The sticky, spicy sauce deliciously offsets the blandness of the starchy vegetables. This is actually made with an unripe plantain.   I platani sono più grandi delle banane e devono essere cotti ma quando l'ho assaggiato per la prima volta in Tanzania è così che mi è stato descritto. L'ho adattato e ho aggiunto i fagioli per le proteine.  It takes a while to cook but it’s a simple one pot dish.

Ingredienti serve 2 molto generosamente (o 3, can be stored in the fridge but not frozen)

una grossa cipolla

a large plantain (about 370g or 13 once)

2 patate medie (about 350g or 12 e 1/2 once)

2 grandi spicchi d'aglio

a piece of ginger (one inch or 2 e un 1/2cm)

a tablespoon of harissa paste (hot spicy North African sauce, you can substitute tabasco)

a 400g (14 oncia) lattina di pomodori

una manciata di piselli surgelati

half a 400g (14 oncia) può di fagioli (you can freeze the rest)

2 cucchiai di passata di pomodoro

sale e pepe

olio d'oliva

an avocado, salad leaves and a squeeze of lemon juice to serve

flat leaf parsley to garnish (opzionale)

Metodo

Finely slice the onion and put it in a large lidded saucepan (save a little for the salad) with a little olive oil, stir to coat and sprinkle with salt.  Put the lid on and sweat for 10 verbale

In the meantime finely chop the 2 cloves of garlic and ginger.  Add these and a good grind of black pepper, stir together and sweat for another 5 verbale

Sbucciare il platano con a Coltello da cuoco Damasco e tagliare a mezzo pollice (1.25centimetri) rounds. Add these to the onions and add some cold water to a half inch depth in the pan.  Portare ad ebollizione, put the lid back on and continue to simmer

Scrub the potatoes and chop into a one inch (2 and a 1/2cm dice).  Add these to the pan (they wont all be covered yet) put the lid on and simmer for another 10 verbale

Dopo 10 minutes add the 2 tablespoons (un buon squirt) of tomato puree and the can of tomatoes, bring back to the boil and simmer for a further 20 a 25 minutes until the vegetables fall off of a knife

Add the drained kidney beans and the handful of frozen peas for the last five minutes

Scatter with parsley (opzionale) and serve with salad leaves, cubed avocado and a little chopped raw onion with a squeeze of lemon juice and black pepper