Tanzanian · main

Ndizi Nyama (Green Banana and Beef Stew)

Name: Ndizi Nyama (Green Banana and Beef Stew)
Prep time: 2 h 19 min
Total time: 2 h 20 min
Cuisine: Tanzanian
Ingredients: boneless beef chuck — 700 g; green plantains — 1200 g; vegetable oil — 27 g; onion — 200 g; garlic — 12 g; fresh ginger — 20 g; tomatoes — 400 g; turmeric — 5 g; cumin — 10 g; ground coriander — 5 g; ground black pepper — 5 g; coconut milk — 368 g; water — 750 g; salt — 10 g; coriander — 100 g

Ndizi Nyama (Green Banana and Beef Stew) reads umami 5.8, richness 5.5 and allium 4.2 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Tanzanian main, about 2 hr 20 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

Umami & Savory — 6.2 / 10
Sweet & Fruity — 4.6 / 10
Sour & Bright — 2.2 / 10
Bitter & Earthy — 3.2 / 10
Rich & Fat — 6.4 / 10
Aromatic & Spice — 4.8 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 5.8 · Richness 5.5 · Allium 4.2 · Sweetness 3.9 · Salinity 3.9 · Earthy 3.0 · Nutty 2.9 · Warm Spice 2.6 · Fruity 2.4 · Herbaceous 2.3 · Sourness 1.9 · Floral 1.9 · Bitterness 1.4 · Citrus 0.9 · Heat 0.9

What's in it (15)

boneless beef chuck — 700 g
green plantains — 1200 g
vegetable oil — 27 g
onion — 200 g
garlic — 12 g
fresh ginger — 20 g
tomatoes — 400 g
turmeric — 5 g
cumin — 10 g
ground coriander — 5 g
ground black pepper — 5 g
coconut milk — 368 g
water — 750 g
salt — 10 g
coriander — 100 g

Time & effort: about 2 hr 20 min (2 hr 19 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 129.8 kcal, 4.6 g protein, 6.5 g fat, 14.6 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains dairy — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (8 steps)

Oil your hands and your knife before peeling the green bananas. The sap is fiercely sticky and will stain your fingers black for two days otherwise. Score the skin lengthwise, prise it off, and drop the peeled bananas straight into cold water so they do not brown.
Heat the oil in a heavy pot over medium-high heat and brown the beef in two batches, 5 minutes a batch, so the pieces sear rather than steam. Lift them out.
Lower the heat to medium, add the onion to the same pot and cook 8 minutes, scraping up the browned meat stuck to the bottom.
Add the garlic, ginger, turmeric, cumin, ground coriander and black pepper and cook 1 minute until the pot smells warm.
Add the grated tomatoes and cook 6 minutes, until thick.
Return the beef, pour in the water and 1 teaspoon of the salt, cover and simmer gently 1 hour 15 minutes, until the beef gives easily to a fork.
Drain the bananas and add them to the pot with the coconut milk and the remaining salt. Simmer uncovered 25 minutes, without stirring much, until the bananas are tender all the way through and have taken on the colour of the gravy.
The starch from the bananas thickens the stew as it goes; if it tightens too far, loosen with a little hot water. Scatter the coriander over before serving.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

Spinach Chicken Meatballs in Curry Sauce — Indian
Beef and Chickpea Harissa Stew — Middle Eastern
Chiles Rellenos de Picadillo Capeados — Mexican
Taco Stuffed Peppers — Tex-Mex
Spiced Ground Turkey Curry with Peas — Indian

Keep reading: what umami, richness, allium mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

See how this dish fits your palate — take the short taste test →

Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.