Green Plantains

Tostones

In this post I'll try to explain the different between plantains and bananas, and how to cook plantains the best I can. Many people get confused when they go to the supermarketmarket and see bananas and plantains. First I'd like to point out that bananas and plantains, although in the same family, are different. By nature bananas are smaller than plantains. Yellow bananas, when ripen, are eaten raw. Green bananas are used in some Latin dishes, like pasteles, which is a popular Puerto Rican dish; they are also boiled.

Mashed TostonesFrying Green PlantainsPeeled Green PlantainsGreen Plantains

Plantains, ripe or green, are also used in many traditional Latin dishes but they must be cooked before eaten.

Ripe (yellow) plantains are used in Pastelon which is a lasagna-like type of dish--you can also boil or fry them. Mangu (mashed plantains) is a typical dish of the Dominican Republic made with boiled green plantains. Interesting enough a lot of the plantains sold here in the states come from the Dominican Republic.

Please note that Tostones made with green plantains are double fried and flatten. Tostones made with ripe plantains are neither doubled fried nor flatten.

Both green and ripen plantains, when fried, are called "tostones". Tostones Amarillos if made with ripe plantains, or just Tostones if made with green plantains. Today I will be making tostones using green plantains. By the way the word Plantains in Spanish is PLATANOS.

Some people make their Tostones huge. They cut a large plantain in just two or three pieces. I like to make my Tostones small. I cut one plantain in about six to seven pieces. You cut them the size you'd like, just be sure that when fried they are cooked well.

To accompany the tostones, I fried one egg and saute 1/2 Spanish onions. Now, this is comfort food!

Ingredients

Instructions

Peel the plantains and cut in diagonal pieces of about 3/4" thick.

In a small skillet, heat the cup of oil over low-medium heat. Drop in the pieces of plantains one by one being careful not to splash the oil.

Cook until light brown, turning over the pieces of plantains as to cook them thoroughly (for approximately 5-7 minutes depending on the heat of the oil).

Remove the pieces of plantains from the skillet.

Use a "tostonera" (a plantains flattener) to flatten each piece. After the pieces have been flatten, refry again for another minute or two. Remove from the skillet and rest the tostones over paper towels to absorb any oil.

*If you don't have a tostonera, you can flatten the pieces by laying them on a flat surface i.e. the counter top, or a cutting board, and by using the bottom of a jar or bottle to press down against the plantains until the pieces of plantains become flat.

Accompaniments

Serves 1