mashed and used to make Indian-style pudding or halwa.
Why you’ll love this recipe?
Ingredients
Plantains: Ripe plantains with yellow or dull yellow with brown spots work best. They are soft but, at the same time, firm enough to cut and pan fry.Cayenne powder / Red Chile powder: We love the sweet and spicy combo. It is totally optional. Adjust to taste.Salt: Little hint of salt on the caramelized banana takes this dish to heOil: I prefer coconut oil or canola oil. You are free to use avocado oil or vegetable oil too. For a richer flavor, use butter or ghee (brown butter). See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Step-by-step instructions
How to peel plantains?
Wash and peel the plantains by cutting off ½ inch of both ends. Next, create a slit down the side of each plantain. To remove the peel, peel it off from side to side, rather than lengthwise, and use a knife to loosen the edge if necessary. Finally, cut the peeled plantains into circles or rectangles, or even diagonally, depending on your preference, with a thickness of either ¼ or ½ inch.
How to cook plantains?
Add the sliced plantains, chile powder, salt, and any other seasoning and toss until coated. Heat a nonstick pan on medium flame and drizzle oil. Add the plantains to the pan and drizzle oil, and pan-fry them on one side until they reach caramelized brown color. Approximately 2 to 3 minutes on medium to medium-low flame. Do not overcrowd the pan. Flip and cook on another side for another 1 to 2 minutes. Drizzle oil if needed. Transfer it to the plate and repeat it for the remaining plantains. Serve hot, and enjoy.
Tips
If the plantains are not ripe, then this dish will not taste sweet but more starchy, like a potato. If you want caramelized sweeter plantains then, use yellow or overripe plantains. The plantains will burn quickly if the pan is too hot. So I highly recommend pan frying in medium to low flame. Do not add too much oil or butter. Drizzle as needed. Too much oil will make your plantains soggy. Depending on the flame’s intensity and the pan’s thickness, the time it takes to caramelize may vary, but don’t rush or increase the flame. It will burn. You can sprinkle some salt and ignore all of the spices. It will still taste amazingly delicious.
What to eat with plantains?
You can serve plantains as savory appetizers, snacks, or a side dish. Here are a few of our favorite
Storage suggestions
If you have any leftover pan-fried plantains, you can store them in an airtight conatiner for up to 4 days. To reheat, add oil to a pan or skillet. Once hot, place the plantains and heat on medium flame on both sides until heated through.
More Plantain and Banana Recipes to try
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Recipe card
