6 MATOKE WITH SPINACH & PEANUT STEW

Shebah Mimano runs Inyamat, a pop-up restaurant and caterers based in Aberdare, South Wales (inyamat.co.uk). She also blends and sells spice mixes.

Inyamat means ‘food’ in Ateso, a dialect of Uganda, where her mother is from. It’s a country that inspires the food Shebah serves – as well as Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa. ‘A food that makes me really happy is matoke with spinach and peanut stew. Matoke is a green banana you boil and mash – taste-wise, it’s somewhere between a banana and plantain. It’s the dish Mum cooks when we’re feeling celebratory, and is one of those dishes you only have at certain times of the year, so for me, it brings back better times in life. It’s also expensive, so we only have it every so often. I love it.’