Did you know that matooke (green bananas) make some really good porridge? Me neither…well until I made this porridge. A little bird once told me that banana porridge is a thing in Jamaica. I was skeptical because I have only eaten green bananas accompanied by something savory. This skepticism fueled my desire to try it out. Since I had no recipe whatsoever, other than bananas,milk, sugar and blend, I tried many times (3 to be exact) till I got a desired outcome. Nonetheless, I was blown away the first time I made it. Since the weather is acting up a lot these days, I thought it would be the best time to make this porridge and enjoy in this natural soothing rich creamy and complexly flavoured porridge.
What you will need:
3 Green bananas, peeled and washed
1 C. Water
1/2 C. Milk
2Tbsp. Honey
A drop of vanilla essence
A pitch of salt
Observations
The consistency you desire will determine the amount of milk you will need
This recipe makes porridge for one person. It can be doubled or tripled to make more.
In this recipe used small matooke. If you have big ones, two will be enough.
Do not drain the remaining water after the bananas have boiled. Use it to mash them.
Method
Place bananas in a clean pan, add water and put on fire. Sprinkle in the salt. Let the bananas boil till soft, tender and falling apart. This will take about 15 minutes. Remove bananas from fire and mash immediately while they are still very hot and soft. Mash the bananas till there are almost no lumps left. Add the milk and stir well to combine. Put back on fire and let the porridge simmer for about 5 minutes. Add the honey and vanilla and keep stirring. Remive from fire. Using a wire mesh sieve, sieve the pride to remove any remaining lumps (this is optional if you want smooth porridge. If you prefer it chunky, don’t sieve). Serve hot with your favorite toppings. Here I used simsim, gnuts, pumpkin seeds, some chocolate and drizzled with honey. Yum!
Let me know when you try this out.
A Kitchen In Uganda 