How to Cook Plantain Bananas

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By Willow Sidhe
eHow Contributing Writer

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The plantain banana is an edible fruit native to Asia and Australia that is commonly used for cooking. Plantains are larger than common bananas and are lime green in color. They have a neutral flavor similar to potatoes and must be cooked before they can be eaten. Plantains are most commonly steamed, fried, boiled or baked and served as a side dish. This recipe yields enough baked plantains slices to serve two or three people.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Plantain banana
Sharp knife
Paper towel
Baking sheet
Vegetable oil

Step 1

Slice off the ends off of the plantain using a sharp knife. Make a shallow slit lengthways down the skin of the fruit.
Step 2

Peel the skin away manually and rinse the fruit under cold water until no longer sticky. Pat the plantain dry with a paper towel.
Step 3

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Slice the plantain into slices, about ½-inch thick. Coat a baking sheet with a thin layer of vegetable oil to prevent the slices from sticking.
Step 4

Arrange the slices on the baking sheet, spaced evenly apart and in a single layer. Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 40 minutes or until the slices are fork tender.
Step 5

Remove the baking sheet from the oven and allow the plantain to cool for five minutes. Eat the plantain bananas as is or mash and serve with a spoon.

Tips & Warnings

Plantain bananas are easiest to peel when they are completely ripe. Ripe bananas are almost completely black in color.
Plantain bananas are commonly served with chicken or seafood dishes.