Plantains are closely related to bananas, but they’re an entirely different fruit used for cooking, not eating out of hand. Larger than bananas, they have lengthwise ridges. They are usable when green, yellow or fully ripe and black, so if you buy a green bunch at the market there are recipes for every stage.
Green plantains are commonly sliced either cross-wise or in long strips and deep fried to make crisp chips. They are boiled baked, and fried, with various additions and fillings to make main dishes or desserts.
Yellow mature plantains are medium ripe, and sweeter, and are used in the same recipes as green plantains but with sweeter results.
Black over-ripe plantains, ones which look like they should be tossed, are opened up, sliced either cross-wise or length-wise and fried to create soft, sweet banana-y confections that are hard to resist. See image.
Below are some Belizean platano recipes, courtesy of Millie Martinez, who cooks for local B&Bs, and for special occasions in our kitchens. She helps make the visuals for this website’s Belizean recipes and customs.
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TOSTONES – big, thick, crispy plantain chips
Ingredients:
2 platanos, vegetable oil for deep frying
Salt or consommé powder, other seasonings if desired
Peel and cut platanos into 2” pieces and fry in hot oil a few minutes to soften them. Drain.
Place a platano piece on end in a sandwich-size plastic bag.
Put a cutting board, comal, or even a book on the bag and press hard until the slice is squashed into a 3” disk.
Season with salt or chicken consommé, and sprinkle on pepper, curry, cumin, or other spice if you wish.
Some recipes suggest dipping the patty into salted water, but if you do, watch out for splatter when you put it into the oil.
Fry in hot oil until golden brown and crispy, turning occasionally.
Remove and drain.
When cool, put into plastic bag and close tightly to keep tostones crisp.
Eat hot or cold.
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PLANTAIN EMPANADAS (Empanada de Platano con Queso)
Ingredients:
2 large plantains (platanos in Spanish). Either green or yellow is okay. Yellow is sweeter.
1 cup of grated cheese or chopped/ground precooked meat, a mix of vegetables (cabbage, carrot, etc.).
2” of frying oil in pot over heat (or fry in a pat of butter – or bake in oven).
Peel and cut platanos to fit into a pot.
Cook about 10 minutes in 1½ cup water. Drain.
Cool down and mash like potatoes.
Grate cheese to make about 1 cup shredded, or use chopped or ground precooked meat or veggies.
Moisten your hands then flatten a tennis-ball-sized amount of mashed platano in one hand.
Spoon cheese or meat filling onto the center of patty.
Fold over and pinch patty edges together to seal.
Drop into oil and fry until golden, turning occasionally.
Drain.
Eat hot. Platano empanadas are slightly sweet, nice with either savory or sweet fillings. These are good spread with sour cream as a main dish or with jam to make a dessert.
Alternate cooking methods:
Fry in a pat of butter or margarine OR bake at 400° on cookie sheet for about 15 minutes, then flip and bake 15 minutes or until golden.
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