Plantain

You can, but it is usually starchy and firm when unripe, so plantain is normally cooked. Ripe plantain softens and sweetens, but cooking brings out its flavour and makes it easier to eat.

Peel and slice it diagonally, then fry in a thin layer of oil over medium heat for about 2–3 minutes per side, until golden. Use a well-heated pan and turn the slices only once they have formed a crust.

A green peel means it is firm and savoury; yellow with black patches means it is softer and sweeter. For very sweet, soft plantain, wait until most of the peel has turned black and the fruit still feels firm rather than mushy.

Keep green plantain at room temperature until it ripens; chilling slows ripening and can darken the peel. Once ripe, use it soon, or peel and freeze the pieces for cooking later.

Fried plantain works well with beans, rice, eggs, grilled meat or fish, and spicy stews. Thin, crisp slices are often served as plantain crisps; thicker ripe slices make a sweet, soft side dish.

For a sweet cooked side, ripe banana can stand in, but it softens more quickly and tastes sweeter. For a savoury dish, potato or sweet potato can replace the starch, though neither has plantain’s distinctive flavour.

They are closely related fruits, but plantain is generally starchier and is usually cooked, while dessert bananas are commonly eaten raw. Plantain provides 32 g of carbohydrate per 100 g, compared with 19.7 g in banana.

Cut off both ends, score the peel lengthways in a few places without cutting deeply into the flesh, then ease it away with your thumb or the blunt edge of a knife. Green peel clings tightly, so soaking the fruit in warm water for a few minutes can help.