Reinventing Plantain as a Functional Food: A Processing Based Approach

Plantains are termed as ‘culinary bananas’ due to the fact that they are only consumed after cooking or other forms of processing. Providing good nutritional value and versatility in diet, it is considered an important commercial crop and an efficient dietary staple in Africa. However, irrespective of geographical locations and economic status of diverse ethnic groups, plantains are consumed extensively due to their easy availability and preparation. They are prepared and consumed in numerous forms between the green and yellow stages of maturity and ripeness. The nutritional composition of plantains provides several health benefits and therapeutic applications, making it preferable for consumption. They are processed for the further development of a variety of products like biscuits, baby foods, bread, etc. The present review aims to enlist various traditional dishes and the value-added products prepared from plantains after processing. It also highlights other diverse uses of plantain where all the parts of the crop are functional and demonstrate its potential in future scope.