Thai Fried Green Bananas with Mango Chutney

      Bananas and mangoes are typically fruits that we know to eat raw and in the special occasion when bananas are green we make the usual matoke. A friend was once very shocked that i cooked ripe mangoes instead of eating them. Well variation is important in different foods, otherwise, we would be stuck with the same recipes and food combinations all our lives.Who wants to live like that?Live a little dangerously,take your taste buds on a trip,experiment and it will sing you praises for years to come.( Thank me later)
      Now in this case cooked mangoes are a common occurrence at the Kenyan coast,but for those who are not acquainted with our coastal cuisine prepare to be blown away. Mango chutney is my favorite way of pickling my mangoes and peppers(i am a majooooor pepper fan) So any given time its never missing in the fridge; except in the sad no mango season .
      As for bananas there's usually a time when you have had matoke a number of times and they still don't seem to get depleted so what to do? Most of the time we know how to prepare it how our mothers did it and we hardly try to find out what else to do with them.I bring you good news! There are a dozen or so ways of preparing the bananas,as a desert,a main meal,a snack,drinks, the list is endless. My new favorite is the fried bananas.I remember my home science teacher used to mention banana fritters so often and i went and tried it one day,it backfired so bad i never attempted it again, and my mother wasn't very amused i wasted food too,lol. This is a variation of the fritters only 100 times better and it all got eaten.
Below is the recipe for both . Adiamo a Mangiare!

MANGO CHUTNEY
Ingredients
- 2 large ripe mangoes
- 10-15 peppers
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 10ml white vinegar
- 1 red onion
- 2 ripe tomatoes
- 1 sprig rosemary leaves
- 1tspn black pepper
- 2tspn salt
- 2tspn garlic powder/4 cloves garlic
- 3tbsp vegetable oil
- 2tbspn masala powder (optional)

Method 
1.Peel and chop the mangoes ( size doesn't matter provided its minus the seed) and set aside.
2. Wash and chop up all the other vegetables, i.e peppers,garlic,onions and tomatoes.
3. Place all the chopped vegetables plus mangoes into a saucepan add the vinegar ,sugar, black pepper , rosemary, salt and masala powder.
4. Set on a flame ,leave to cook for 15 minutes whilst stiring  till the contents are tender and soggy .
5. Add the oil and leave for an additional 1 minute  (the oil is to preserve it )
6. Turn off the heat, pour into a blender and blend till smooth.
Mango chutney is ready to serve.

THAI FRIED GREEN BANANAS
Ingredients
- 12 peeled and boiled firm green bananas
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup sugar
-1/2 cup unsweetened dried coconut,or freshly grated coconut
- 3/4 cup water mixed with 1/2 tspn baking soda
- 1/2 tspn salt
- 1tbspn untoasted sesame seeds
- 1 tspn curry powder
- 500 ml vegetable oil

Method
1. Slice the banana lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices, set aside
2. Whisk together the rest of the ingredients except the oil.
3. In a frying pan heat up the oil, keep the temperature steady.
4. Put the banana slices into the batter. Ensure they are thoroughly coated in the batter.Carefully lower into the hot oil one slice at a time.
(Do not fry too many at a time as this will lower the temperature of the oil and make the bananas soggy)
4. Cook for a minute on either side,or till evenly brown.
5 Once brown, remove them and place on a plate lined with absorbent paper to drain off excess oil.
Serve while still hot with the mango chutney.