Fried Plantain are a staple in many African and Caribbean meals.
I grew up on the small island of Saint Croix. Saint Croix is the largest island in the United States Virgin Islands and is surrounded by the Caribbean Sea. This tropical environment allows a wide variety of local homegrown produce to grow. One of those homegrown produce are plantains.
Plantains are starchier than bananas which makes them perfect for frying. You can fry green unripe plantains into thin chips or tostones, which are twice-fried plantain slices commonly found in Caribbean and Latin American cuisines.
For these fried plantains, we are using ripe plantains. Ripe plantains have a sweet taste. Fried plantains bring me right to the tropical Caribbean beaches in one bite.
How do I tell if a plantain is ripe?
The skin of a ripe plantain will be yellow/gold with black spots. Ripe plantain will feel slightly soft to the touch, once you squeeze it slightly. The more soft the plantain is, the sweeter and softer the fried plantain with come out. Likewise, the firmer the plantain is, the harder and less sweet the fried plantain will be.
How do I peel/remove the skin of a ripe plantain?
To remove the skin of ripe plantain, take the tip of your knife and make a slight incision from top to bottom. Peel and remove the skin. You will be left with the “plantain” that you will slice and fry.
Any meal ideas for fried plantains?
You can serve the ripe plantains alongside your lunch or dinner. They are great little sweet morsels on salads and in grain bowls.
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Thank you so much for reading this post. I hope that you give these Fried Plantains a try. If you do please give this recipe a rating below in the comments. I would greatly appreciate it.
You can find all my delicious plant-based recipes here. Until the next post, keep growing.
