Kilimanjaro, Tanzania – Tanzanian Stew Banana (Mtori)

By Robert Christopher

Mtori is originated from Kilimanjaro region in Tanzania. It was found as the main basic food for Chagga tribe, but later became famous in a whole country.

Why it became that popular in a country?

• The food could be used as a soup in the morning.
• It also replaces lunch and dinner.
• Mtori is easy and fast to be prepared.
• Easy to access as Bananas are widely found in a country.
• Sick people find it easy to take, women afterbirth could use it as well, because it is in stew style.

How to prepare Mtori

Requirements

– Five raw Bananas

– Five carrots

– Two tomatoes

– Two bulb onions

– Two red pepper

– Three cups of fresh milk

– Half tea spoon of salt

– One full tea spoon of Blue band or margarine.

Cooking methods

• Wash and prepare your bananas(peel off), carrots, tomatoes, onions, red pepper(remember to remove the seed bag), except for bananas, all other may be made into pieces for easy cooking. Prepare big cooking pan by regarding that boiling milk will pour up.
• Put into the cooking pan your well prepared bananas, onions and tomatoes, up on the mix add carrots and red pepper pieces followed by one full cup of water. Cover up the cooking pan and heat up your food and leave it to boil up.
• Check to see if water starts to dry up, if so, add three cups of fresh milk (with it’s cream) and salt into the mix then let it . boil.
• Watch out for milk pour off, as this will diverge our goal. Use cooking spoon(or other methods) to level milk from pouring out.
• Be sure that your bananas are all ready to be eaten, then add one spoon of blue band or margarine, level down heat and let it mix well. Don’t let milk to dry up because we will use it during blending process.
• Remove cooking pan from the heat and wait for food to cool (putting pan into cold water may be fast way to cool it)
• Blend the mixture to heavy soup, milk added is enough to be used for blending process.
• After the process, put back your mix(mtori) into the pan and warm it up.
• Mtori is ready to be eaten, enjoy our Local Cuisine.

Mtori can be eaten with

Chapati or flat pan fried bread

Meat soup

Fried meat (skewered meat)