Plantains: the Other, Other Vegetable
I’m going to go ahead and count today as my first time time cooking with plantains.
(I’m smiling in the photo, but am also a little afraid)
Cooking with Plantains
Ok, so there was the one Mexican party we threw when I made an awesome slow-cooked chicken and plantain dish… but that was years ago.
And there was also two weeks ago, when I decided to use a plantain as the “banana” in my banana-egg-chia pancake. Don’t ever, ever do that. The trash can thought it was delicious 😉
So. Plantains.
They kind of look like giant bruised bananas. If they’re cooked the right way, they can taste amaaaaaazing, but if they’re not cooked the right way (or even worse: not cooked at all), they have a little bit of a hard time being palatable.
Over the past couple of years, I’ve noticed a huge increase in plantain popularity, especially around the blogwebs. Why is this? It’s because plantains are technically considered vegetables, despite their fruity appearance. (This is where the Paleo folks rejoice and stock up on the sweet veggie.)
What are Plantains?
A little bit about plantains:
-Plantains contain more starch and less sugar than a banana and are intended to be consumed after cooking. They’re especially popular in Latin American and African cuisine, and especially lovely fried or baked with cinnamon. They can also be grilled.
-Think of a plantain more like a sweet potato than a banana. They make a nice starchy side dish and can be sweet or savory.
-Plantains fruit all year, and are an excellent source of Vitamins A, C and potassium.
-The plantain is at its ripest and sweetest point when the skin is black. When the skin is green, it is more starchy and less sweet. Medium ripeness is a yellowish skin with black spots.
Baked Plantains
Today, I decided to stick with the classic. I peeled the plantains, cut them on a diagonal, and baked for 30 minutes at 350 after topping with coconut oil, salt and pepper.
An awesome, crunchy afternoon snack:
Recipe ideas:
–Coconut rice with black beans, plantains and mango salsa
-Plantain and sweet potato mash
Have you tried plantains? Any favorite dishes or awesome recipes?
Any kitchen fails lately? 🙂
Hope you’re having a wonderful day! <3
xoxo
Gina
77 Comments
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Purely Twins’s easy plantain bread. It is so good!
The only time I’ve ever liked Plantains was on a cruise a few years back. It was crispy, almost like a chip, and it was a garnish on top of macadamia crusted mahi mahi. So. Good!
I tried to make plantains once when I was about 21 and had no idea how to cook. I’d heard that you could soften them in the microwave? Bad move. I tried to save the dish a few different ways but only wound up setting off the smoke detector.
My grandma usually put a ripe plantain in the microwave (i think for 2 minutes) and then eat it (before she used to eat fried plantain) and it’s delicious with condensed milk and little sugar or just alone 😉
Plantains are the best! Love them roasted in the oven with coconut and cinnamon!
I’ve actually never cooked with plantains before — I should probably change that 🙂
Yum! I love plantains. Trader Joes sells plantain chips (which are so addictive) but I bet your recipe is much healthier. 🙂 Thanks!
i’ll check them out! 🙂
omg TJ’s plaintain chips are sooo addictive! I love that they aren’t fried like other plaintain chips.
Can’t wait to try this!
I second the trader joe’s plantain chips! very delicious and very addictive!
i’ll have to try those!
I love plantains. I eat them all the time, where I am from Plantains are a staple just like water. We bake, fry and boil them and we make them into a dessert. Its called Plantain Tarts.
Its funny I had plantains for lunch today, love them.
plantain tarts sound awesome!!
yum! I’ve never had plantains before, but I’m so intrigued now!
they’re good! kind of like potatoes 🙂
Thanks for this! I always see them in the grocery store next to my fave, bananas, but they kind of scare me too! Was your baked plantain sweet or salty? Or both? I’ve gotta try 🙂
I’ve wanted to try using plantains in some of the sweet baked recipes that the Purely Fit Twins post (like their Snickerdoodle Skillet Cake). I’m so curious!
I have never tried plantains. I have seen many recipes all over the blog world Involving plantains but I have never took the plunge and tried cooking with them myself. Maybe soon!
Now I want plantains, but we have snow storm coming and there is no way I am going any where near the grocery store. I’ll have to remember for once we dig out.
If you want your plaintains to be crisper, you can always crush them halfway through cooking, that is how tostones are made. You can buy a tostonera to make sure you don’t crush them too much but mine recently broke so I used two plates & that method worked pretty well too.
Do they taste like bananas? The chips look great but I don’t like bananas so I’m a bit nervous to try them!
there is nothing worse than eating a plantain when you think you’re eating a banana. I think the comparison to a sweet potato is pretty accurate, they can taste good but not in a fruity banana way. I like the idea of roasting them.
Since moving from Florida to North Carolina, one of the things I miss MOST is real Cuban food, and fried plantains in particular, yum!
Plantains are my favorite! I used to travel to Honduras a lot for work a few years ago and they were served with every meal. Yum!
I love sauteing plantains in coconut oil and cinnamon then topping with coconut butter. So good!
I’ve started using plantains more..they are a tricky beast. I also found them hard to peel…did you have that issue?
Cut off the end (or both ends if you want) & carefully make three cuts lengthwise down the plaintain thru the rind & then they peel easily. Just make sure to not be heavy handed with the knife or you will cut throught the plaintain itself. 🙂
This wasn’t technically a kitchen fail, but yesterday I learned that if you make roasted chickpeas, split them up into baggies, but don’t eat the last baggie for a little over a week, said chickpeas taste like full blown sadness. SOOO GROOSSSSSSS! I know for next time! 😉
Yum, I love plantains. But I only eat them at restaurants. I guess I never even think of buying them! A local place here makes awesome burrito bowls with rice, black beans, sweet potatoes, veggies, salsa, etc and my favorite one has plantains in them.
