Green Banana & Chickpea Rundown

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Green Banana & Chickpea Rundown

This fabulous recipe is from MIH teacher, trustee & co-founder of the Diverse Nutrition Association Melissa Saint Hill. Want more? Of course you do! Check out more of her stunning recipes over at @the_bare_scientist on Instagram. 

Ingredients

• 400ml can of coconut milk
• 1 cup water to start with
• 1 large yellow onion, finely diced
• 3 to 4 large cloves garlic, minced or finely chopped
• 2 large tomatoes
• 1 large bay leaf 
• Up to 1 scotch bonnet pepper (sliced if you can take the heat or left whole to remove at the end of cooking)
• 400g can of chickpeas
• 2 teaspoon all-purpose seasoning or vegetable stock cube
• 1 – 2 green bananas - savoury bananas NOT unripe green bananas sold as fruit - you can also try using green plantains as they work lovely also
• 2 small slices of yam (maybe 1 – 2 inches thick) (optional, if you want it and can get it at request from specialist Caribbean/African ethnic food store)
• 1 cup of flour and approx. ¾ cups water for dumplings
• 2 tablespoon dried thyme or handful of small bunch of fresh thyme 
• Salt to taste and black pepper
• Garnish (optional)-finely sliced spring onions, sliced red chillies ⠀⠀

Method

1. Allow your cast iron pot to heat very well. Pour in coconut milk and water into your pot and boil on a high heat continuously, stirring occasionally until the mix starts to look oily (you will see the oil being released from the coconut milk and glistening around the edge of the pan) and thickens by reduction
2. Once the coconut milk has reduced, add in onions, chilli, garlic, seasonings and herbs, and leave to cook for about 15 minutes on a medium heat
3. Add in tomatoes and let these break down for 5 - 10 minutes, followed by chickpeas
4. On a low heat, leave the rundown to simmer and reduce for 10 – 15 minutes, and check for taste
5. At this point, peel and prepare the hard food i.e. boiled dumplings, green banana and yam  – These will be cooked in a saucepan with lightly salted water with a drizzle of oil for 25- 30 minutes on a rolling boil until you are able to pierce each the green bananas and slides of yam with a fork easily enough (the oil in the water helps to ensure the green bananas do not “blacken” the yam and dumplings)
6. Prepare garnishes as required