Matooke & Groundnut Sauce
Uganda's national dish - steamed green bananas with rich, creamy peanut sauce (Binyewa)
⏱️ Ready in 1 hr
Medium
👥 Serves 6
Matooke & Groundnut Sauce
🔪20 min
🔥40 min
👥6
⚡550 cal
Listen to recipe instructions while you cook hands-free
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Ingredients
0 of 10 ready
↓
Green bananas (matooke)15 fingers
MUST be green and starchy
Fresh banana leaves4 large
for wrapping
Onions2 medium
finely chopped
Tomatoes3
chopped
Garlic4 cloves
minced
Fresh ginger1 inch
grated
Groundnuts (peanuts)2 cups
raw, for sauce
Cooking oil2 tbsp
Saltto taste
Water3 cups
🧰
↓Equipment Needed
3 items required
🍲Large pot with tight-fitting lid
🌪️Blender or mortar & pestle
🔪Sharp knife (oil it to prevent sticking)
💡 Don't have something? Check the recipe tips for possible substitutions!
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Let's Cook!
Step 1 of 6
1
Oil your hands and knife (green bananas are sticky!). Peel bananas carefully and drop immediately into fresh water to prevent browning.
⏱️10 min
💡
Pro Tip: Green bananas must be rock-hard and completely green - NOT regular bananas!
Current
2
Wrap peeled bananas individually in banana leaves. Place in pot with 1 cup water at bottom, cover with more leaves.
⏱️10 min
3
Steam 20-25 minutes until bananas turn bright yellow and pierce easily with fork.
⏱️25 min
⚠️
Important: Don't let water touch the bananas - they should steam only!
4
MASH IMMEDIATELY while hot! If they cool, they become gluey and lumpy. Mash to smooth consistency.
⏱️5 min
⚠️
Important: This is critical - must mash while HOT!
5
For G-nut sauce: Toast groundnuts in dry pan until golden. Blend with 2 cups water until smooth.
⏱️10 min
6
Sauté onions and tomatoes. Add groundnut paste, simmer 15-20 minutes until oil separates and floats to top.
⏱️20 min
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Pro Tip: Oil separation = sauce is ready! This is the sign.
💡 Pro Tips
- •The word "matooke" is synonymous with "food" in Uganda
- •Mash while HOT or it becomes gluey - most common mistake!
- •Oil separation in g-nut sauce means it's done
- •Use East African highland bananas, not regular bananas