You may have seen these before in the tropical fruit section of your grocery store. You know, where the pineapples and coconuts hang out? At first glance, it looks like a banana. But when you pick it up, you realize it’s bigger, firmer and has a thick skin. It’s not a banana-it’s a plantain.
The plantain is a starchy cousin of the banana, and all that added starch means it almost always needs to be cooked before it can be eaten. Plantains are native to Southeast Asia and Australia and they are a dietary staple in Africa, Central America, coastal South America, and the Caribbean islands.
Plantains hold a special place in my heart. As a child, I’ve had many a dinnertime battle over the last tostone (fried plantain). In fact, as much as I’ve moved around in my adult life, I always joke and say I’ll live anywhere as long as I am within a 5-mile radius of plantains.
How To Make PLANTAINS | 2 DELICIOUS Ways! 🤤😋💃🏾
Where Do Plantains Come From?
Plantains can be found all over the Caribbean and Central America, but they were not always native to these areas. Plantains are indigenous to the tropical regions of Southeast Asia. They made their way along trade routes to Africa and then were brought to the Caribbean by the Spanish and African slave traders. The plantain eventually became a staple ingredient in the Caribbean.
Read also: Experience Fad's Fine African Cuisine
Plantain cultivation in Kerala, India. Source: Wikimedia Commons
Nutritional Benefits of Plantains
Plantains are nutrient-rich, which contributes to the fruit’s many health benefits. They contain vitamin C, vitamin A and potassium.
Plantains are typically eaten when cooked, which changes the fruit’s nutritional value. Plantains are a solid source of carbohydrates but are low in fat, and they also provide a number of other health benefits.
- Potassium-Rich: Plantains are one of the most potassium-rich foods on the planet. Research has shown that potassium levels also affect skeletal and smooth muscle contraction, which allows for regular digestive and muscular function.
- High in Fiber: Fiber has a profound effect on the digestive system and plays a significant role in keeping it regular. You will likely find that fiber also makes you feel full, which can help with weight control.
- Rich in Vitamin C: A serving of plantains can provide over 35 percent of the vitamin C needed per day, making it one of the best vitamin C foods around. Vitamin C is one of the most powerful vitamins, as it has a hand in growing and repairing tissues all over the body.
- Boosts Immune System: Cells that overreact to certain foods are the root of food allergies and ultimately cause inflammation.
- Source of Vitamin B6: Vitamin B6, also called pyridoxine, generates several important neurotransmitters that carry information from one cell to another. Homocysteine levels (an amino acid linked to heart disease and nervous system damage) are also controlled by vitamin B6. This vitamin in plantains is one of the eight B vitamins that aid in processing food into energy and metabolizing fats. It works with B12 to produce red blood cells and cells in the immune system.
- Magnesium Content: Magnesium deficiency is a very common problem thanks to Western diets and depleted soil due to over-farming. From helping regulate blood pressure to preventing osteoporosis, there are many ways magnesium keeps the body healthy. It also lowers the risk of getting type 2 diabetes by controlling blood glucose levels via carbohydrate metabolism and insulin regulation.
Depending on their ripeness, plantains will also vary nutritionally, the major difference being that ripe plantains will be higher in sugar, and green plantains will be higher in starch. This starch that green plantains contain in abundance is known as resistant starch, which is a type of fiber that promotes digestive health.
Nutritional value of plantains. Source: Dr. Axe
Read also: The Story Behind Cachapas
How to Peel Plantains
Peeling a plantain is not like peeling a banana. Especially when it’s green. Let’s peel a green plantain!
You need a plantain and a paring knife.
- First, cut the ends of the plantain.
- Score the skin, trying not to cut into the flesh itself. Do this along the “seams” of the plantain, a total of 4 times.
- Then put the blade of the knife into one the “slices” and pry the skin up, like so. Again, try your best not to cut the plantain itself. Once you have pried off an entire section of the peel, you can pry the rest of the skin by lifting it and running your fingers under the skin.
The skin will come off in 4 whole pieces. Be patient your first time and try not to use your nails, because it can get nasty and it can hurt you under your nails. Trust me, I’ve made this rookie mistake. If you have trouble prying it with your fingers, just use the knife again.
Tada! You have a peeled plantain!
As a plantain ripens, its skin becomes leathery, so it’s still difficult to peel like a banana. Although a ripe one is easier to peel than a green one, it’s still best to follow the same steps above.
Read also: Techniques of African Jewellery
Step-by-step guide to peeling a plantain. Source: The Noshery
How to Tell If a Plantain Is Ripe
Many people think a ripe plantain is a plantain that has gone bad, but that’s when they are their sweetest! A ripe plantain is best when it’s mostly black with a little yellow, and still slightly firm to the touch, like when you squeeze a peach. Although completely black plantains are still good to eat, they are a little too soft, making them difficult to prepare. But they’re still delicious.
It’s usually hard to find ripe ones at the grocery store. Typically, plantains have to be purchased green and left to ripen on the counter. Depending on the time of year and temperature, they can take anywhere from a few days to a week to ripen. If you’re in search of ripe plantains, your best bet would be your local Asian or Latin market.
