Pauline and her children arrived in New Zealand as refugees from Rwanda in 1998. Below is one of the recipes she bought with them from her homeland.

Igitoki ni ibishyimbo (Banana and black-eyed beans)

2 tablespoons oil
1 onion, finely diced
3 tomatoes, blanched and peeled (or canned)
4 green bananas (the short thick type called plantains)
1 tablespoon salt
2 cups pre-cooked black-eyed beans

Heat oil in a heavy pot and fry diced onion until it softens, add tomatoes and stir for two minutes. Peel green bananas using a knife or potato peeler and slice into half-centimetre rounds. Add bananas to the pot and stir. Add salt and enough water to cover. Cover the pot and simmer for five minutes, then add drained black-eyed beans and simmer a further 20 minutes. Serves 4–5.