Our dining table is always covered with bowls of produce in various stages of ripeness. (Sidenote: Yes, we live in Manhattan and have a dining table! Talk about movin’ up in the world.) There are obviously bananas and avocados, but in the winter, also papayas, persimmons, and plantains. I grew up mostly eating unripe, green plantains, simmered in saucy curries until fluffy. But my husband, Ham, ate them at every stage in almost every way—boiled, roasted, grilled, and fried—and now I do, too.
Although they look a lot like a banana, plantains are always cooked before eating. When green, they are super starchy, like taro or yucca, but once fully blackened, they become sweet and soft. In cold weather, it can take weeks for a green plantain to fully ripen, so we always buy them in big bunches and eat them at the various stages of ripeness. After all that waiting, it’s finally time. Our last four plantains are fully blackened on the outside, but the flesh still feels firm through the peel. That means it’s time to fry!
Every region with plantains (from Southeast Asia, to Latin America, and throughout Africa) has a fried ripe plantain dish, with its own name and specificities. In the Philippines fried ripe plantains are sprinkled with sugar. In India, slices of ripe plantain are dipped in a rice flour batter before frying. In West Africa, fried plantains are topped with chilies and served alongside stews.
Our favorite way to enjoy them is to slice them on a bias, so you get more surface area for browning and caramelizing, and shallow fry them until deeply browned and charred in spots. In Bolivia, where Ham's mother is from, they are called platanos fritos, and in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, they are called maduros. You can serve these fried ripe plantains as a side to rice, eggs, roast meats, or stews. They offer a creamy sweet bite in between rich, savory dishes.
I usually eat them as is, as a sweet snack, sprinkled with flaky salt and a drizzle of pure maple syrup. They remind me of kolar pita, a Bangladeshi banana fritter I grew up eating, but even easier because there’s no need to mash the fruit into a batter. Don’t be afraid of cooking the pieces until they blacken. The best bits are the extra crackly edges that curl up, char, and grow super sticky and sweet.
Fried Ripe Plantains
Serve 4 | active time: 20 minutes | total time: 20 minutes
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