Matooke is a traditional meal that is mainly found in the Great Lakes region of East Africa, and eaten majorly in Uganda.
Matooke means plantain or green bananas. Plantains are a type of banana with more starch and less sugar. This causes them to maintain their green colour after ripening and only turn yellow or black if they are overripe. Unlike most types of bananas, plantains cannot be eaten raw because they have a high starch content. Once the plantain is harvested, the clusters are removed from the bunch, fingers separated and peeled by first cutting off the tips at each end and removing the peel by cutting along the length of the skin from the upper tip to the lower end. This is done carefully with a knife to ensure it does not cut deeply into the flesh of the banana. The peeled fingers may be washed or unwashed and are then wrapped in banana leaves to form a ‘bundle’. The bundle is then placed in a saucepan, water added and steamed
It can be cooked in different ways such as boiling, steaming, roasting and frying but for this special dish the plantain is mashed according to your desire. it has a unique taste, and contains so many health benefits such as, Potassium, vitamin B6, Vitamin C, and fibres.