I think the only time I’ve tried a plantain it was raw… Your post has given me confidence to eat one the way it was meant to be consumed: cooked! Also – are you caught up with Downton Abbey??
I would love to try to work plantains into healthy dishes. i have only ever had them, as you described, fried with brown sugar and cinnamon and, while delicious, I’m certain they were awful in the nutrition facts department. Thanks for the recipe suggestions!
i loooovvveee plantains.
favorite combo:
bacon, plantains (sauteed in grass fed butter), salt, grassfed beef. delish!
I love plantains! I first had them when I went backpacking through Costa Rica as a part of their typical breakfast. I make them all the time now in a variety of ways!
Trata de hacer chapo (smoothie)
1) platanos maduros cocinandos
2) liquiadora
Pon tus platanos maduros cocinandos en tu licuadora. Cuando Estes licuando tus maduros agrega tantita agua del mismo platano cocinado. Y te lo tomas es bien Rico! Eso es bien popular en la selva del Peru
Plantain Banana Bread!
http://www.hungrygatorgal.com/2013/07/plantain-banana-bread.html
Those look delicious! When I was travelling in Costa Rica, they served plantains with almost every meal. My favourite were deep fried and served with a sort of bean dip..not the healthiest but so, so good. I’ll have to try them this way.
I love plantains! I made an awesome plantain taco where I sauteed the plantains in coconut oil with different spices (basically taco spices) and had them with spiced beans, tomatoes, salsa, a little cheese, and a chipotle sauce. Soooo good….
That sounds outta control amazing
Love the nail polish, would you mind sharing the color?
I love plantains! Grilled as a dessert with cinnamon, seasalt and healthy chocolate sauce. Soooo good.
The first time I tried plantains was on my honeymoon in Barbados. We had them as chips, we had them grilled, we had them sauteed. I really enjoy them! I had no idea they’re considered a vegetable! I’m definitely inspired to try them out now!
Plantains are the best! I recently experimented by buying one of every ‘ripeness’ from green to nearly black – all great and so versatile! Great recipes there, I’m off to see what I’m making with them next!
When I saw plantains hit the blog web especially the delish recipes Purely Twins have come up with I have spent the better part of 2013 searching all over Thailand for them. Now you would think because bananas and plantains are tropical I would be able to easily find plantains but I have not been able to! Maybe one day I will too be a plantain lover! xo C
I was at a health eduction fair once, and I had brought a bunch of fruit and veggies that are not as popular. I had never really tried plantain before so I just cut it up and put it in a bowl. When people started to come through my booth no one was touching the plantain, then this one super nice guy decided to try it. Yeah, I felt so bad!!!! Every time I hear the word plantain I just think of his face!
I think I am going to give your recipes a try though! They sound awesome!
Oh no!! Haha
Following a paleo/primal diet has me missing snacking on chips! My favorite plantain food so far is the chips. It’s a “once in a while” treat, but they fill my chip void.
Yum – those roasted plaintains look so tasty. I’ve never cooked with them but now I’d like to try. I did buy a bunch of ‘baby bananas’ last week at the store, which can be cooked or eaten raw.
Wow that looks really good! I’m always looking for more veggie snacks\side dishes. I’ve converted to Paleo about 6 months ago so I’m excited to try this. Thanks for the post!
I have never even touched a plantain…they always intimidated me. I think that will have to change, though, seeing as those recipes look divine. 🙂
You can also try it southern Indian style:) I use the green bananas that remind me of my Cuban relatives use for Tostones! Heat up some oil with some mustard seeds, once the mustard seeds are heated and pop you add red onion, curry leaves and a chille. You saute them and add salt, black pepper and a pinch a turmeric. I have attached another site with another recipe- YUM:)
http://www.cookingandme.com/2008/01/vazha-pindi-thoranbanana-steam-cooked.html
I can’t wait to try this!!
Plantains sauteed in coconut oil, make a delicious side dish to black beans and rice with pico de gallo! Ricisisimo!!
Also, if you wait until the plaintains are almost completely black on the outside, they will be a lot tastier in say a chia pancake, or plantain muffins or bread. You can just peel them, put them in the food processor, blend them up and then get your bake on!
Awesome tip- thank you! Even though I’m afraid to try again
Heading to the airport tomorrow and I think these would make a GREAT snack to bring along. However I’ve never eaten one before… so that is assuming I like the taste 😉
Thanks for the great idea!
You’ve inspired me to give plantains a try! I’ve been so intrigued after seeing them on Purely Twins and StuftMama so many times. Just put it on my grocery list!
We use a lot of plantains in Indian cuisine especially Southern India. So growing up I had lots of curries made with plantains. I love the plantain chips made with coconut oil (available in most Indian grocery shops) and also plantain fry.
My best friend is Puerto Rican and makes Tostones, she said in Puerto Rico its what McDonalds serves as a side instead of french fries. To make them you cut diagonally in thin strips and fry in oil until lightly brown. Drain and then use a tostone flatener (two pieces of wood with a hinge in the middle) and flatten them out a bit more, then refry until brown. Serve with the special sauce. Special sauce is made from about 8 cloves of garlic pressed, equal parts mayo and ketchup, and some adobo seasoning. Its one of the most unhealthiest things to eat but its seriously amazing!!!
That sounds AMAZING
thanks sweetie for the recipe link love 🙂 xo
and yay for plantains, we are obsessed with them! eat them just about every day 😉
so happy you tried them out and liked them!!
Ill think of you girls every time I cook one!
I’m currently addicted to the roasted plantain chips from Trader Joes!