Brazilian Moqueca de Banana with Rice

Ingredients

• 4 green bananas or plantains, peeled and cut into thick rounds
• 1 can coconut milk
• 1 1/2 cups rice
• 3 ripe tomatoes, sliced
• 2 tbsp neutral oil, plus 1 tbsp red palm oil to finish
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 bell peppers, sliced
• 1 red chili, sliced
• 2 limes, 1 juiced and 1 cut into wedges
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• Salt and black pepper

Steps

1. Peel the green bananas by scoring the skin lengthwise and prising it off with a knife; unripe skins will not pull away. Drop the rounds into cold water with the lime juice as you cut so they do not blacken.
2. Rinse the rice and simmer it in 2 1/4 cups salted water, covered, over the lowest heat for 15 minutes, then leave it covered off the heat.
3. Heat the neutral oil in a wide shallow pan over medium heat and cook the onion and peppers with a pinch of salt for 8 minutes, until soft, then add the garlic and chili for 30 seconds.
4. Layer the drained banana rounds and the sliced tomatoes over the vegetables rather than stirring them in. Moqueca is built in layers and left alone so nothing breaks up.
5. Pour the coconut milk over, season with salt, and bring to a bare simmer.
6. Cover and cook over low heat for 20 to 25 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally instead of stirring, until the banana is tender all the way through.
7. Keep it below a rolling boil the whole time, or the coconut milk splits into oil and grainy curds.
8. Take the pan off the heat, drizzle the palm oil over the surface for colour and aroma, and serve over the rice with the cilantro and lime wedges.

Allergen note: Contains coconut.

Use the listed quantities as a guide, adjust seasoning to taste, and cook proteins to a safe internal temperature.