Tomato Chicken with Bell Peppers and Raw Bananas

We had a serious surplus of small green raw bananas after C's aunt sent over 2 batches over 1 week! I had never cooked or had raw bananas and it sat for another week till I was forced to figure out what to do with it. Our cook/servant only knew of using them in fish curries and I am not fond of buying fish (a lil scared!) so - we had to get creative. So one night we cooked it with beef curry and replaced potatoes with the bananas. The next day we boiled it a bit and then cut them like fries and cooked them like fries as a snack - realized it can be cooked like potatoes! Apparently 1 raw banana is equivalent to 1 potato in starch/carbs.

We had a half a big bell pepper left over and before it spoiled I wanted to use it up. But when he went to cut it - it was already half spoiled! So we had only a few pieces of bell peppers - hardly enough for even 1/4 of a chicken! Looked around - and aha! the dang raw bananas!! Cut them into little pieces and added them to the pile - wallah! Enough base for a good curry.

So here goes me experiment - brahahaha! It started off as a recipe I saw online but by the time I was cooking it - it became something quite different!

You need...
Chicken - cut into bite size marinate in 1 tsp salt
Bell pepper - 1 is enough for 1/2 chicken
Raw Banana - I used about 4 - these are small
2 Tomatoes or canned tomato puree will work
Onion, Garlic, ginger pastes (mixed about 3-4 table spoons)
Garam Masala - 1 tsp
Red Chili powder
Fresh green chili - split lengthwise on top
Sugar
Salt
Oil
Fresh Coriander leaves
Bay leaf
Cinnamon stick
Tomato Ketchup 1-2 tsp (optional for a sweet/sour taste)

Prep time: efficient kitchen and quick chopping will take no time at all =)
Cook time: 15-20mins

Heat some oil in pan. Fry the banana, green chili and bell pepper. Take out and put aside - try not to overcook it.

In a blender, make a tomato puree. Take tomato or tomato puree, 2-3 cloves of garlic, pinch of salt, red chili powder and ketchup. Put aside.

In same oil put the pastes (onion, garlic, ginger) and fry till the oil rises to top. Put in the cleaned chicken pieces and fry for a bit. Pour in the puree and toss. Add the garam masala, a bit of salt, sugar. Let it boil for a few minutes. Put in the bananas and let it simmer. In 5 minutes put in the peppers and green chili so its still a bit crunchy.

Taste to see if it needs more sugar or salt. If its strong taste - add sugar to tone down and even the taste. It should be spicy, little sour and a little sweet and will smell and taste like chinese =)

Serve with fresh coriander sprinkled on top. It will look a nice reddish curry with green peppers/coriander and white-ish chicken.

Its a crazy concoction but it tasted surprisingly good with some rice! Btw - it isn't necessary to add the bananas - I added them cause I had so much to get rid off!