Although delicious fried, I realised that after transporting the plantains such a far distance from the tropics, chilling them and storing them in the shops, by the time they get to our homes they tend to ripen very quickly unlike anything I experienced back in Nigeria.
So I started roasting them when yellow, ripened and slightly firm, keeping them crispy on the outside and soft inside when roasted/baked and more importantly never soggy or greasy. The warmth of the paprika and dry ginger are a wonderful accompaniment to the sweet but subtle banana-esque flavour of the plantains.
Do try this recipe and you will absolutely love cooking plantains this way.
Ingredients
2 yellow ripe plantains
2 tbsp rapeseed oil
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp ginger
sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
1. Heat your oven to 180c Fan/200c and prepare a roasting tray. Cut 1cm off the tips of the plantains. Make a light incision into the skin, cutting lengthways.
2. Peel the skin off. Halve the plantains lengthways and once more, cut each half lengthways in half. Finally, cut widthways into 2.5cm chunks and place in a bowl.
3. Pour the oil onto the plantains, season with the dry spices, a generous pinch of sea salt & freshly ground black pepper. Mix well & place onto the roasting tray.
4. Roast for 30 minutes or until golden brown and soft inside. Test it with a fork. Remove from the oven and the roasting tray and serve.
Enjoy your golden delicious spice roasted plantains with a green salad, with your favourite dips, with eggs, in a coconut curry…or with stewed greens like my grandma and I. The possibilities are endless.
I love seeing your delicious creations. If you enjoyed this recipe do share your pictures and remember to use hashtag #leratofoods & tag me @leratofoods on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter.
