Rather than using all of that oil, I just sauteed my sliced plantains in a few tablespoons of melted butter until they were slightly browned/carmelized on both sides. Worked great. SO good! Love plantains! Thanks, Donna!
It is very important to use very ripe plantains for this one. These aren't tostones (fried green plantains). These are called "amarillos". Heather's picture adequately demonstrates this recipe, the other picture is showing fried green plantains, they are different. Amarillos turn out sweet, not crunchy and darker in color when compared to green. I like to use plantains with yellow and black skins or all black. You can eat them by themselves or sometimes I like to sprinkle grated parmesan on top.
My husband makes these, we all love them. You didn't mention that if they are green they need to be fried twice, flatten in the middle of cooking. Good with garlic & salt. We also slice them in circles. When very over ripe the sugars come out and caramelize. Great for breakfast.
Wow, there is so much confusion around plantains. I was looking up recipes to post pictures and a lot of people have them mixed up. I grew up with them, so lets see if I can help a bit. Ok, there is only 1 kind of plantain but there are 3 colors, depending on its age. Order is green, yellow, then black. Green is for TOSTONES, or light gold pieces that are cut into rounds, fried, mashed and fried again. They're salty. Personally I like to throw on some minced garlic on top out of a jar with some juice and a sprinkle of salt. Some people go for garlic powder instead. Then you have PLATANOS MADUROS, or ripe plantains that are used to make this sugary version. The color to make these is when your plantain is BLACK. The riper the plantain, the sweeter it is and that's the trick. It should be slightly mushy to the touch. The best way to tell if its good to fry is if, once peeled, its still got a tan color, not brown or black. In my family, we cut these at an angle. These are perfectly sweet as is, so I don't add anything extra. The last is yellow. These are usually not hard enough for tostones, and definitely not soft enough for platanos maduros so some people chop them up and boil them to eat either in or along with soups. They don't taste that good boiled so its not so popular. If it were me, I'd wait til it goes black and make these yummy sugary ones. Hope this helps!
A dear friend from Tennessee introduced my family to fried plantains years ago. We slice them into thin rounds and using a cast-iron skillet fry them up with just a few Tablespoons each of oil and butter. Seasoned with salt garlic and a squeeze of fresh lime juice they make for a great side to a variety of Caribbean and Latin-themed meals. For an addictive snack try adding a sprinkling of chili power or cayenne along with the other spices.
Fried Plantains, or "Platanitos Fritos" as they are called, are a traditional side dish in Peru as well as in many parts of South America. Why not serve yours like the Peruvians do, with a juicy steak and a generous portion of rice topped with two sunny-side-up eggs. The meal, called "Bistec a lo Pobre", offers a delicious combination of sweet and salty flavors.
I find that plantains that have turned mostly black are perfect for frying. Yum!
Great! My mother and grandmother have been making these for years! Another way to cook them is with some mozzerella cheese melted on top. (baked in the oven.) a note- these are NOT the green plantians that someone else mentioned in their review. Those are DIFFERENT. These are the yellow plantains and they should be overly ripe. enjoy!
I've made these for years and years. My sons love them with crumbled feta cheese on the slices for a salty flavor. Or sprinkle with cinnamon sugar for a sweet flavor...both ways are awesome!
