Learn how to cook plantains or Ghanaian-inspired kelewele. The sweet and savory plantains marinate before frying in a skillet until perfectly caramelized, golden brown on the outside, and tender on the inside.
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
Plantains are indigenous to Southeast Asia, but the tasty dish traveled along trade routes. There are delicious recipes for plantains in Latin America, Africa, and the Caribbean. They are a perfect side dish, appetizer, or snack with dipping sauce. In Ghana, the smell of kelewele (pronounced ‘kaylay-waylay’) fills the streets of Accra and other cities as a popular snack sold by street vendors.
Plantains vs. Bananas – What’s the Difference?
Plantains may look like bananas, and while they are genetically similar, they have many differences. You can eat bananas raw or cooked, but plantains are starchy, so you want to cook them before digging in. They can be air fried, boiled, baked, sautéed, or fried.
- Size: Plantains are often larger than bananas.
- Flavor: Raw or cooked bananas are soft and sweet. On the other hand, only cooked and ripe plantains are sweet. Otherwise, plantains have a mild squash-like or potato-like flavor.
- Appearance: There are green and yellow plantains, and they have a tough peel and are typically less curved than bananas.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Plantains: Select ripe plantains since they are sweeter and will caramelize as they cook in a skillet.
- Oil or Ghee: Use neutral oil with a high smoking point or ghee to fry the plantains.
- Marinade: Flavor the plantains with a sweet and spicy marinade brimming with shallots, fresh ginger, lemon juice, and warm spices like cayenne powder, ground nutmeg, salt, black pepper, and a crushed Maggie bouillon cube.
Additions and Substitutions
The marinade and spices to flavor the plantains vary depending on the region and the recipe you’re preparing. For instance, plátanos only require oil and a little salt. But for this kelewele recipe, I use West African ingredients.
- Fat: Coconut Oil, Butter, Avocado Oil
- Sweetener: Vanilla Extract, Honey, Coconut Sugar, Agave Nectar, Brown Sugar, or White Sugar
- Spices: Puree scotch bonnets and other chiles into a marinade for spicy fried plantains.
Prepare Plantains for Cooking
Step 1: Score the plantain from end to end.
Step 2: Remove the peel from the plantain.
Step 3: Slice the plantains in half diagonally.
Step 4: Cut the plantain slices in half.
How to Cook Plantains
Plantains are starchy and low in sugar, so they maintain their shape as they cook. Because of their similarities, prepare plantains in various ways, similar to potatoes. They are fried, steamed, boiled and mashed, baked, and grilled. Cut the plantains into cubes and add them to soup, mash them with butter, fry them into chips, or bake them for dessert.
1. Fried
Step 1: Add plantains to a mixing bowl with the marinade ingredients and toss to combine. Cover and set aside at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
Step 2: Warm the oil or ghee in a non-stick skillet or cast-iron skillet over medium heat.
Arrange the plantain slices in a single layer, but do not overcrowd the pan. Fry the slices for 2-3 minutes per side.
Step 3: Use a slotted spoon to remove them from the oil and set them on a plate lined with paper towels or a wire rack. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
Tostones are another great way to enjoy fried plantains. All you have to do is peel and cut them at a diagonal. Fry them in oil or ghee until partially cooked, and smash them flat. Continue cooking until they are golden brown and crispy.
2. Steamed or Boiled
Prepare the plantains like regular or sweet potatoes. You can peel and slice the plantains, and add them to savory stews such as beef and chickpea stew. Or consider steaming and mashing them with butter or olive oil.
3. Baked
Arrange unpeeled plantains on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicon mat. Bake them for about 1 hour in an oven heated to 425ºF (218ºC). Remove them from the oven and let them cool before removing the peel. Once cooked, slice the plantains, boil them, or mash them with spices and other ingredients.
Alternatively, slice the plantains and bake them with apples, sweet potatoes, and squash.
Prepare plantain chips in the oven by preheating the oven to 350ºF (177ºC). Thinly slice the plantain chips with a sharp knife or mandolin before tossing them lightly in oil. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and arrange the plantain slices onto it. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the edges turn golden brown. You can also make air fried plantain chips.
4. Grilled
Start by peeling the plantains and brushing them with oil. Place them oil-side-down on a prepared grill. Cook them for 4-6 minutes, basting them with oil as needed. Flip, and continue grilling until they are golden brown and tender. Sprinkle the finished plantains with salt, Slap Ya Mama seasoning, sugar, and other spices and seasonings.
How to Choose Plantains
When choosing plantains, gently squeeze them to check for ripeness; ripe plantains will yield slightly to pressure, similar to a ripe banana. Avoid the ones that are too firm or mushy.
Green plantains are unripe and firm, ideal for frying and boiling, as they hold their shape well as they cook. Yellow plantains or yellow with brown or black spots are ripe and have a slightly sweet flavor, perfect for baking and to use in sweeter plantain recipes like kelewele since they will caramelize as they saute in a pan.
Use ripe plantains in recipes that call for plantains to be mashed or cooked quickly. The best way to prepare black or very dark brown plantains that are overripe is to include them in plantain bread and other desserts.
Ripe plantains can be hard to find in grocery stores, but you can ripen them at home. If you have the time, let the plantains sit at room temperature for one to two weeks, or speed up the process by placing them in a brown paper bag. They should ripen within 4-5 days.
Pair the side dish with one of these tasty dinner recipes!
How to Serve Plantains
Depending on how you prepare plantains, they are a tasty addition to soup, stews, and sauces. You can bake or fry them to serve alongside meat entrees like carnitas, red red, ropa vieja, arroz con pollo, Jamaican chicken fricassee, Peruvian chicken, black beans, or blackened mahi mahi. Or you can slice them thin to eat the plantain chips as a snack with dips such as chipotle lime sauce, BBQ aioli, serrano crema, Caribbean hot sauce, or lemon dill aioli.
How to Cook Plantains
- 2-3 plantains, sliced ½ inch and cut in half
- ¼ cup oil
- lemon juice, ½ lemon
- ½ shallot, finely diced
- 2 – inch fresh ginger, finely minced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 Maggie bouillon cube, crushed
- Add plantains to a mixing bowl with the marinade ingredients and toss to combine. Cover and set aside at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
- Warm the oil or ghee in a non-stick skillet or cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Arrange the plantain slices in a single layer, but do not overcrowd the pan. Fry the slices for 2-3 minutes per side.Tip: You may need to work in batches, depending on the size of the pan.
- Use a slotted spoon to remove them from the oil and set them on a plate lined with paper towels or a wire rack. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
- Score the plantain from end to end.
- Remove the peel from the plantain.
- Cut the plantains in half diagonally.
- Cut the plantain slices in half.
- The nutritional information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for professional advice.
Sara
Friday 26th of May 2023
The caramelized and crispy texture was pure perfection.
Daniel Reynolds
Friday 26th of May 2023
Wow! These fried plantains took me back to my time in Ghana. The marination process with shallots, ginger, lemon juice, and warm spices made all the difference in bringing out the authentic flavors. The crispy exterior and tender interior made it a delightful snack. Thank you for sharing this amazing recipe!
Jennifer K.
Monday 13th of February 2023
I made these kelewele for the first time and they were a hit! The combination of sweet plantains and warm spices is so delicious. I'll definitely be making these again and again.
Priscille
Sunday 16th of October 2022
I've never had plantains with a flavor like this. 10/10
Tressa Jamil
Sunday 16th of October 2022
It's always fun to experiment with new flavors!