Spicy Plantains (Matoke) and Potatoes

Green bananas  or plantains are available throughout Kenya and make delicious dishes.  They are sold in supermarkets and local green grocers.

There are two ways that you can use to peel them:
 i) hold each piece and start peeling with knife from top to bottom or,
ii) cut off both ends then cut along the skin of each piece. Peel off the skin as though a ripe banana.
Add the peeled pieces to clean water and wash.

Plantains can be cooked separately and served with stew or cooked as one dish with other ingredients including potatoes. If you prefer to cook them separately, simply put them in a saucepan, add water and salt then bring to a boil till tender. You can check whether they are cooked by piercing with a fork. Once done remove and serve with a side dish/stew.

If,however you want to prepare as one dish, follow this method:

Ingredients:

• Peeled plantains
• 1 chopped onion
• 1 chopped bell pepper
• Peeled potatoes
• Tomatoes
• Dania/coriander
• Crushed garlic (optional)
• Cooking oil
• Salt 
• Royco/curry powder
• Ground dhana jeera (tumeric, coriander & cumin seeds)

Procedure:
1. Add cooking oil and chooped onions to sauce pan (sufuria) and cook till tender.
2. Add the chopped bell pepper and garlic and cook for a further three minutes.

3. Add potatoes and cook for about five minutes.
4. Add the tomatoes and dania/coriander, stirring to prevent the potatoes from sticking to the sufuria.
5. Add ground dhana jeera or a mixture of ground tumeric, coriander and cumin seeds. Amount to add depends on how spicy you want the dish to be.
6. Once the tomatoes are cooked, add 1 1/2 cups  of water for the amount of green bananas showed above. Bring to a boil.
7. Pour in the plantains then add salt and the royco/curry powder.

8. Continue boiling then reduce heat and simmer when nearly cooked.
9. Serve.