Sweet Plantains
By Cynthia Garcia.
The first time I tried a plantain was while I was traveling in Brazil. I was visiting a friend and their mom served them as a side dish with the typical beans and rice you would find at any Brazilian household during lunchtime.
To be quite honest, I had heard of them before but the opportunity to try them never came up. My family is Mexican and the area we are from it is not a common dish. So when I saw these being fried I was so excited to finally try it.
Here I am going to share my favorite ways to eat plantains. Of course there are many different ways to prepare them, but I personally prefer them when they are ripe.
The secret to a good sweet plantain is to wait until it’s almost completely black and mushy to the touch. The first time I let it ripen this much, I was scared it had gone bad. But thankfully, I had uncovered the secret to this magical treat.
They are soft, chewy, and just a little bit crisp when fried. The flavor is sweet and the texture is a bit mushy. Unlike its neighbor the banana, plantains aren’t creamy. They are more starchy like potatoes, but they tend to get softer if you wait long enough.
Sweet plantains are very simple and easy to make. With only two ingredients, you can make them into the perfect snack or side dish.
Ingredients
- (358g- about 2) Black & Mushy Plantains
- (2 tbsp) Canola Oil or Vegetable Oil
Directions
- On a medium non-stick pan, heat the oil on medium heat.
- While the oil heats, cut off both ends of the plantain with the knife. Next, cut down the middle to remove the peel making sure not to slice the plantain in half.
- Cut plantain diagonally into 1in. slices.
- Once oil is heated, place plantain slices evenly on the pan and fry until golden brown on both sides before removing from oil.
Nutritional Information
Servings 1 cup, Calories 426
Carbs: 61g
Protein: 4g
Fat: 22g