Matoke
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Matoke is a meal consisting of steamed green plantain and is one of the national dishes of Uganda.
The medium-sized green fruits, which look like bananas but are not, are locally known as "matoke". They are peeled, wrapped in the plant's leaves and set in a cooking pot (sufuria) on the stalks which have been removed from the leaves. The pot is then placed on a charcoal fire and the matoke is steamed for a couple of hours in water placed in the bottom of the cooking pot. While uncooked, the matoke is white and fairly hard. Cooking turns it soft and yellow. The matoke is then mashed while still wrapped in the leaves and often served on a fresh leaf. It is then eaten with a sauce made of vegetables, ground peanut, or some type of meat (goat and beef are common).
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In Bukoba - Tanzania, matoke are cooked with meat or smoked catfish and beans or groundnuts. This method eliminates the need for making a separate sauce. In this recipe the matoke are not mashed. About 30 years ago this was the most common meal in Bukoba and would be eaten year round.