How to make Fried Plantains (Step by Step Picture Tutorial)

I'll be starting a series of posts that are geared mainly to the beginner. Whether this is your first time cooking or your second attempt after a failed try, these posts will help you learn the very basics of cooking.

There's nothing to be ashamed of if you can't fry plantains or cook rice or make eba/garri. The first thing started off learning when I started cooking was how to boil rice. It sounds easy now, but back then, it was trial and error. As are a lot of things with cooking, sometimes you'll make something and it just turns out awful, no harm done, it's simply a lesson learned and I'm sure the next time you make it, it'll be better than the first.

That said, the first post of the series would be on how to fry plantains. Plantains are very similar to bananas, only that they're usually bigger and are only eaten cooked. You can either fry, boil or roast them. I'll feature those in upcoming posts.

To make fried plantains, here's what you'll need:

1 or 2 ripe plantains (in this case, I used one)
Deep fryer
5 cups Canola oil
Pinch of salt

Pre-heat oil in deep fryer
Wash your plantain
Cut off the tips at both ends
Using a knife, slice down the back of the plantain (where it curves is the inside part)
Peel off the skin of the plantain
Start slicing diagonally (the plantain in your left hand, knife if your right and slice or vice versa if you're left handed)
Finish slicing plantain
Sprinkle salt over plantain
Add 1/2 tsp water (I simply rinse my hands & whatever is left on my hands I drizzle onto plantains)
Toss sliced plantains so they're coated
Add sliced plantains to hot oil
Let fry till golden brown
Voila!
*When removing from pan, put some paper towel on a plate to drain excess oil*

Serve hot/warm alone or with jollof rice, beans etc or serve with eggs for breakfast. They are usually served as a side dish, but I love eating them alone with some meat stew or chicken stew or even egusi soup.

If you choose not to deep fry, you can also shallow pan fry it, just add enough oil to cover most of the plantains. You also don't have to cut it in the same manner, to make it go further, you can divide the plantain into two (cut down the center) and you get twice the amount or you can also dice it if you wish (this works moreso for medium to large parties)

The plantain used in this demonstration just ripened. I usually prefer mine like this, but you can also wait for them to ripen up a bit more.

If you have unripe plantains and can't wait for them to ripen, simply wrap them up in an old cloth, tie it up in a plastic bag and store it somewhere dark for a couple of days, checking every other day or so, to see if it's ripe, some might ripen before others.

You can also get creative and slice the plantains as you wish, totally up to you and your knife!

Enjoy...