Name: Matoke (Ugandan Green Banana Peanut Stew)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: African
Ingredients: 4 Raw Banana, green cooking bananas or plantains, peeled and cut into chunks; ⅓ cup Peanuts, roasted and ground; 2 Tomato, chopped; 1 Onion, finely chopped; 2 clove Garlic, minced; ½ inch Ginger, grated; 1½ tbsp Neutral Oil; 1½ cup Vegetable Stock, warm; ¾ tsp Salt, adjust to taste; ¼ tsp Ground Black Pepper; 2 tbsp Coriander Leaves, chopped, optional garnish

Matoke (Ugandan Green Banana Peanut Stew)

50 mintotal

25 min hands-on25 min hands-off

Prep 15 min · Cook 10 min

Serves: 2
Difficulty: Easy
Spice: Mild

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Method

Heat oil in a pot. Add onion and cook until soft and lightly golden.
Add garlic and ginger. Stir until fragrant, then add tomatoes, salt, and black pepper.
Cook until the tomatoes soften into a loose sauce.
Add raw banana chunks and vegetable stock. Cover and simmer until the bananas are tender.
Mix ground peanuts with a little hot cooking liquid to make a smooth paste, then stir it into the pot.
Simmer uncovered until the sauce thickens and coats the banana pieces.
Garnish with coriander leaves if using and serve warm.

How to tell it's done

The banana pieces should be tender but not dissolved, and the peanut sauce should be thick and gently creamy.

Getting it right

Tip

Peel raw bananas with oiled hands or under running water to reduce sticky sap.

What to serve it with

Serve as a main with steamed greens, rice, or a simple tomato-onion salad.

Common mistakes

The peanut sauce turns grainy and splits.: Slake the ground peanuts with hot cooking liquid into a smooth paste before it goes into the pot, as the recipe directs, and keep the simmer gentle afterwards. Ground nuts stirred in dry clump and then separate.
The bananas go grey and slimy.: Peel them under running water or with oiled hands and get them straight into the pot. Green banana oxidises fast and the sap is sticky enough to discolour the whole stew.

Substitutions

Use firm green plantains or raw bananas; ripe bananas are too sweet and soft for Matoke.
Water can replace vegetable stock, but the stew may need a little more salt and simmering.
For a peanut-free version, this recipe needs redevelopment because peanut is central to this variation.

Storing and reheating

Keeps three days in the fridge and thickens considerably; loosen with stock when reheating. It freezes for two months, though the banana softens further. Add the coriander fresh.

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Ingredients