Ingredients
Plantain
- 4ripe plantains
- neutral oil or palm oil, for frying
- a pinch of salt
To serve
- a groundnut or cassava-leaf stew
- grilled fish or meat
- rice or fufu
Directions
- Put them in a paper bag to speed it up. Cut both ends off with a knife. Score the skin lengthways along one ridge. Peel the skin away with your thumb.
- Cut them at a diagonal into thick oval slices. Aim for about one centimetre thick. Pour oil into a wide pan to a depth of one centimetre.
- Heat the oil over a medium heat. It should be hot enough that a slice sizzles at once. Lay the slices in without crowding the pan.
- Fry them for about three minutes. Do not move them while they colour. Turn them over once with tongs. Fry the other side for two or three minutes. They should be deep golden brown at the edges.
- Press one gently to check them. Lift them onto kitchen paper to drain. Salt them very lightly while they are hot. Frying in batches keeps the heat steady.
- Let the oil recover between batches. Adjust the heat if they are colouring too fast. Serving them is always done hot.
- Pile them onto a plate beside the main dish. Fry them shortly before you want to eat.
Technique
- Ripe fried plantain is known across West and Central Africa under many names, including dodo in Nigeria and alloco in Cote d’Ivoire.
- Green plantain fried the same way gives a completely different, savoury result.
Substitutions
- Palm oil gives the traditional colour and flavour, but any neutral oil works.
- Very ripe bananas are not a substitute and will fall apart in the pan.
Variations
- Alloco in Cote d’Ivoire is the same dish served with a raw onion and chilli relish.
- Green plantain fried in rounds and smashed gives tostones.
- Some cooks dust the slices with chilli powder before frying.
Frequently asked questions
What is Fried plantains?
Fried plantains is a salad & side from Central African Republic: golden plantain slices served beside stews.
How long does Fried plantains take to make?
Fried plantains takes 10 minutes of preparation and 15 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes serves 4. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Fried plantains?
Yes, within limits. Palm oil gives the traditional colour and flavour, but any neutral oil works. Very ripe bananas are not a substitute and will fall apart in the pan.
What is the most important thing to get right in Fried plantains?
Fry them for about three minutes. Do not move them while they colour. Turn them over once with tongs. Fry the other side for two or three minutes. They should be deep golden brown at the edges.
