Mtori

Ingredients

• 600 g beef shin or short ribs, on the bone, cut into large pieces
• 8 green cooking bananas, about 900 g
• 2 onions, one halved and one finely chopped
• 2 ripe tomatoes, chopped
• 1 carrot, cut into thick coins
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1.5 litres water
• 2 tbsp ghee or butter
• 120 ml whole milk or single cream
• 1 1/2 tsp salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp chopped coriander

Before you cook

• Rub a little oil over your hands and a knife blade, since green banana sap stains badly.
• Top and tail the bananas, score the skin lengthways, and peel the thick skin away.
• Cut each peeled banana into three chunks and drop them into a bowl of salted water so they do not darken.
• Chop the tomatoes, slice the carrot, crush the garlic, halve one onion and finely chop the other.

Steps

1. Put the beef into a large heavy pot with the water, the halved onion and 1 teaspoon of the salt.
2. Bring the pot to the boil over high heat and skim off the grey foam that rises.
3. Turn the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 50 minutes until the beef gives easily when pressed.
4. Fish out and discard the halved onion.
5. Drain the banana chunks and add them to the pot along with the carrot, garlic and tomatoes.
6. Simmer uncovered for 25 minutes, until the bananas are soft enough to crush against the side of the pot.
7. Lift the beef out onto a board and let it sit until cool enough to handle.
8. Pull the meat off the bones in rough shreds and discard the bones.
9. Mash the bananas directly in the pot with a wooden masher until the broth thickens into a coarse, creamy purée.
10. Return the shredded beef to the pot and stir it through.
11. Add the ghee, the milk and the chopped onion, and stir until the ghee melts.
12. Simmer gently for 8 minutes so the raw onion softens into the soup.
13. Season with the remaining salt and the black pepper, then taste and adjust.
14. Scatter the coriander over and ladle into deep bowls.