Green banana curry
4
Easy
15 minutes
25 minutes-30 minutes
Green bananas, popularly known as matoke, are a staple in East African cooking. This is the kind of dish we serve to our visitors in most East African countries such as Rwanda, Burundi, Kenya and Tanzania – and especially Uganda. During my time in Uganda, not a day went by that we didn’t eat matoke, either for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Ingredients
Method
- 500 g fresh or frozen green bananas, peeled
- 2 T coconut oil (or other oil of your choice)
- 1 medium red onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ yellow pepper, diced
- ½ green pepper, diced
- ½ red pepper, diced
- 2 medium tomatoes, diced
- 1 t curry powder
- 1 t ground cumin
- salt, to taste
- 5 garden eggs, quartered lengthways (optional)
- 1 T tomato paste
- ½ cup coconut cream
- ½ cup vegetable stock
- 2 t olive oil (or any neutral vegetable oil)
- 200 g mixed mushrooms (oyster and button mushrooms), sliced
- a pinch of Italian herbs
- 185 g frozen peas
- fresh coriander, to garnish
Method
Ingredients
1. Cut the green bananas into 2–3 pieces. If using frozen bananas, use them while they are still frozen.
2. In a large saucepan, heat the coconut oil over medium heat. Add the onion and a third of the garlic. Sauté for 2–3 minutes until the onion is translucent.
3. Stir in all the peppers and tomatoes. Sauté for an additional 3 minutes until the vegetables soften.
4. Add the curry powder, cumin and a pinch of salt. Stir continuously for 1 minute to release the spices’ flavours.
5. Add the bananas, garden eggs (if using), tomato paste, coconut cream and vegetable stock. Stir well to combine all the ingredients.
6. Cover the saucepan and allow the curry to simmer for about 20 minutes or until the bananas are tender.
7. In a separate pan, heat the olive oil over a medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and sauté for 5–7 minutes until golden brown.
8. Add the remaining garlic and the herbs and cook for another minute. Remove from the heat and set aside.
9. After 20 minutes, remove the lid from the curry and stir in the peas. Gently fold in the sautéed mushrooms and adjust the seasoning with salt to taste.
10. Serve the curry hot, garnished with fresh coriander. Enjoy with rice, bread or any preferred side.
Cook’s notes:
- You can use oils such as canola, sunflower or grapeseed as an alternative to coconut oil and olive oil.
- Adjust the spice levels according to your taste.
- If fresh garden eggs are unavailable, you can substitute them with brinjals.
Photographer: Livhuwani Ravele
Extracted with permission from Tamu by Jane Nshuti
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