Why mess with perfection? This was the question I found myself asking as I prepared this recipe for spiced sweet plantains: how could I possibly improve on good old fried plantains?
We used to eat fried plantains, or “maduros,” all the time growing up. My mom didn’t make them, but we did eat insane amounts of the Caribbean take-out so plentiful in Florida. For me, there’s no other food that tops fried plantains. Not even ice cream. Heartier than a dessert, firmer than a banana, a little caramelized on the outside, but melty on the inside. Somehow they go with both black beans and brown sugar…hungry yet?
Pre-COVID, I was making maduros about three times a week, for literally any meal. Then I saw a recipe for spiced plantains in Flavor by Yotam Ottolenghi and Ixta Belfrage. I loved how their recipe built on the versatile flavor palate of the plantains. I knew I’d have to try it with my own plantain whose peel was starting to look like shoe leather.
When is a plantain ripe?
This is the question that seems the hardest for most to answer. After all, if I saw a banana that looked like the above picture, I’d throw it in the compost pile. However, looks can be deceivingly delicious. The plantain in the picture is fully ripe. When you make sweet plantains they should look like this–all black or only a little yellow. If your plantain is green, sorry, you’re gonna be stuck with tostones, which are delicious but definitely not the same thing.
Recipe for spiced sweet plantains
In the original recipe, you fry the plantains and then stick them in the oven for three minutes. But, no, that was bit too fussy for me. Besides my favorite pan isn’t oven-safe. I just cut the plantain into bite-sized pieces and added a tad more oil so the plantains would cook all the way through on the stovetop.
The other major change I made was omitting the cumin. Eh, I wasn’t so sure about that. Spicy and sweet I could do, in the form of cayenne and sugar, but cumin was a little too savory for me. Add some if you so dare!
Although I usually like plantains with sour cream, I found that these were just perfect with a squeeze of lime to bring out the flavors–you won’t want to skimp on that part!
Regardless of how you make it, I hope you enjoy this plantain dish–and remember that there is certainly more than one way to make the perfect plantain!
Spiced Sweet Plantains with Lime
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 7 minutes
- Total Time: 17 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
A tangy, spicy twist on fried sweet plantains.
Ingredients
- 1 large, fully ripe plantain
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- pinch salt
- 2 tablespoons butter or coconut oil
- 1 lime for serving
- sour cream for serving
Instructions
- Cut off the very top and the very bottom of the plantain. Score your plantain, just through the skin, from top to bottom. Repeat once more, then easily peel the skin off.
- Cut the plantain on a diagonal into ½-inch pieces.
- Add the olive oil, sugar, ginger, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, nutmeg, and salt to a small bowl. Add the plantain pieces and toss to coat. Let sit for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, heat a medium, ceramic saucepan to medium heat. Add the butter or coconut oil. When hot, add the plantains and all of the marinade. They should bubble right away when added.
- The plantains are ready to flip when the bottoms become a dark golden. Flip to the other side and fry until golden.
- Remove from the pan and set on a plate. You may want to pat with a paper towel to get rid of the excess oil.
- Serve hot with lime wedges and sour cream.
Notes
Adapted from Flavor by Yotam Ottolenghi and Ixta Belfrage.
Keywords: plantain, spices, vegetarian, vegan, comfort food, tropical food, Caribbean food
