omg yes it's a bit annoying where there's so much good food internationally!
if you don't mind here's two recipes from South America that requires only three (3) ingredients, some knowledge of frying and cutting, and an uncommon tool that you'll never use for its intended purpose <3
Bonus points because it's cheap, gluten-free and vegan so it's super accessible
INGREDIENTS:
- Plantains
- salt
- oil used for frying
TOOLS:
- knife
- cutting board
- a crab mallet (link is a pic), alternatively you can use the bottom of a bowl or plate, but I feel like the mallet gives better control
IF THE PLANTAIN IS GREEN (aka it is UNRIPE)
Peel the plantain. Unlike bananas, plantains give a bit of a fight, so use the knife to put some notches and pull it using the back of the knife.
Cut the plantain three fingers wide (~2.5cm or 1 in)
Heat the oil (medium high) and throw the plantains in them until golden
Take them out of the oil while draining them, and place them on the cutting board facing up (aka they are not rolling around)
Using the mallet, apply just enough pressure for the plantain's skin to break and its insides spill out a bit without going fully through, as you want the plantain to stay in one piece
throw the plantains once more into the fryer, one by one so that they don't stick to each other, until the whole thing is golden
Drain them and salt them as you would fries
Congrats you have made tostones <3
Nice, golden and crunchy, they are great as sides and snacks! Also yes, you can skip the cutting altogether and make one that is just the entire plantain, as there's a dish that uses it instead of bread in sandwiches lol
IF THE PLANTAIN IS YELLOW (aka it is RIPE)
Peel the plantain. It is a lot more forgiving when ripe so there shouldn't be much issue
Cut the plantain into pieces of 0.5-1cm thick, or if you you feel extra, cut the plantain diagonally (with the same thickness
Heat the oil (medium high) and fry the plantains until golden (if they are dark gold that's fine too, that's just the sugars from the plantain caramelizing)
Take them out of the oil and drain them
(optional) add salt, or if you like feta cheese and have a block of it, shred some at the top, trust me on this
Congrats you have made fried plantain <3
The plantain's natural sweetness when ripe makes it equally as awesome for sides and snacks! This variant is also the basis for various deserts, including some cakes!
Okay Milkshake out thank you for coming to my TED Talk
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