Kele phodi ( Pan-fried Sweet Plantain); 3 ways! Meatless Mondays!

Fried plantain is common not only in Hispanic cuisine but in the Caribbean and Indian cuisines too!  Almost all of the South Indian states make does sweet plantains in one form or the other. They are usually eaten as a snack with a cup of tea but may be also served as a side with a meal.

Where I am from, we make it in three different ways. My mother never deep-fried the plantains. She always pan-fried it with very little oil. Specific plantains are used for this recipe. They are called as Nendrabale.

I am going to show you all three ways to make fried plantains. I like them all, depending on my mood.

Servings: 3-4

Ingredients:

Ripe plantains: 2
Salt: as per individual taste
Coconut oil: to grease the skillet/ tawa/ griddle

For the plain version:
Red chilli powder: 1/4 tsp

For the rice flour version: all the above ingredients +
Rice flour: 2 tbsp

For the sooji rava version: all of the above +
Water: 2 tbsp
Cream of wheat/sooji rava or/cornmeal: 1/4 cup

Method:

Peel the plantain. Slice them horizontally into 3 equal pieces.

Now vertically slice each individual piece into 3-4 slices depending on your desired level of thickness and the thickness of the plantain. You don't want the slices to be too thin.

Arrange the slices on a plate.


For the plain fried plantains:

Mix together salt and chilli powder. Sprinkle this mixture on top of the plantain slices, on both sides.

Heat the skillet/tawa on medium heat. Grease it using coconut oil.Once the skillet is hot, place the plantain slices on it.

Cook on low flame until lightly golden brown( around 3-4 minutes on each side).

Serve hot.

For rice flour coated fried plantains: 

In a shallow bowl/ plate, mix together rice flour, salt and red chilli powder.

Dip the cut plantain slices into this mixture.

Heat the skillet/tawa on medium heat. Grease it using coconut oil.Once the skillet is hot, place the plantain slices on it. 

Cook on low flame until lightly golden brown( around 3-4 minutes on each side).

Serve hot.

For the sooji rawa coated fried plantains:

In a shallow bowl/ plate, mix together rice flour, salt, red chilli powder and water to make a paste.

Smear this paste on both sides of the plantain slices.

Take the sooji rava/ cornmeal in a plate.

Roll the batter-coated plantain slices into this mixture so that it is coated with rawa/ cornmeal.

Heat the skillet/tawa on medium heat. Grease it using coconut oil.Once the skillet is hot, place the plantain slices on it in a single layer.

 Cook on low flame until lightly golden brown( around 3-4 minutes on each side).

Serve hot.

Enjoy! I am bringing this to Fiesta Friday & Saucy Saturday. The co-hosts this week at Angie's Fiesta Friday are two excellent bloggers  Sonal @ simplyvegetarian777 and Laurie @ ten.times.tea. I know I am late for all the parties, but I truly believe in the adage, " better late than never!"

Cooking made easy:

Whenever you want to pan-fry something and use  less oil, make sure that the skillet/ griddle is hot enough at the beginning, but after that maintain a constant temperature that does not cause the food to burn but cooks it well. To much fluctuations in the temperature might prove detrimental to effective cooking.

Tip for healthy living:

While cooking, always look for healthier ways to cook any given recipe. Steaming/ broiling/ baking is better than frying . Pan-frying is better than deep-frying.

Food for thought:

One can never consent to creep when one feels an impulse to soar. Hellen Keller

Please do share your thoughts. Your opinion matters!