{"id":13297,"date":"2020-06-17T01:30:00","date_gmt":"2020-06-17T06:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.slimmingeats.com\/blog\/?p=13297"},"modified":"2024-01-02T11:06:44","modified_gmt":"2024-01-02T16:06:44","slug":"baked-sweet-plantain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.slimmingeats.com\/blog\/baked-sweet-plantain","title":{"rendered":"Oven Baked Sweet Plantain"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Baked Sweet Plantain - a yummy sweet and savoury side dish using ripe plantain and seasoning. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Oven-Baked Sweet Plantain<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Have you tried plantain yet? No? then you really must. Plantains are a delicious ingredient that can have great flavour when coated with some favourite seasonings to enhance whatever main dish you are serving them with. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I regularly add one or two to my shopping cart whenever I spot some, not always available but usually pretty cheap when they are. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plantain is also more savoury or sweet depending on the colour of its skin. Pure green skin being more savoury, yellow with black spots being sweeter. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is Plantain?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

So you may be wondering What exactly is Plantain? Isn't it just a banana, because it sure looks just like a banana?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

and while you are right it does look like a banana and is of the same family it's not eaten in the same way and the taste can be completely different, depending on whether you are cooking a green or ripe plantain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plus it is lower in sugar compared to a regular banana and higher in starch and unlike Banana's, because it's more a savoury side that is commonly treated as a vegetable than a fruit. Unlike a banana, it also always cooked when eaten, because it is inedible when raw.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What does a ripe plantain look like?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Ripe plantains are generally yellow with black spots, the more black spots they have the sweeter they will taste. You can even use plantain which is completely black all over, they will just be a much softer flesh and not as firm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I prefer to cook ripe plantain when it is still slightly yellow, as I prefer the firmer texture in this recipe. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cooking Plantain<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are various different ways to cook plantain (boiled, deep fried, baked, pan fried, grilled etc) and it really depends on whether you are cooking a green or ripe (yellow with black. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Green Plantain is commonly used in a recipe called Tostones. Tostones are generally double fried pieces of green plantain and are really delicious. I can only describe the taste as being like crispy pieces of batter. I bet that has made you curious? Not at all Slimming friendly though of course. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, I have this healthier Oven Baked Tostone Recipe<\/a> <\/strong>which is a perfect alternative to nachos for chilli etc. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can also buy plantain chips in a bag, which are a great snack alternative to chips\/crisps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For this Baked Sweet Plantain recipe, they are of course cooked in the oven. I find they just get a nicer all over golden colour with the seasoning. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

and if you are looking for another recipe to make with plantain, then give these Chocolate Plantain Waffles<\/a> <\/strong>a try - they are divine!!!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Where to source Plantain?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Most larger grocery stores will sell them, we are lucky here in Canada in that they are available almost year round, some grocery stores can be harder to source them at, but generally the larger grocery stores that have a good international selection of foods always seem to stock them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you can't find them at your grocery store, try Caribbean markets and grocery stores. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These baked sweet plantain are definitely a reason to add some to your basket or shopping cart next time you spot some while grocery shopping. I recommend buying a few green plantains. Make the Oven Baked Tostones<\/strong><\/a> and then once the others ripe, you can make this Baked Sweet Plantain. I just leave them on my kitchen counter to go nice and ripe (very yellow with lots of brown spots).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What should I serve with Baked Sweet Plantain?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Wondering what to serve this oven-baked sweet plantain with? Here are some of my favourites:<\/p>\n\n\n\n