Ndizi Nyama
A Tanzanian one-pot dish of green bananas and meat, genuinely different in format from banana-and-beef soups like mtori: rather than being mashed into a smooth purée, the bananas here are cooked in chunks alongside beef or chicken, browned first and then finished with coconut milk for a rich, slightly sweet stew base — rooted in Chagga culinary tradition from the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro, the same region that gave the site's mtori its own banana-and-beef pedigree. The banana chunks stay intact and absorb the stew's flavor, closer in spirit to a hearty braise than a soup.
Meat
Ingredients
- 6 green bananas, peeled and cut into chunks
- 500g beef or chicken, cubed
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tomatoes, chopped
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp curry powder
- 1 cup (240ml) coconut milk
- Oil
Steps
- Brown the meat with the onion and garlic in oil.
- Stir in the tomatoes, tomato paste, and curry powder, and cook down briefly.
- Add water to just cover and simmer until the meat is nearly tender.
- Add the green banana chunks and continue simmering until the bananas are tender but still holding their shape.
- Stir in the coconut milk and simmer a few minutes more to finish the sauce.
- Serve hot.