Tostones (from the Spanish verb tostar which means "to toast") are a sie dish made from sliced green (unripe) plantains which are cut either length-wise or width-wise and are twice fried. The first step is to heat the oil on medium for a few minutes. Once it's hot enough, one cooks both sides for 1-2 minutes each side until they are golden in color (raw plantain is off-white to pale pink in color). One then removes them, pats dry excess oil, pounds them flat with a "tostonera" or any kitchen utensil that has a large enough flat surface (the flat bottom of a sturdy glass or cup works well), then fries them once again until they are lightly crisp and right before they start to turn brown or burned..