How to Eat Plantains
The question should be how not to eat a plantain! There are many, many ways to eat a plantain and it all depends on where it lands on the ripeness scale. This is why I affectionally call it “the incredible edible plantain.”
The simplest preparation for plantains, green or ripe, is fried. When green, they are very starchy and are best served as tostones, which are twice-fried plantains. They can also be thinly sliced and fried to make chips. As they ripen, the starches turn into sugars, and when fried, the sugars caramelize and create sweet crispy edges.
What Do Plantains Taste Like?
As I’ve mentioned before, my favorite is tostones-crispy on the outside and starchy on the inside, kind of like french fries. I like to dip my tostones in fry sauce. Ripe plantains are sweet like a banana, without the banana flavor. They can be eaten raw but are best when fried. The edges caramelize and become crispy like the edges of pancakes cooked in butter. Those edges are my favorite! I love to pair fried sweet plantains with a side of beans and rice.
Plantain chips make a great crispy snack. When I was in high school, I used to order a bag of plantain chips and a cold Malta for my afternoon snack. Best snack ever. So grab some plantains and trying your hand at making plantain chips! I’ve included a recipe here for garlic-flavored chips, but they’re equally wonderful with a simple sprinkle of salt or lime zest, cayenne, or chili powder.
Plantain Recipes
Here are some delicious and healthy plantain recipes to try:
- Black Bean and Plantain Bowls with Mango Pico: A delicious Caribbean-inspired dish, packed with Daily Dozen ingredients.
- Baked Mariquitas (healthy plantain chips): Plantain chips are the perfect snack.
- Air Fryer Tostones: This recipe comes from a fellow dietitian so you know I had to share it!
- Mangú: Mangú is a Dominican plantain mash typically served at breakfast. You typically boil plantains to make mangú, meaning mangú is typically pretty low fat.
- Aguají (Green plantain soup): This green plantain soup pairs plantains with leafy green vegetables in a light broth.
- Plantain frittata: An omelet and/or frittata with plantain is a classic Cuban dish! This plantain frittata isn’t exactly like a Cuban tortilla de platano (plantain omelet), but it’s a similar concept!
- Plantain piñon: Think of this like a lasagna made from plantains (pastelón is a similar dish). Pairing plantains with beef makes for a very hearty, filling meal.
- Mofongo con camarones: While some people are scared of mofongo because it’s fried, when you pair the fiber in plantains with a protein like shrimp, you can have a relatively balanced meal!
- Ceviche in plantain cups: Plantains make a great appetizer, especially when paired with this light and refreshing ceviche.
- Tatale (African Plantain Pancakes): Tatale is a classic Ghanaian dish traditionally made with overripe plantains, flour, cornmeal, and spices like ginger, onions, and hot pepper.
Tatale (African Plantain Pancakes). Source: African Bites
Recipe: Black Bean and Plantain Bowls with Mango Pico
This dish is a delicious Caribbean-inspired meal packed with flavor and nutrition.
Ingredients:
- 1 large plantain, peeled and sliced
- ½-1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cup cooked black beans
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 cup cooked quinoa
- 1-2 cups shredded kale
- ½ lime, juiced
Mango Pico:
- 1 mango, peeled and chopped
- ½ lime, juiced
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- ¼ cup chopped red onion
- 1 teaspoon cumin
Instructions:
- Heat oven to 375°F and place the sliced plantain on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Sprinkle the plantains with cinnamon. Bake for 15 minutes, flipping once halfway through.
- Meanwhile, combine the black beans with the garlic powder and 1 teaspoon cumin. Heat until warm on stove top. Add a few tablespoons of water to keep them from getting too dry.
- Combine the shredded kale with the juice from half of a lime and massage it into the kale for 2-3 minutes. Set aside.
- Make the mango pico by combining the mango, lime juice, pepper, onion, and cumin.
- To serve: split the cooked quinoa between two bowls and top with the beans, plantains, kale, and pico.
Plantain Preparation Based on Ripeness
Plantains are eaten at all stages of ripeness (green through black), making them very versatile:
- Green Plantains: Starchy and potato-like, best for tostones or chips.
- Ripe Plantains: Soft and sweet, taste more like a conventional banana, ideal for frying or baking.
Unlike bananas, plantains are typically eaten cooked, often either fried or boiled.
Additional Uses of the Plantain Plant
In addition to the fruit, other parts of the plantain tree can be consumed and even used therapeutically, too.
- Flour made from plantain peel is a very good source of antioxidant dietary fiber and can be used to make cookies.
- Plantain flowers are commonly used as food in countries like Vietnam, Laos and the Philippines.
- Plantain leaves have many practical uses, as they are larger and stronger than banana leaves.
- Plantain shoots are also harvested after the fruit. The layers of the plant can be removed like an onion and chopped, which are then added to salads and can be used to make wet or dry curries.
The juice from the shoot is also known by locals to help with ailments like snake bites, kidney stones and stomach ulcers.
Whether you prefer them green and savory or ripe and sweet, plantains offer a world of culinary possibilities and nutritional benefits. Experiment with these recipes and enjoy the incredible versatility of this amazing fruit!
