Cinnamon Steamed Plantains

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Steamed Plantains

Plantains are grown in Central America and the Caribbean and are part of the diet throughout the regions.  You may have seen these in the tropical fruit section of your grocery store in the USA. Plantains resemble bananas, but they are bigger, thicker-skinned, starchier, and firmer.  They don’t peel like a banana and have to be cooked to be consumed. 

I have eaten many fried plantains in my life.  This November, I was visiting a friend in a small village near Antigua, Guatemala.  We went out for breakfast and I was served boiled plantains that were so good -I asked the mesero (waiter) how they were prepared.  Naturally, I went home and made them right away!  From now on, I’ll use this method because I adore sweet plantains but am not a huge fan of fried foods.  Central Americans serve plantains fried as part of a breakfast plate but for me, it screams dessert.

Plantains

Peeling plantains is tricky, so I refer you here (scroll to the part about how to peel a plantain). Buen provecho!

Cinnamon Steamed Plantains


Serves 2-3

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Ingredients
  • 2 plantains, somewhat ripe (speckled with some black –  like bananas.  Keep the skin on but cut into 2-inch segments)
  • 2 tsp of sugar
  • 1 cinnamon stick 
  • Water to reach 2 inches in a 3-quart saucepan
Instructions

In a 3-4 quart saucepan, boil water with sugar and the cinnamon stick until the sugar dissolves.  Add plantain segments and cover the pot, simmer for 15-30 minutes until the plantains are soft.  I test mine with a toothpick, which should slide into the center of a chunk of plantain easily. 

Remove the cinnamon stick and rinse and dry so it can be used again and again.

Remove the flavored water with the unpeeled plantain chunks and let them cool.  The plantain chunks need to be peeled before eating, but I serve them with a little of the liquid.

As a dessert, I drizzle a little honey on top or  add some coconut cream and chopped peanuts.  However, they are great AS IS. 

 

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