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Native to India, plantains are starchy, low-sugar members of the banana household, and are sometimes utilized in Western African and Caribbean savory dishes — the truth is, some consult with plantains because the pasta and potatoes of Caribbean cookery!
Very like potatoes, plantains aren’t appropriate to eat uncooked, however their taste and texture differ relying on their ripeness degree. You must have the ability to discover plantains within the produce aisle of your native grocery retailer: they give the impression of being lots like bananas, solely barely inexperienced and bigger, whereas their interiors are creamy and yellowish, and even mild pink. When a plantain’s peel is greenish or yellow, it’s going to style bland and starchy, whereas the darker the peel turns (it may attain an nearly pitch-black hue when totally ripened), the sweeter and extra banana-y the plantain tastes.
Interested in the way to use this staple Caribbean meals? Take a look at 20 of our favourite plantain-based recipes under, courtesy of the Meals Monster App!
1. Spicy Plantains With Rice and Peas
Spicy Plantains With Rice and Peas pack an actual punch and all the time style so recent. Scotch bonnets are key to this recipe, however should you can’t discover them, simply use the most popular chili you may get your palms on.
2. Chocolate Plantain and Banana Waffles
You’ll really feel like a magician once you put together these grain-free Chocolate Plantain and Banana Waffles and freeze them to maintain readily available. Merely defrost and warmth about ten minutes within the oven and develop into crispy and scrumptious! These banana waffles are very wealthy with a little bit little bit of almond butter and roasted bananas or some chia jam. A easy and nutritious mixture for an extremely satisfying breakfast and simple to make!
3. Chili Coated Plantain Crisps With Lime Ketchup
Chili Coated Plantain Crisps With Lime Ketchup are nice for events, or a day snack and are good for when you have got a potato chip craving. They’re greatest heat, however should you slice them about half as thick as these, and bake them till they’re additional crispy, you’ll have one thing very near a potato chip that may hold and journey effectively. You could find plantains at most grocery shops now, however they’ll be far more inexpensive at an Asian or Latino market. Search for ones which might be nonetheless inexperienced; they need to be agency with out too many brown spots.
4. Plantain Dumpling Soup
Plantain Dumpling Soup has a bit of warmth from fiery inexperienced chiles, sweetness from the plantains, and a fragile aroma from recent lemongrass.
5. Fried Plantain French Toast Sandwich
This Fried Plantain French Toast Sandwich is crispy on the skin and fluffy on the within, with notes of heat nutmeg and cinnamon. Serve this French toast sandwich with a drizzle of maple syrup and a facet of savory hash browns.
6. Sofrito Zucchini Pasta With Beans and Evenly Fried Plantains
Sofrito Zucchini Pasta With Beans and Evenly Fried Plantains is really easy to make and full of taste and smells that’ll sneak up your nostril and put a smile in your face. It’s satisfying, fascinating, and far totally different than a conventional Italian pasta sauce.
7. Plantain Candy Potato Tacos With Guacamole
Plantain Candy Potato Tacos With Guacamole are precisely as they sound – full of plantains, candy potatoes, and black beans and topped with a easy guacamole. They’re vegan, gluten-free, and a very good lunch or dinner choice!
8. Baked Plantain Chips
Baked Plantain Chips have all of the salty goodness of normal chips however with far fewer energy. They go good with sauces and dips or you may snack on them plain. You’re going to be glad both means.
9. Vegetable Curry With Plantains
Vegetable Curry With Plantains is filled with wholesome vitamins from the plantains and veggies, it additionally accommodates good fat from the coconut milk. Give this vegetable curry with plantains a attempt to discover out what it means to have a brand new favourite curry recipe.
10. Plantain Brownies
Plantains could also be a bit uncommon in a brownie recipe, however they really make an ideal base for oil-free baking. They add moisture identical to bananas and assist bind the brownies collectively, however don’t have an effect on the flavour the best way bananas do. The plantains should be very ripe—quishy, mushy, almost-black ripe. Plantain Brownies have a light-weight texture and are scrumptious to nibble heat from the oven or good beneath a scoop of frosty, non-dairy ice cream.
