Plantains – also cooking bananas – are a very popular food in Cameroon and West Africa in general. Since you can do so much with plantains, they're a must-have in my kitchen. I always have plantains on hand. Whether fresh in the fridge, fried and preserved in the freezer, or as chips for a daily snack.
As chips, they're a great alternative to regular potato chips. Plantain chips also bring back fond memories from my childhood. Back then, we didn't have potato chips, only plantain chips. They were one of our favorite treats. Sometimes we even made them ourselves at home. Often, we bought them on the street or in the schoolyard from vendors who sold their wares from baskets or small stalls by the roadside. You could choose between salty and sweet. My favorite was, and still is, the salty kind. Every time I eat plantain chips today, I'm reminded of those times, and it makes them taste even better. These days, you can buy chips almost everywhere in Germany. But homemade always tastes best.
Ingredients
4 large, green plantains (unripe)
A little salt
Depending on the preparation:
Deep fryer: approx. 1/2 liter of frying oil
Oven: 4 tablespoons of your favorite oil
preparation
Peel the plantains and use a fine grater to slice them into very thin slices
For the deep fryer/pan:
- Heat the frying oil in a deep fryer or alternatively in a small pot
- Fry the chips until golden yellow, stirring constantly
- Remove the golden-yellow chips with a slotted spoon, place them on kitchen paper, and salt them
For the oven
- Preheat oven to approximately 180°C
- Arrange the banana slices on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and brush with oil
- Place in the oven for approximately 15 minutes until the chips are golden yellow
- Place in a bowl and add salt
Et voilà! Bon appétit!
