Gītheri is a central Kenyan traditional meal of maize and beans, mixed and boiled together; similar to what is known as ‘succotash’. It can be had plain with some salt, you add some potatoes to make a mash which we call ‘mūkimo, or fry and have other spices and vegetables or even meat added to it, or add some groundnuts, the varieties are endless.
This time round I made mine with fresh green peas, which we call ‘minji’, and had it with some cabbage to make a delicious vegetarian meal.
Let’s get started:-
I cup blanched peas
I cup boiled green maize; you can use sweet corn too.
1 large potato, chopped
1large chopped onion
1 chopped courgette
1 tbsp tomato paste
1/4 tsp ground turmeric.
1 tsp dhana jeera
1/4 tsp black pepper
coriander leaves for garnish
Heat oil in a pan, fry your onions till soft.Add the ground spices, mix well then add the tomatoes and some salt, cover and let cook a bit.Add your courgette and potatoes and let cook over medium heat, you can add a little water so they do not burn.Then add the peas and maize and mix wellIf you want your gather dry, just cover and cook on low till potatoes are cooked through. If you want it to have a thickish sauce, add enough water (about a cup) to just cover the mix, then cover and let cook through till it reduces to your liking and the potatoes are cooked through.Once ready to your liking, check the seasoning and add the coriander leaves and a tbsp of lemon juice to garnish. You can have it on it’s own like this, or with rice or other vegetables.
For the vegetable side dish, our ingredients are:-
Half a head of white cabbage, 1 carrot, sliced bell peppers, onion, 1/2 tsp mustard seeds and 1 tsp curry powder.Heat your pan, add the oil and mustard seeds and let them release their aroma and start popping..Add your onion, I mixed red and spring onion.Add your curry powder, some salt and add the green pepper and carrots. Mix all well on high heat.Add your cabbage, mix well, then add the other bell peppers, and cook your vegetables to your liking.I like them cooked just in the middle, a bit soft, a bit crunchy. One of my grandmothers would NEVER eat cabbage I had cooked as she would always complain it’s undercooked. LOL. So I would serve mine then let the rest cook to her liking. This is such a beautiful dish, the colours are so inviting you just want to dig in. An avocado if available adds more oomph to the popping colours and flavours! And in Uganda and Kenya, how can a meal be complete without avocado on the side?
The best thing about gītheri is there are no iron clad rules. As always, it is up to you to use what you have and flavour it your way. This makes a perfect meatless Monday or quick midweek meal as it is easy to whip up and one of the easiest way to load up on some veggies.
MY KAMPALA NOTEBOOK 
Pingback: Tasty Gītheri. | MY KAMPALA NOTEBOOK