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Mtori
Creamy green banana and beef soup from Kilimanjaro
Mtori comes from the Chagga people on the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro, where cooking bananas grow around every house; it is a thick, smooth soup of green bananas and beef, mashed until creamy and finished with butter. It is given to new mothers to build their strength and eaten on cool mornings in Moshi and Arusha. The mistake is using sweet ripe bananas, which make it sugary; you need hard green cooking bananas or green plantain. Chef's tip: rub a little oil on your hands before peeling green bananas, as the sap stains.
- Total time
- 100 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (6)
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Put 1 ⅛ lb beef shin or brisket, 7 ½ cups water, half the ½ onion, 3 garlic cloves and 1 ½ tsp salt in a large pot. Bring to the boil, skim, then cover and simmer for 1 hour until tender.
60 minStep 2: Add 8 green cooking bananas (matoke) or 3 green plantains, 1 carrot, 1 tomato and the rest of ½ onion. Simmer for 20 minutes until the bananas are completely soft.
20 minStep 3: Lift out the beef. Mash the bananas into the broth with a potato masher, or blend briefly, until thick and creamy. Add hot water if it is too thick.
Step 4: Shred or chop the beef, which after this long simmer is well past the safe 160°F, and return it to the pot. Stir in 1 oz butter and ½ tsp black pepper and heat until it bubbles. Serve hot. Keeps 2 days in the fridge.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 360 kcal
- Protein
- 22 g
- Carbs
- 42 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does mtori take?
- About 100 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 80 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of garlic cloves?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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