Matoke (Plantain Banana Stew)
Matoke soup is a delicious African soup made with green, unripe bananas (matoke), meat and potatoes. East Highland bananas, unique to the African Great Lakes region and significantly different from any other banana species in the world, are used for this East African soup.
Kenyans appreciate matoke just as much as the people of other Eastern areas of Africa. It is served for breakfast, at casual gatherings, and for meals at home. The bananas are cooked with mutton, goat, or chicken, and a lot of indigenous spices to enrich the soup. It is preferably eaten hot.
Tips for cooking the best matoke
The bananas must be white, not turned brown, if you want to produce a superb matoke soup. Never use overripe bananas. They must have a good texture, not too soft, or the dish will be mushy and the bananas won’t stand alone.
While the traditional recipe doesn’t call for plantains, I have used green plantains a couple of times, and it worked out great for me or you can easily find a suitable substitute for these bananas in Asian or African grocery store.
Matoke (Plantain Banana Stew)
Ingredients
- 5 green unripe bananas peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
- 2 tbsps vegetable oil
- 1 white onion peeled and chopped
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp ginger powder
- 2 tsp curry powder
- 1½ lb beef cut into small cubes
- 2 bouillon cubes
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1 fresh coriander chopped
- 1 tsp paprika
- 3 medium-sized ripe tomatoes chopped
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Peel and chop the banana into medium-sized slices (two-inch pieces).
- To avoid browning, soak in an antioxidant, such as lemon juice or salty water.
- Place 2 cups of cold water in a clean saucepan and add the bananas. Boil for 5-10 minutes, or until semi-cooked.
- Remove from the heat, set aside, and reserve the cooking liquid for later use.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, add onions, and cook until soft, about 2 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant—a few seconds.
- Stir in the beef and add the paprika, curry powder, bouillon powder, salt, and pepper. Mix well, cover, and leave to cook for 10 minutes, stirring halfway between.
- Now add the banana cooking liquid, the chopped tomatoes, and bay leaves. Cook for another 3-4 minutes, stirring with a spatula.
- Add the semi-cooked bananas, salt to taste, and any seasoning powder of choice, I prefer beef flavor, and simmer for 5 minutes, covered or till the matoke becomes tender..
- Stir in the coriander and serve with chapati or rice.
Notes
