Although it is a common meal in West Africa, Jamaica, and Cuba, not everyone knows how to fry plantain. Fried plantain is particularly popular in Nigeria and is usually enjoyed as a side dish or main meal. Although people also fry the fruit when it is unripe, it tastes different and it is usually not as sweet as it would be if you leave it to ripen. This article will focus on the easy-fried sweet plantain recipe. We will show you how to fry plantain well to get the perfect result.
How to Fry Ripe Plantain
This delicacy is easy to make and does not require additional ingredients and spices apart from the plantain itself, and oil to fry. Some people prefer to sprinkle salt on the fruit before frying, but I do not do that because ripe plantain already has a sweet taste.
- Rinse and peel the fingers of plantain. For the sake of food hygiene, it is important to rinse the plantain in clean water before peeling, since the back is usually exposed.
- Slice the plantain into small sizes. Most people, including myself, like to cut through the fruit in slants. However, you can cut it in any shape you like. Just make sure it is light enough to cook in the oil and thick enough not to get burnt easily.
- Pour oil into a pan and place it on heat. When the oil is hot, arrange the slices in the oil and leave them to fry with medium heat.
- After about 5 minutes, turn the other side to fry also. You can tell when it is time to turn over each slice by the colour of the plantain. Golden brown is the colour you want to get on each side.
- Once it is done, place it in a sieve or kitchen towel-lined plate to drain excess oil.
- You can now serve and enjoy your meal.
The good thing about fried plantain is that you can combine it with other meals and have it as breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Check out other healthy breakfast and lunch ideas here.
You Can Also Fry Plantain Without Oil
Do you know how to fry plantain without oil? It is as easy as the former. Although not a very common practice among plantain lovers, you can also fry plantain without adding oil to the pan
- Firstly, rinse and peel the plantain the usual way
- Then cut into slices that are neither too thick nor too thin
- Place a non-stick pan on heat. Using a non-stick pan is important for this type of frying so that the slices do not stick to the pan
- Put the slices of plantain in the pan and leave for about 5 minutes to fry. Also, watch out for the golden brown colour
- Turn it over and allow the other side to fry
- Put in a plate and serve as you wish
Want to try out new recipes? Check this post below:
Do Not Mistake Banana for Plantain
Banana and plantain look so much alike and if you are not familiar with both, you can mistake one for the other, especially the big bananas. Although they have a lot in common, they are two different food types and people eat them differently.
Plantain contains more starch than banana which makes it less likely for people to eat it raw. However, some people do not mind eating fresh and ripe plantain raw. Banana on the other hand has less starch content and it is best to eat it raw. Just make sure you allow it to become ripe. Also, plantain is a lot larger and has a thicker peel than banana
The best way to eat plantain is by cooking it first while it is best to eat banana raw. Nonetheless, both of them have high nutritional value and you can eat them alone or combined with other dishes.
Other Ways to Prepare Plantain
Aside from frying, there are a number of recipes with fried plantain that you can try. Nonetheless, whether ripe or unripe, there are different ways of getting the best out of this fascinating food. You can boil, bake, grill, or roast it. Still, frying is one of the best ways to enjoy plantain.
Let us know if you find this guide on how to fry plantain helpful by dropping your comment in the comment section below. Also, we would like to know if you enjoyed trying out fried plantain for the first time.
