Whether you slice them into circles, strips, cubes or diagonal (my favorite), fried plantain hit both sweet and salty notes, and is ready in minutes!
You can find this recipe’s perfect pairings and more in my new cookbook, AfriCali: Recipes From My Jikoni.
Prep time: 5 mins
Cook time: 10 mins
1 very ripe sweet plantain
Neutral oil for frying (sunflower or canola work fine)
Salt, to taste
Peel and slice the plantain into your desired shape. I recommend diagonal slices 1/4 inch thick.
In a medium sized skillet, heat 1/4 inch of oil over medium heat.
Once oil is hot, add in one plantain to test the temperature. There should be gentle bubbles around the plantain. If the oil is smoking or it browns too quickly, lower the heat to medium-low.
Fry the remaining plantain slices in the oil, turning once golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes each side.
Remove cooked plantain and place on a plate lined with a paper towel to drain any excess oil.
Season with salt. Enjoy on their own, or as a side.
Notes:
When cooking a sweet plantain, you want to cook it when they’re very ripe, much further than you want a snacking banana. So no need to stress is you see your plantains getting a lot of spots, they're only going to be more delicious!