Plantain chips are among food products, processed from unripe plantain. It
is generally consumed in Nigeria as a healthy snack and street food.
Plantain chips being a derivative of unripe plantain still carries all the health benefits of unripe
plantain such as having a low glycemic index, antioxidant properties, high potassium content and
high dietary fiber content, which makes it an ideal snack for everyone including diabetics,
hypertensives and individuals on a weight loss journey.
The processing of unripe plantain into chips involves the following easy steps:
- Sorting to remove unwholesome and immature plantains
- Blanching by soaking in hot water to make peels soft and facilitate peeling.
- Peeling: Peel to remove the outer skin
- Cutting to thin slices
- Flavouring: Flavour using salt, pepper or any other desired flavouring agent, to create varieties.
- Deep frying in cooking oil till a golden brown colour and crispy texture is attained.
- Draining of oil to prevent soaking up of oil.
- Packaging
It is important that quality cooking oil (against reused oil) is used for the frying of plantain chips.
This is because studies have shown that reused oil reduces the antioxidant properties in plantain
chips. Therefore, for maximum antioxidant activity, the use of reused oil for frying plantain is not recommended.
Plantain chips can alternatively be made by baking in the oven as against deep frying in oil. This
method eliminates the use of oil thereby reducing fat. Oven-baking can be done at a temperature of 191 °C for 15 to 20 minutes until a golden brown colour and crispy texture is
attained.
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