Have you ever eaten a plantain before? Do you even know what a plantain is? I wasn’t at all familiar with them until about a year ago, and I had no idea what I was missing out on!
Plantains are a member of the banana family, but they are not the same thing as bananas. They are more starchy and less sweet, and they can’t be eaten raw.
Plantains are a common staple in Latin American cooking, but they are not so much here in the United States. However, ever since my husband and I went to Puerto Rico this summer, they have become a staple in our house!
What’s so great about plantains? Well first, plantains are an excellent source of starch for our bodies. Plus, they are high in nutrients such as fiber, Vitamin C, Vitamin A, and potassium…just to name a few.
What I also love about plantains is how versatile they are. They can be eaten when they are green to provide a more savory flavor, but if you wait to eat them until they are yellow or black, they taste much sweeter. In addition, plantains can be ground up into a flour and used as a gluten free flour substitute to make tortillas, pancakes, waffles, and more.
Tostones just happen to be my current favorite way to enjoy plantains. We use green plantains for this recipe, which makes it a great substitute for chips. You can dip them in guacamole or salsa if you’d like, but they also taste really good by themselves.
If you’ve never had plantains before, this is a great place to start!
Ingredients
- 1 green plantain
- Coconut oil for frying
- Sea salt
- Garlic salt (optional)
Instructions
- Put enough coconut oil into a frying pan to generously coat the surface. Heat over medium heat.
- Peel the plantain and cut diagonally into 1/2 inch slices.
- Once the oil is hot, place the plantain slices in a single layer in the frying pan. Fry for about 2-3 minutes, until the plantains are just beginning to turn golden brown.
- Flip the plantain slices over and fry until the other side begins to turn golden brown.
- Remove the plantain slices and place them onto a cutting board or other flat surface. Gently flatten each slice to about 1/8 inch thick. (The flat surface on a meat tenderizer or the bottom of a glass works well.)
- Dip each slice in a bowl of salt water.
- Place the plantain slices back in the frying pan. Fry for about 3 minutes on each side until the plantains are crispy. (You may need to add additional coconut oil.)
- Remove the plantain slices from the pan and sprinkle sea salt and/or garlic salt on them.
Let me know what you think about this recipe in the comments below!
Carol Umberger
I used ripe plantains and the final product doesn’t look picture pretty but oh, my word, are they good!
Christina Johnson
The “beauty” of the final product can definitely be hit or miss!! 🙂 They tend to look better when the plantains are green to start with. I agree with you, though, that they taste good no matter how they look!