Matoke/Matooke/Ibitoke

[Darienne]

Recently found a recipe for Ugandan Matoke which calls for Plantains.

Knowing nothing much about plantains I went Googling to find out more and to see just how ripe the plantains are supposed to be. One recipe said 'ripe', another said 'green', others said nada except for 'plantain'.

I also know nothing about the dish 'Matoke' and am seeing that it's not one dish, but dishes which contain steamed plantains???? She asks???

Here are my plantains bought yesterday.

Do I use them now? Wait until they are yellow? Black? Arrgghh.

All help is appreciated.

[Panaderia Canadiense]

Matoke or Matooke can be cooked in a number of ways. The Liboke (which is the proper name for the plantain and beef stew - Matoke is just the plantains) is made with all-green plantains like the ones in your picture.

When dishes call for steamed plantains, that's usually ripe ones - and plantains have a very different ripeness scale from dessert bananas. Plantains are ripe when the skin is at least 50% black - anything yellower/greener will still be very starchy.

EDIT - This said, whenever I've made Liboke or its South American relative, Sancocho, I've always enjoyed the results more when I used fairly ripe plantains. There's more dimension to the flavour then - and unless you know exactly how to peel a green plantain, there's less chance of getting bitter saps in the dish. Used green, they're kind of potato-ish; used ripe they're definitely more banana-y in flavour but still provide good body and filler for the stew.

If you'd like a pictorial primer on peeling green plantains in order that the bittering sap stays off the final result, I'd be happy to oblige.

Edited March 28, 2012 by Panaderia Canadiense (log)

[Darienne]

Hooray. Obviously you are a mind reader. I asked myself...I wonder if PanaCan will be on this forum. She knows her bananas.

Yes, I would love a primer on the peeling of plantains. I did find one last night on YouTube where the plantain was peeled, with a sharp knife, in the cook's hand, as if you were peeling a potato with very thick skin. Very thick.

[interesting: our daughter's BF is a cook and from Grenada. When they come to visit, he always cooks a lot and I serve as sous-chef which is a hoot. He peels and cuts everything right in his hands as his Grandmother taught him to. He's amazing to watch and one really good cook. He doesn't like North American type food...except for fast food and Lasagna...he's crazy about Lasagna...and so I am trying to learn dishes he would accept. He liked my Mafe. Perhaps he'll like the Liboke...or whatever they call it on Grenada.]

Edited March 28, 2012 by Darienne (log)

[Panaderia Canadiense]

Darienne - I just checked, and the method is in my foodblog of all places! This post, to be specific. It shows the method for peeling semiripe plantains, but it's the exact same for green ones - cut off the two ends, make a slit down the middle, and roll the plantain out of its skin.

[andiesenji]

Darienne - I just checked, and the method is in my foodblog of all places! This post, to be specific. It shows the method for peeling semiripe plantains, but it's the exact same for green ones - cut off the two ends, make a slit down the middle, and roll the plantain out of its skin.

That's what I do. Many of the plantains I get at the Mexican market are huge so I cut them in half as well as cut each end off, then split the peel on the inside curve - and in the middle of a segment face, not along a seam. (Does that make sense?)

Regular bananas come apart easily along the "seams" but plantains do not and in fact it is easier to cut where the peel is thinner, between the "seams" - I think this explains my previous sentence.

Edited March 28, 2012 by andiesenji (log)

[Darienne]

A bit late in posting this question...

Finally made the Matoke yesterday and it was a huge success, so successful that now DH insists upon giving it to our Easter guests (South Africans) today. Yes, I know it's from Uganda, but they love anything delicious. Carl is 96 years old, born in Samoa, has lived everywhere, full of fascinating stories.

My question: what to serve as an accompaniment to the Matoke, to put on it? to put beside it?

Yes, I know it needs nothing really...just my hostess-y concern. It's on a bed of Jasmine rice and I do have a greens salad and a fresh loaf (still baking) of Challah. Dessert is a Margarita pie. So we are very International.

Any one out there who has an idea? Or should I just stand back and let it go? Thanks.

[Panaderia Canadiense]

I'd also serve chifles de sal with it (green plantain chips), but that's my Latin American influence showing. Honestly, with the Jasmine rice, it's probably perfect.

ETA - or you could make Fufu (fried crumbled plantain with spices) as a bed....

Edited April 8, 2012 by Panaderia Canadiense (log)

[Darienne]

I'd also serve chifles de sal with it (green plantain chips), but that's my Latin American influence showing. Honestly, with the Jasmine rice, it's probably perfect.

ETA - or you could make Fufu (fried crumbled plantain with spices) as a bed....

Thanks, PanaCan. I'm plumb out of green plantain chips and all, but I appreciate the ideas. Fufu next time... Do you by any chance have a recipe handy? No, not for today. For next time.

[Panaderia Canadiense]

Fufu is very easy. Peel and break green plantains into chunks, then get out your cast iron frypan (the deep one). Into that, put a little oil and enough water to cover the plantain chunks to about half. Lid on, then steam on low heat until the chunks get tender. Increase the heat to boil off most of the water, and at the same time, use your spatch to crumble the chunks into smaller chunks. Add spices (generally cumin, hot pepper, cilantro, and a bit of garlic or green onion), toss until the crumbles are tender and golden.

Now, if you're not me, you can also scramble an egg or two into the Fufu with a dash of cream. If you're me, you leave that step out.

[Darienne]

Fufu is very easy. Peel and break green plantains into chunks, then get out your cast iron frypan (the deep one). Into that, put a little oil and enough water to cover the plantain chunks to about half. Lid on, then steam on low heat until the chunks get tender. Increase the heat to boil off most of the water, and at the same time, use your spatch to crumble the chunks into smaller chunks. Add spices (generally cumin, hot pepper, cilantro, and a bit of garlic or green onion), toss until the crumbles are tender and golden.

Now, if you're not me, you can also scramble an egg or two into the Fufu with a dash of cream. If you're me, you leave that step out.

Thank you. Cream, yes. Egg, no.

What about putting out some Greek yoghurt to spoon onto the Matoke? Or pickled something or other? (In case you are still there... )

[Panaderia Canadiense]

Yogurt, yes. Pickles, yes, provided they're either very spicy or very sour (sour Daikon, nukazuke style, is a great accompaniment if you want to hit all the continents at once....)