Lerato's Tanzanian banana curry

Escape to east Africa with this budget-friendly curry. The unripe green bananas can be swapped for firm yellow plantains and you can add more chillies, if you like

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 red onion , finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves , grated
• 1 tbsp grated ginger
• 4 large tomatoes , roughly chopped
• 4 green cardamom pods , seeds crushed
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 2 tsp mild curry powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 5 medium green bananas or 2 plantains (about 400-500g)
• 400 ml full-fat coconut milk
• 300 ml vegetable stock (vegan, if needed)
• 400 g can chickpeas , drained
• 1 lime , zested and juiced
• small handful of coriander , roughly chopped
• green or red finger chillies , sliced
• cooked basmati rice or crusty bread, to serve

Steps

1. Heat the coconut oil in a saucepan over a medium heat and cook the onions with a pinch of salt for about 8 mins, or until softened.
2. Stir in the garlic, ginger, tomatoes, cardamom and ground spices, and cook for 2 mins more. Add 125ml water and cook for another 2 mins until everything has softened.
3. Peel the bananas and chop into 3-4cm chunks. Spoon 4 tbsp of the coconut milk into a small bowl and set aside, then stir the rest into the pan along with half of the vegetable stock, the bananas and chickpeas. Season with salt. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, covered, for 10 mins. Remove the lid and cook for another 10-15 mins, or until the bananas are softened, adding a splash more if needed.
4. Stir in the lime zest and juice, then drizzle over the reserved coconut milk and scatter over the coriander and chillies. Serve with basmati rice or crusty bread.