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Welcome to my first blog post about one of my favorite quick and easy foods to make. Tostones (referred as green plantains that are fried twice) are one of the staple foods of the Caribbean Islands.
Being that they fruit all year, it is something that is reliable all seasons. Tostones are made from the immature green plantains that contain more starch than its matured sugar state (yellow plantain). Some tips while preparing this dish is learning how to cut the plantain properly since it is difficult to peel.
You want to cut about an inch of the tips and then proceed to slice along the side with the tip of the knife. You’ll do this again on the opposite side. If you plan on frying the cut-up plantains later, it is best to place them in a bowl of water to prevent oxidizing.
Personally, I am a big fan of tostones because of how many ways you can incorporate it into different meals. I usually eat them with a tasty sauce like mojo, guacamole, or a mayo ketchup mix.
Ingredients
- 3 green plantains
- half cup vegetable oil
- salt season to taste
Mayochup
- half cup mayonnaise
- half cup ketchup
- garlic powder season to taste
Instructions
Begin by adding roughly around ½ cup of oil to your frying pan (oil should be an inch deep). Start heating the frying pan over medium heat.
- Start peeling the green plantains by cutting the ends off and slicing along the side of the plantain on each side of the plantain. With your fingers, peel the plantain skin like you would with a banana. After your plantains are skinless, cut them into 1-inch slices and place into a large bowl.
- At this point, your oil in the pan should be ready to fry. Place the 1-inch sliced plantains in the pan and fry each side for about 3-4 minutes. They should be a golden color before taking them out and placing them in a separate bowl. Do not over cook them because you will be frying them once more.
You need to flatten the golden plantains and a bamboo tostonera is perfect for this. If you do not have one, using a coffee cup or a similar flat object like a plate to smash them. Then you will fry them once more while flattening for another 2-3 minutes per side or until crispy golden brown
Remove them from the frying pan and place them onto a wire rack or a plate with paper towels to soak excess oil. After the tostones have cooled down a bit, sprinkle salt over them for taste.
Mayochup
- For an easy dipping sauce, you can mix ¼ cup of mayo and ¼ cup of ketchup with a sprinkle of ground garlic.
Recipe Notes
- If you are not frying the peeled plantains right away, place them in a bowl filled with water and a dash of salt to prevent them from oxidizing.
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