11. Caramelized Plantains With Coconut Cream
Caramelized Plantains With Coconut Cream are the proper facet dish or appetizer. The outsides get crunchy, the insides keep tender, and so they’re the proper steadiness of savory and candy. The scrumptious coconut cream and flakes will transport you straight to your glad place.
12. Coconut Plantain ‘Rice’ Pudding
Coconut Plantain ‘Rice’ Pudding is gluten-free, vegan, Paleo, and like nothing you’ve ever tried earlier than (except you’ve had plantain rice pudding earlier than, that’s). The medium-ripe plantains give the dish a sweetness that’s delicate, not overwhelming. The cinnamon offers the pudding that acquainted aroma and comforting style (like a porridge), and the raisins and coconut add extra sweetness and texture.
13. Mangu: Dominican Mashed Plantains
Mangu is a conventional Dominican breakfast dish produced from cooked inexperienced plantains and savory crimson onion served scorching. That is the proper dish to begin your day!
14. Chewy Plantain Sesame Cookies
The superior flavors of sesame, plantain, and dates come collectively to create a Chewy Plantain Sesame Cookies which might be each tasty and good for you. So go forward and indulge!
15. Beans and Plantain Ravioli
Freshly made pasta crammed with a calmly spiced combination of beans and plantain, topped with sautéed crimson pepper and garlic – yum! It’s straightforward to make these Beans and Plantain Raviolis look fancy by garnishing with recent herbs and small mounds of julienned cucumber. The one actual effort is getting the pasta dough excellent.
16. Cuban Lentil Soup With Baked Plantains and Lemon Crema 
This Cuban Lentil Soup With Baked Plantains and Lemon Crema is so meaty and scrumptious! It is a strong soup with loads of greens and spiced up with conventional Cuban flavors. Garnished with a lemon-crema and irresistible baked plantains, this dish is warming and stuffed with diet!
17. Candy Potato and Plantain Truffles![Vegan Sugar-Free Truffles, Two Ways [Gluten-Free]](https://i0.wp.com/www.onegreenplanet.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/truffles-rows-close-3.jpg?resize=640%2C427&ssl=1)
These lovable little Candy Potato and Plantain Truffles are the proper snacks! These vegan truffles are like little cakey balls of batter with the entire yumminess and not one of the baking.
18. Creamy Plantain Stew
Simply take a look at this vibrant Creamy Plantain Stew! Infused with creamy and scrumptious substances like coconut milk and coriander, you may’t go unsuitable with this straightforward, however efficient recipe.
19. Fried Plantains in Tomato Gravy 
These Fried Plantains in Tomato Gravy are a must-try! Serve this up over rice for the proper brunch! Inexperienced plantains are continuously used as a major ingredient in African dishes. This recipe combines the candy starchiness of the vegetable pairs effectively with the indulgent tomato gravy.
20. Jamaican Jerk Plantain Veggie Burgers
These Jamaican Jerk Plantain Veggie Burgers are good for summer season! These gluten-free burgers produced from brown rice, mashed ripe plantain, pecans, and beans will put you on island time in solely half-hour.
Be taught The best way to Prepare dinner Plant-Primarily based Meals at Residence
Decreasing your meat consumption and consuming extra plant-based meals is understood to assist with power irritation, coronary heart well being, psychological well-being, health objectives, dietary wants, allergy symptoms, intestine well being, and extra! Dairy consumption additionally has been linked to many well being issues, together with pimples, hormonal imbalance, most cancers, and prostate most cancers, and has many unwanted side effects.
For these of you curious about consuming extra plant-based we extremely advocate grabbing our favourite plant-based cookbooks and downloading the Meals Monster App — with over 20,000 scrumptious recipes it’s the largest plant-based recipe useful resource to assist scale back your environmental footprint, save animals, and get wholesome! And, when you are at it, we encourage you to additionally study in regards to the environmental and well being advantages of a plant-based weight-reduction plan.
Listed here are some nice assets to get you began:
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