A plate of matoke might not be what first brings you to Uganda. You probably came for the gorillas, the chimpanzees or the chance to see elephants gathering along the river. But somewhere between those encounters, you sit down for lunch, order what everyone else is eating, and discover that bananas can taste very different from what you expected.
Matoke is soft, savoury and filling: green cooking bananas steamed until tender, then mashed and served with a sauce or stew. It is the sort of food you quickly get used to finding on your plate. This matoke recipe brings that everyday taste of Uganda into your kitchen, with a little of the country’s food culture along the way.
The bananas behind the matoke recipe
You will also see it written as matooke, a spelling commonly used in Uganda. The name refers both to the cooking bananas and to the food prepared from them.
These are East African highland cooking bananas, harvested while green and used as a starchy staple. Once cooked, their mild flavour makes them a good partner for groundnut sauce, beans, meat or fish. A good matoke recipe starts with choosing the right bananas: their texture matters more than anything you might add later.
The dish has a particularly strong place in the food culture of Buganda, the kingdom in central Uganda whose people are known as the Baganda. It is also widely eaten in western Uganda. In these regions, matoke belongs to the daily meal as naturally as bread, rice or potatoes do elsewhere.
Making this matoke recipe takes patience rather than elaborate ingredients
Why the banana leaves matter
The traditional matoke recipe makes use of more than the fruit. Banana leaves wrap the peeled bananas, while stalks or fibres can form a raised bed at the bottom of the cooking pot. Water boils underneath, and steam cooks the bundle above it.
The leaves hold everything together and contribute their own aroma. When the bananas are soft, the cook presses them into a mash, traditionally through the wrapping, then returns the bundle to gentle steam.
That second stage helps produce the soft, cohesive texture that makes matoke so satisfying. There is very little fuss in the ingredients, but plenty of attention in the cooking: keeping the water topped up, maintaining the steam and knowing when the bananas are ready.
What goes beside it
Matoke usually arrives with something to spoon over it. Groundnut sauce is a familiar accompaniment, bringing a rich, nutty flavour to the mild mash. Beans, beef, chicken and fish are other common partners.
The bananas provide the substance of the meal; the sauce supplies much of its seasoning. For this matoke recipe, we have kept the mash simple so you can serve it with whichever accompaniment you prefer.
There are other ways to cook these bananas, too. In katogo, they can be cooked with ingredients such as beans, meat or offal rather than steamed and mashed separately. If you try several versions during your trip, you will start to understand how versatile this everyday ingredient is.
Matoke along the way in Uganda
On our Uganda Primate Special expedition, food is part of getting to know the country. We might stop for a roadside lunch between parks, or eat at the restaurant of a glamping camp or eco-resort near the forest or savannah.
Matoke will be one of the staples along that route. The sauce, portion and presentation may change, but the dish provides a familiar thread through meals in very different settings.
You might first try it during a transfer day, then recognise it on the menu after a morning with the chimpanzees or an afternoon safari. Those meals belong to the trip just as much as the bigger encounters. A matoke recipe is something you can take home and cook long after the photographs have been sorted.
Recipe information
20 minutes
approximately 2–3 hours, depending on the bananas
4 generous portions
Staple / Side dish
Uganda
You'll need
Approximately 1 kg peeled green matoke cooking bananas
Several clean banana leaves, fresh or thawed
Water for steaming, topped up as needed
Groundnut sauce, beans or a stew, to serve
Equipment: a large pot with a fitted lid, a raised steaming rack or basket, a heatproof dish, and a sturdy spoon or potato masher.
Finding the ingredients
For this matoke recipe, look for cooking bananas in African grocery shops. If they are unavailable, ask for firm green cooking bananas. Other varieties can give a different texture and may need different cooking times.
Ordinary dessert bananas, even when green, are not a reliable substitute. Green plantains can make a satisfying mash, but the result will differ from Ugandan matoke.
Banana leaves are often sold frozen in African, Asian or Latin American food shops. Without them, use a covered heatproof dish in your steamer. You will lose the leaf aroma, but can still follow the steaming and mashing method.
Instruction
Peel and rinse. Trim the banana ends, carefully slit the skins lengthways and remove them with a knife. Rinse the peeled bananas. Their sap can be sticky, so a little cooking oil on your hands may help.
Prepare the wrapping. Wash the banana leaves and remove any tough central ribs. If stiff, soften them briefly in hot water. Overlap several pieces to make a wrapping large enough to enclose the bananas.
Build the bundle. Place the bananas in the centre, fold the leaves around them and secure with kitchen string. Set the bundle on a steaming rack above the water.
Steam until completely tender. Cover the pot and maintain steady steam for approximately 1½–2 hours, checking the bananas and water level periodically. Add boiling water as needed, keeping it below the bundle. The bananas should yield easily when pressed.
Mash while hot. Lift the bundle into a heatproof dish and carefully open it, watching for escaping steam. Mash thoroughly with a sturdy spoon or potato masher.
Steam again. Rewrap the mash and return it to the rack for another 30–60 minutes over gentle steam. Keep checking the water. The finished matoke should be soft and hold together.
Serve hot. Spoon onto plates and add your chosen sauce or stew. Keep any remaining portions covered and warm while serving.
Making this matoke recipe takes patience rather than elaborate ingredients. Give the bananas time to soften properly, have a good sauce ready, and sit down to a meal that connects your kitchen with the places you travelled through.
Try Matoke in Uganda
