AI-generated image
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
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.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Miso soup
Miso soup (味噌汁) is drunk every day in homes all over Japan, at breakfast as well as dinner, beside a bowl of rice. The base is dashi; this vegan version uses kombu and dried shiitake instead of bonito, which gives it a deep, rounded flavour. Silken tofu and wakame seaweed are the classic fillings. It takes ten minutes; just remember not to boil the miso. Chef's tip: add the miso at the very end and never let it boil. Boiling kills the miso's fresh, fermented aroma; Japanese cooks say the soup should only 'smile', with the surface barely trembling.
Chinese hot & sour soup
An Indo-Chinese restaurant favourite: a clear stock thickened with cornflour and packed with finely shredded vegetables and paneer or tofu. It gets its heat from black pepper and chilli and its sourness from vinegar. Serve it sizzling hot with green chillies in vinegar, chilli sauce and soy sauce on the side.
Carrot & coriander soup
A smooth, velvety carrot soup blended with potato for body and finished with butter-fried coriander and a splash of milk. It's mild and warming, so it suits the whole family. Serve it with crusty bread or croutons.
