Fried Sweet Plantains

Fried sweet plantains are the popular and favourite side dish in many African or Caribbean homes. It can also be used as a snack. This side dish goes perfectly well with roasted fish, chicken, or any kind of meat. It can also be used to eat certain stews or soups, like Ndole, fried vegetables, and so on… This snack is crispy externally, soft inside, and sweet in the mouth. Children can’t have enough of this snack, they just love it.

What is the difference between plantain and banana?

The plantain also “Cooking banana” is a fruit in the same family as the banana. Some people have difficulty differentiating them. Here are some points to help you make the difference between them:

• Plantain has more starch and less sugar than bananas, that is the reason why they are usually cooked or processed into flour.
• Plantain is larger in size than bananas
• Plantain’s skin is thicker than a banana’s skin
• Ripe plantain can be cooked and used as a side dish whereas ripe banana is eaten raw as a fruit
• Ripe banana is sweeter than ripe plantain

How ripe should the plantain be for frying?

To answer this question you need to define what you want to do with the fried plantain. If you need them just as a side dish or snack, then the plantain should be soft and firm, and the peel should be yellow (see picture below). If you need them to cook a meal like Poulet DG, then plantain should be slightly soft and the skin slightly yellow.

How to prepare the plantain for frying?

The preparation process starts by peeling the plantain. To do that, you just need to cut the skin of the plantain from top to bottom using a knife. Then use your hand to remove the skin from the plantain. After that, you can cut the plantain in your desired shape. The picture below shows you 3 different shapes you can cut your plantains into.

After cutting the plantains it is time to fry them. For that purpose use a large frying pan and pour vegetable oil or any other frying oil into it. Heat oil at a medium level. To test the level of the heat put one slice of plantain carefully into the oil. If the oil bubbles in contact with the plantain, then the heat is right for frying. If not, wait for a few more minutes and test again. In case the oil is too hot, reduce the heat to the lowest level and wait for a few minutes, then test again.

Feel free to share this recipe with your family and friends. It will also be a great pleasure for me to see a picture of your own creation. Let’s keep in touch by following me on Youtube, Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook.