Sweet Fried Plantains (Platanos Fritos)

Plantains are very popular around the world but they are especially popular in El Salvador. My dad was from El Salvador. He took me to visit once when I was around 3. I do not remember much of that trip but according to dad, I was loving life! The funniest story he ever told me was when he caught me dragging a poor duckling around by its neck trying to show it off as my new pet to everyone. Thankfully, that duckling survived but I am sure I scared it quite a bit!

My dad sadly passed away about 6 years ago. I honestly don’t talk much about it. I was the biggest daddys girl so it definitely hit hard. But this won’t be a sad post! Promise. Dad was a lot of fun and I am very much like him. I got my love for food from mom but my love for Disney and travel definitely comes from Dad! He was a cross country truck driver and summer trips were always fun as a kid!… By the way, I want to give an absolute shout out to all those truck drivers during 2020. Absolutely thankful for each and every one of them. As someone who witness the very long tiring nights of driving and knowing how hard it is to leave family members behind, I am very thankful for those trucks arriving at our local grocery stores during the pandemic of 2020!

Now, let me tell you about sweet fried plantains…

The Perfect Plantains

The best type of plantain for this recipe is known as maduros. Maduros are a sweeter take on plantains in which they are very ripe, dark plantains. No, they did not go bad, they simply got even more delicious.

Bananas vs Plantains

First of all, no, Plantains are not the same as Bananas. But they are cousins! Plantains are larger, starchy and have less sugar than a banana. Plantains also have a dry texture, whereas ripe bananas are smooth and creamy. Most importantly, plantains retain their shape after cooking, whereas bananas tend to become mushy and fall apart when cooked. If you were to substitute one for the other in a recipe, you would definitely figure out the difference real quick.

Now time to start cooking…

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Ingredients

• 2 very ripe plantains
• Oil for frying

DIRECTIONS

1. In a frying pan, heat oil over medium heat.
2. Peel plantains and cut into long slices. Add to the frying pan.
3. Cook on each side until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes. Plantains tend to cook very quickly, so make sure to keep an eye on them and flip before they burn.
4. Remove from the oil into a plate covered with a paper towel to remove excess grease.
5. Serve warm with delicious Salvadorian cream (see above picture) and Moms Black Beans!