Diverse Story Sunday – Every Sunday, I share a recipe that is inspired by a book with diverse characters. You can check out other posts from the series here .
This is How We Do It by Matt Lamothe has become a household favorite of ours lately, for its beautiful illustrations and explanations of cultural differences. The book follows a typical day in the lives of 7 different children from around the world. From Japan to Iran to Uganda, you are transported to a trip around the world to see their homes, their classrooms, their kitchens, and much more.
I’ve found this book to be a great jumping off point for teaching the kids to become aware of cultural differences for the first time. Through this book, my kids and I have had several discussions about why their schools and homes look different from ours, why their names sound different than the names of our friends, and much more. It has been a great way to open their eyes to different ways of life.
Ugandan Matoke
On one page, you get a glimpse into what each child has for lunch. When we saw that the child in Uganda had “matoke” for lunch, my daughter asked what that was so we looked it up. We learned that matoke is an East African banana, similar to a plantain that is common in Ugandan cuisine.
While I wasn’t able to find matoke or plantains locally, I used bananas to make this Ugandan matoke-inspired stew that our family absolutely loved. The bananas add a warm flavor and sweetness to this hearty, savory stew.
This stew was such a hit that even our 2.5 year old, who has pretty strong food preferences, asked for a second helping. As we were enjoying it, Ava (my 4 year old) exclaimed, “we don’t live in Uganda, but we are eating food from Uganda!” which made me smile. Food can be pretty magical that way.
Beef & Banana Stew
Ingredients
3 tbsp cooking oil
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 green bell pepper
3 Roma tomatoes, diced
1 lb ground beef
1 tsp salt
3 bananas, sliced
3/4 tsp cumin
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp thyme
3 cups beef broth
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
Directions
- In a large pot or dutch oven, saute onions and garlic in cooking oil until onions begin to soften and become fragrant.
- Add bell peppers and cook for an additional 3 minutes. Add salt, tomatoes and ground beef, continue to saute until beef is browned.
- Next, add bananas, cumin, turmeric, and thyme. Mix well to coat the mixture in the spices.
- Add beef broth and bring the stew to a low simmer. Partially cover the pot and allow to simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove the stew from heat and add lemon juice. Allow to sit for 10 minutes and then mix in most of the cilantro, reserving about 1/3 for garnishing.
- Garnish with cilantro and enjoy the stew while hot.
