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The videos below explain that plantains can be eaten raw if we let them ripen. As their skin turns black, they become sweeter. However, I don't ripen plantains to the extent shown in the these videos; I eat them when they start tasting good (sweet like bananas) but not squishy as a super ripe plantain with black colored skin.
I prefer buying plantains with yellow colored skin that look like oversized bananas. These are typically ready to eat; they don't need further ripening. Such plantains are sold in stores like Costco, Lidl and Sprouts. I haven't seen such plantains in Indian grocery stores; they sell other varieties of plantains, typically very green.
Plantains are starch rich. And I find ripe plantains satiating, just like sweet potatoes. Both can be eaten raw but few people seem to know that. One difference is: sweet potatoes are kinda dry and I don't naturally gravitate towards raw sweet potatoes; ripe plantains are juicy and make a wonderful base for raw, juicy salads. And plantains are cheap: about 60 cents a pound in stores like Costco and Lidl, comparable to the cost of bananas.
A simple plantain-based recipe that takes 5 mins to prepare (but longer to eat): mix 1 chopped ripe plantain with mixed greens sold in Sprouts or Costco. Add some lemon and any misc spice mix (e.g., "salt-free, all purpose spice mix" or some sumac or just black pepper). And we have a salad! For better flavor, we can add some sliced peach.
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