Boiled Plantain as a Sweet Dish

Boiled of ripe plantain 

The first time I saw plantain was in the USA, later I aware that it was originally from my region, South East Asia. Quite odd, I never saw this kind of fruit in my own country, Indonesia. The size is bigger than banana, but in my eyes, it was totally different than banana in term of size and shape. 

Other different that plantain skin is thicker than banana, contain lower sugar and starchier. Since starchier, plantain not eaten raw, and not treated as fruit but vegetable. Plantain served in form of fried, baked and roasted. As usual, not eaten in the form of raw.  

Skin color is like banana, green when raw, yellow when ripe and even turn to be black when riper or more mature. Scientifically, they are the same Genus called as Musa. The Musa have around 70 species, include plantain and banana. 

Raw plantain with green color 

Plantains are staple foods, and to be important as traditional diets in many part of the worlds, especially in South America, Caribbean, Africa and South Asia (India). At first time, I tried to fry them. I taste like fried banana back home. I like it, then fry it on regularly basis. Eventually, I boil to avoid cooking oil. Nice and healthy. 

Plantain are easy to find in the markets (farmer market or Walmart groceries) everywhere in the USA. The price is reasonable, 54 cents each. Nutritional contents of each plantain are following: 

-Carbohydrates (57 gram with 27 gram sugar)

-No cholesterol

-Fiber (4 gram). 

In addition, plantain is source of mineral and vitamin to maintain balance diet and healthy body. Dietary fiber is crucial as a substance to manage cholesterol and blood sugar level. Each plantain is estimated to provide 20% of daily fiber requirement by body.