Matoke with groundnut sauce

Name: Matoke with groundnut sauce
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Ingredients: 10 green cooking bananas, peeled; 6 sheets banana leaves; 120 g peanut butter, smooth, unsweetened; 1 onion, finely chopped; 2 tomatoes, chopped; 400 ml water; 1¼ tsp salt

Vegetarian

Matooke

Green cooking bananas steamed in banana leaves until golden and soft, then mashed and served with a simple tomato and groundnut sauce. Uganda's national staple.

Matoke with groundnut sauce is an Ugandan main course, ready in about 1 hour 20 minutes and made with green cooking bananas (matoke) and peanut butter. It serves 4 and is rated easy to cook.

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Prep: 20 min
Cook: 1 h
Total: 1 h 20 min
Serves: 4
Level: Easy
Calories: 619

Ingredients

4 servings

10 (1100 g) Green cooking bananas (opens in a new tab), peeledSwap: Plantain (Green plantains are firmer and drier.)
6 sheets (180 g) Banana leaves (opens in a new tab)For wrapping; not eaten.
1¼ tsp (7.5 g) Salt (opens in a new tab)

Groundnut sauce

120 g Peanut butter (opens in a new tab), smooth, unsweetenedContains peanuts
1 (110 g) Onion (opens in a new tab), finely chopped
2 (240 g) Tomatoes (opens in a new tab), chopped
400 ml Water (opens in a new tab)

Equipment

Method

1
Step 1
Peel the bananas with oiled hands and keep them in water. Wrap them tightly in banana leaves (opens in a new tab) (or a covered heatproof bowl).
- 15 min
2
Step 2
Steam over simmering water until very soft and turned yellow.
- 45 min
- medium-low heat
- Stockpot / large pot (opens in a new tab)
3
Step 3
Meanwhile whisk the peanut butter (opens in a new tab) into the water in a saucepan (opens in a new tab) with the onion (opens in a new tab), tomatoes (opens in a new tab) and salt and simmer gently, stirring, until thick and no longer raw-tasting.
- 25 min
- low heat
- Saucepan (opens in a new tab)
How it looks · Photo: Kampus Production on Pexels
4
Step 4
Squeeze and knead the bananas through the leaves (or mash in the bowl) until smooth, rewrap and steam 10 minutes more. Serve with the sauce.
- 12 min
- medium-low heat
- Stockpot / large pot (opens in a new tab)
How it looks · Photo: Klaus Nielsen on Pexels

About this dish

Origin: Uganda · Well documentedAlso central to the cooking of Rwanda, Burundi and north-west Tanzania.Also popular in Rwanda, Burundi, TanzaniaMore food from Uganda
Dish: Lunch · Dinner · Main courses · Side dishes
Cooking method: Steamed, Simmered
Taste: mild, nutty, savoury
Diet: Vegan · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free
All labels
Vegan · Plant-based · Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Whole-food focused · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for: Everyday · Budget-friendly
Cook more with: Green cooking bananas (matoke) · Peanut butter · Banana leaves · Onion · Tomato
Techniques: Simmering · Steaming · Kneading

Allergens

Contains: Peanutsfrom peanut butter

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

619 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 494 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

Protein 7%
Carbohydrate 71%
Fat 22%

Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
Nutrient	Per serving	Per 100 g*
Energy	619 kcal	125 kcal
Protein	10.9 g	2.2 g
Carbohydrate	112.4 g	22.7 g
Net carbohydrate	103.7 g	21 g
Sugars	12.2 g	2.5 g
Added sugars	0 g	0 g
Fibre	8.7 g	1.8 g
Fat	15.7 g	3.2 g
Saturated fat	3.5 g	0.7 g
Trans fat	0 g	0 g
Cholesterol	—	—
Sodium	745 mg	151 mg
Salt equivalent	1.9 g	0.4 g

Vitamins & minerals per serving

Potassium: 1535 mg
Calcium: 43 mg
Iron: 2.8 mg
Magnesium: 175 mg
Vitamin A (RAE): —
Vitamin C: 66 mg
Vitamin D: —
Vitamin B12: —
Folate (DFE): —

How these numbers were made

Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
*Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
Not counted (tiny amounts or “to taste”): banana leaves.
Green cooking bananas (matoke): Raw green plantain (FDC 168215) used as a stand-in for East African highland cooking bananas, which are similar starchy green bananas.
“—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

Matoke turns grey if left exposed after peeling — keep it covered with water.

Common mistakes

Mashing the bananas before they turn yellow and soft — they stay lumpy.

Serve with

Serve with groundnut sauce, beans, or a beef or chicken stew.

Storage

Keeps 2 days refrigerated.

Reheating

Re-steam until hot.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added 27 Oct 2026 · Updated 8 Nov 2026

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

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Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Green cooking bananas (matoke), peeled10 piece · 1100 g
Banana leaves6 sheet · 0 g

Used in step 1

Reviews & corrections

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