Matooke, tripe and sweet bread
Tripe and sweet bread are basically the entrails of a slaughtered animal in this case cattle specifically, the thymus gland and the first and second stomach. They are offal (not offals) although this term also covers other organ meats such as the liver, kidneys and heart.
This one-pot dish locally known as ‘akatogo ke byenda,’ is a very popular breakfast dish in Central Uganda and it is no wonder as it is very tasty, nutritious and full of flavour!
This recipe cooks a large pan of matooke and byenda that can make two meals for a family of four. Just save the rest in the fridge and re-heat with a little water if necessary, for another hassle-free meal, or reduce the ingredients by half, for one meal.
Ingredients
500g tripe & sweetbreads (ebyenda) 1 kg matooke
4 large tomatoes 2 large onions
4 cloves garlic 2 level tsp beef masala
2 heaped tsp tomato paste 2 heaped tsp Royco
3 large carrots 2 tbsp oil
Salt 1-2 green chilies (optional)
Method
1. Slice the onion and finely grate the garlic. Slice the carrots into medium-size slices and finely chop the tomatoes. Finely chop the green chilies, if using. Peel, wash and keep the matooke in a pan of water.
2. Chop the byenda into small pieces and trim and discard any excess fat. Wash very well in many washes of water until thoroughly clean. Put the byenda in a saucepan with enough water to just cover it, and one tsp salt. Bring to the boil and then reduce the heat to medium and cook covered until tender. Remove the pan from the heat. Do not drain any cooking liquid, cover and put aside.
3. Heat the same saucepan until dry, add the oil and fry the onions until golden. Add the garlic and cook stirring for one to two minutes. Add the beef masala and stir briskly for a minute.
4. Add the tomatoes give a good stir, reduce the heat to medium and cook covered, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes begin to stick to the bottom of the pan. Add the tomato paste and cook stirring, until the colour darkens. Add a little water to make a thick sauce.
5. Mix the Royco with a little water and add to the pan. Stir well and simmer for a few minutes. Add a litre of water. Bring to the boil and then reduce the heat and simmer for a few minutes.
6. Add the byenda and its cooking liquid. Bring to the boil and simmer for about three minutes. Remove the byenda, cover and put aside.
7. Put half the matooke in a large saucepan and cover with half the byenda and half the carrots and slowly pour over half the sauce. Add the rest of the matooke and put the rest of the byenda and carrots on top. Pour the rest of the sauce over adding a little more water if necessary, so that the matooke is just covered.
Bring to the boil and then reduce the heat and simmer until the matooke is tender.
8. Serve piping hot with cooked greens.
