banana frita (fried plantains)

Banana Frita--one of my favorite childhood snacks

and the first food I clearly remember eating

after my family moved to Brazil

when I was five.

Plantain bananas are not so slimy and sweet

as the smaller variety that is most common here in the U.S.

They are starchier and more substantial.

Fried and generously sprinkled with cinnamon sugar,

they are a treat I enjoy just as much now

as I did when I was small.

To make banana frita you need:

1 ripe plantain*

1-2 tablespoons vegetable oil

cinnamon sugar to taste

Peel and slice the plantain.

Heat the oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat.

Add the banana slices to the oil and fry each side until golden.

Remove from the oil and drain on paper towels.

Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar to taste.

Enjoy!

*if you only have green plantains,

simply slice them more thinly

and replace the cinnamon sugar with salt

for delicious plantain chips.