Plantains belong to the banana family. They are starchy with low sugar. An average plantain is loaded with about 220 calories, fiber, carbohydrates, and vitamin A and C. Due to its distinct characteristics, plantains can be used to prepare different dishes and can also be used as a fruit depending on its ripeness. Plantains are versatile, and will offer a unique and unmatched nutritious addition to any dish. There are ripe and unripe plantains, and each type gives different taste when fried, boiled, or toasted. For this roundup, we will guide you on how to make tasty plantain chips at home. But before then, get to know some fun facts about plantains.

Fun facts about plantains

1. Dried plantains can be grounded into flour. The grounded powder is then mixed with fennel seed powder and boiled with either  water or milk to make baby food
2. Plantains is one of the great sources of carbohydrates in Africa constituting to over 25%  for over 70 million people
3. Plantains are a staple food in central and west Africa
4. In African tradition, plantain trees were often used to worship and offer sacrifices to gods. The trees were thought to have supernatural powers, and people were never allowed to talk when passing near them
5. Plantain seeds and roots are used to treat digestive complications
6. Plantain leaves can be placed on a cut to stop bleeding or on burns to reduce the pain
7. Plantains can help cure diarrhea and is a good remedy for constipation in children

Now that you are familiar with plantain fun facts, lets have a look at different ways of preparing plantain chips at home.

Preparation: easy

Servings: 6- 8

What you need

For spicy plantain chips

• 8 unripe plantains or bananas

• 4 tbsp of canola or olive oil 

• 2 tbsp. sugar

• 1 1/2tbsp of smoked paprika

• 1 tbsp. chili powder

For cinnamon-flavored sugar plantain chips

• 8 unripe plantain

• 3 tbsp of ground cinnamon

• 4 tbsp. olive or canola oil

• 2 tbsp sugar

Guides-

• Peel your plantains and remove the outer part altogether. Slice them into thin slices. Only green plantains should be used in this case, as they contain more nutrients and minerals. Interchanging them will also impact the taste and is not recommended.  

• In a big bowl, put your oil, sugar, smoked paprika and chili powder for spicy plantains. For cinnamon-flavored plantain chips, add oil, cinnamon, and sugar into your bowl following the recipes above.

• Put a considerable amount of cooking oil in a baking pan and heat it at 350⁰ F

• As the oil heats up, mix the ingredients properly using your hands until the seasoning is well incoporated. Add your plantains and remix them until the mixture fully covers the plantains

• Keep a watch on your cooking oil to make sure it is hot enough to fry your plantains. Avoid using your fingers but rather use a wooden cooking stick. Dip it in your oil and observe how the oil behaves. If you notice some bubbles forming around your stick then its a sure sign your oil is ready for frying. In case you notice vigorous bubbles then that implies your oil is too hot and the temperatures needs to be reduced.

• Put your plantains and fry them in batches until they attain a crispy and golden

•  Place a serviette on a plate or a paper towel on a baking sheet to help drain excess oil from the fried plantains

• When ready, drain and remove your plantains using a frying skimmer and place them on your plate or baking sheet

• Wait until they cool down then serve

You can enjoy it with fried chicken, rice, fried fish or beans.