Cuban
Vegan
Gluten freePlátanos maduros fritos
Fried sweet plantains
Maduros: sweet, caramel-edged fried ripe plantains, the side on every Cuban plate
No Cuban lunch counter in Havana, Santiago or Miami serves ropa vieja, picadillo or black beans and rice without a few maduros on the side. Plantains are left until the skin is almost completely black, when the flesh turns soft and sugary, then sliced on the diagonal and fried slowly until the edges caramelise and the middle is creamy. The mistake is using yellow plantains: they stay starchy and dry, so wait until the skins are mostly black and the fruit gives when pressed. They are done when deep amber on both sides and a knife slides in with no resistance. Chef's tip: fry over a medium heat, not high; the sugar in ripe plantain burns before the centre softens if the oil is too hot.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 12 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Serves
- 4
- Per serving
- 250 kcal
Ingredients
- 3 very ripe plantainsskins mostly black
- ½ cup sunflower oil
- 1 pinch flaky salt (optional)
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Cut the ends off 3 very ripe plantains, slit the skin along its length and peel. Slice on a sharp diagonal into pieces about 1.5 cm thick.
Step 2: Heat ½ cup sunflower oil in a wide frying pan over a medium heat until a piece of plantain sizzles gently at once, about 3 minutes.
3 minStep 3: Fry the slices in a single layer for 3–4 minutes a side, until deep golden-amber with dark caramel edges and soft right through.
8 minStep 4: Lift out onto kitchen paper. Sprinkle with 1 pinch flaky salt if you like the sweet-salty contrast, and serve hot.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 250 kcal
- Protein
- 1 g
- Carbs
- 45 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does plátanos maduros fritos take?
- About 17 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 12 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
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