Ndizi na Nyama

Ndizi na Nyama

Serves 2-4 people 

Ingredients: 

  • 1.5 lbs of the Greenest Ripe Bananas, peeled and sliced in long halves 

  • 1 lb of oxtail, optional* 

  • 1 can of full fat coconut milk

  • 1  bunch of Cilantro

  • 1  red pepper, sliced thick

  • 1 green pepper, sliced thick

  • 1 red onion, diced

  • 1 long, green jalapeno pepper, scotch bonnet peppers or habanero pepper

  • 1 can of stewed tomatoes 

  • 2 maggi beef cubes or vegetable cubes

  • 3 cups of beef, from oxtail or for vegan alternative vegetable broth

  • 6 cloves of garlic, minced

  • 1 tbsp of ginger, peeled and minced

  • ½ tsp of turmeric powder

  • 2 tbsp of oil

  • Salt

  • Pepper

Instructions:

To prepare your oxtail: Trim the fat from the oxtail and toss them in a large mixing bowl. Drizzle olive oil, sprinkle salt  and  pepper. Next, grab a large deep pot or skillet and heat your pan over medium high heat. Start adding oxtail into a hot pot/ skillet, and brown them. Once the oxtails are brown, add 1 tbsp of ginger, 1 tsp of garlic and ½ cup of diced red onions.Cook for an additional 3 minutes and then add 5 cups of water. Reduce the heat to low-medium and let the oxtail boil until tender, approximately 1.5 hours. Save the broth! 

  1. Assuming you have already prepared your oxtail in a separate pot we will begin making our bananas and meat. At this time, your bananas should be peeled, your peppers and onions should be sliced and your garlic & ginger should be minced. 

  2. Put the pot on medium heat  and add 1 cup of broth to the hot pan. Then add 1 flat layer of the bananas, add a layer of oxtail, and sprinkle a handful of stewed tomatoes. Continue this until the bananas and oxtail are complete. Pour remaining broth on the top.

  3. Once the broth, banana, oxtail tomato layering is complete, add your sliced onions & peppers. Add ginger, garlic, turmeric, curry powder, beef cubes, pepper, I used scotch bonnet and cilantro. Pour coconut milk over everything. DO NOT MIX. Cover pot and lower heat to medium low heat.

  4. This is where your senses kick in. Allow the food to slowly cook for about 20 minutes or until you begin to smell and hear the food cooking. Open the pot and do 3 big stirs from the bottom to allow the juices from the broth and coconut to continue to penetrate to the bottom. Fork test your bananas to see if  they are soft for eating. Use a clean spoon to salt check your meal. Turn off heat if fork and spoon check, check out! 

  5. Karibu Chakula!

Jocelyn Salala