Tag: healthy

Chickpea pilaf.

On By WanjoroIn RecipesLeave a comment

This is a delicious and flavour full one pot meal that’s tasty, healthy and easy to make.

Chickpeas are rich in nutrients; a great source of protein which is perfect if you don’t want to use meat in the dish. The greens used here (amaranth and spinach) are also great sources of vitamins and protein too.

Colourful and tasty.

I like one pot rice meals such as this as they come together so fast and one can put in what’s available to make a tasty meal.

You will need:-

  • 1 cup of rinsed and drained chickpeas.
  • One large onion, chopped.
  • Two tbsp coconut oil. Or ghee.
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds and one bay leaf.
  • One cup soaked basmati rice.
  • Ginger garlic paste. A tbsp will do.
  • 2tsp ground good quality pilau masala.
  • Salt and pepper to taste.
  • Greens of choice ( I bunch will do, chopped).
  • Chopped coriander.
  • 2 cups water or stock.

Method.

  • Heat your pan and add your coconut oil as well as cumin seeds and bay leaf.
  • Once they start sputtering, add onions, cook until starting to brown then add the ginger garlic paste. Mix well. Before adding the pilau masala.
  • Next go in the coriander stalks and the chickpeas, as well as salt and pepper, followed by the chopped greens. I used a mix of amaranth leaves and spinach I had leftover from a previous meal.
  • Add the rice and mix well. Then in goes your stock. Cover and simmer till all the water is drained and rice is cooked through.

Serve with a salad of your choice.

I had mine with a simple tomato cucumber and onion salad.

Perfect for a light dinner, quick lunch and a hit with the kids.

What’s not to love about this beautiful meal?

My Perfect Pumpkin soup.

On By WanjoroIn RecipesLeave a comment

What makes this soup perfect? Well, it has a few of my favorite vegetables. It is colorful. It is tasty. It is filling, it’s easy and cheap to make. And it is made with love.

All the vegetables are roasted, which enables them release their sugars and they get a bit caramelized which adds depth to the flavour.

I used 2 cups of pumpkin, one red onion, two carrots, 1 small beetroot, 1 sweet potato, a knob of ginger and whole turmeric, and a few cloves of garlic. Add a small bunch of coriander too.
Spices used were a tsp each of coriander seeds, dhania jeera powder (ground cumin and coriander), salt and a pinch of white pepper.

To begin. Preheat your oven to 180 °C. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray some olive oil on it.

Clean and chop your veggies and arrange them on the tray. Spray a bit more oil on them. Sprinkle the salt and pepper and the coriander seeds and little bit of parsley.

Bake in the middle rack for 30 minutes until they are ready and a bit caramelized.
They smell amazing when you remove them from the oven. I love the colors too.

As the veggies roast. Crush the garlic, ginger and turmeric together and chop your onion.

Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a medium saucepan and add the onion. Let it sauté a while. Then add the ginger garlic mixture and the coriander stalks. Add the dhania jeera and a bit of salt and pepper. Mix well.

Let the onions soften before adding the ginger and garlic and let them cook down too.
Add your roasted veggies, then 3 cups of vegetable or chicken stock. If you don’t have some you can use water instead but not too much. Just enough to cover the vegetables.

Cover and let simmer for 15-20 minutes for the flavours to mix well. Once ready, check seasoning and adjust if necessary.

Blend the soup to your desired consistency. Garnish and serve.

It was quite thick which is fine if it’s for a main meal.
I garnished with some spicy roasted chickpeas, coriander leaves and a dollop of natural yoghurt.

You can have this soup as it is for a light lunch or add a bun for a light dinner.

I do not know how to describe how delicious and comforting this bowl of soup is. You have to try it to believe it.

The sweetness of the pumpkin, carrots, beetroot and sweet potato blend wonderfully with the zing from the ginger, the coriander seeds and white pepper and the tangy yoghurt flavour. The roasted chickpeas add crunch and a lovely different texture …

The soup looks, smells and tastes amazing!

Don’t just take my word for it, try it and let me know how it goes.

You can also check out my other pumpkin soup recipe here. https://mykampalanotebook.wordpress.com/2020/09/10/spicy-pumpkin-and-carrot-soup/

Delicious Green Banana Porridge.

On By WanjoroIn Recipes, Things I love about Kampala6 Comments

I’ve been on a roll with green banana (matoke) recipes in recent days.

We grow green bananas back home too but they don’t taste as good as the ones here in Uganda. Wait, have I become biased? Just maybe.

Are they not beautiful?

I already have several green banana aka matoke recipes here on the blog so this is another tasty addition you can add to your breakfast recipe line up. This porridge is easy to make, delicious, healthy and filling.

Tip: Please ensure your bananas are still green and firm. We’re making porridge, not a smoothie 🤪

I’m really bad with quantities when it comes to porridge but this was enough for 4 hearty bowls.

Peel 3 large green bananas. Chop / slice them and put them in your blender.

Blend them with a cup of water…
They blend pretty easily. Then add to your sauce pan with some more water, but not too much.
Bring the mixture to a boil then reduce heat. It thickens as it simmers so keep stirring so it doesn’t burn or stick to the bottom.

Add a cup of coconut milk/ cream as well as a cinnamon stick to enhance flavour. Let it simmer for 15 – 20 minutes. Add water if it’s too thick and remember to keep a close eye and stir so it doesn’t stick to the bottom.

When it’s ready, ladle into your bowl and garnish.

I garnished with chia, honey and a small dollop of peanut butter. It was so tasty the kids asked for seconds.

Try it and let me know how it turns out!

Spicy Pumpkin and Carrot Soup.

On By WanjoroIn Recipes, Things I love about Kampala1 Comment

This is a hearty veggie laden and nutrient rich soup that’s bound to be a favorite once you try it.

It’s also very colorful which is right up my alley. What’s not to love about bright vitamin A rich pumpkin with its earthy flavors, carrots with their sweetness and colour, celery for its depth of flavor and onion and garlic for the culture? It’s filling enough for dinner, and delicious enough for second helpings.

My daughter loves pumpkin soup a bit too much, so I always have to think of different ways to spice it up a bit instead of the same ol’ way.

Ingredients are:- One pumpkin wedge (about three cups chopped).That is the one with green skin and orange flesh, NOT butternut. Nope. One big stalk of celery chopped, I chopped onion, four garlic cloves, one tsp coriander seeds, salt to taste, two chopped carrots, one large chopped potato, 1tablespoon sunflower oil and two teaspoons of good quality curry powder. Let’s get started:-

Heat your pan, add oil and toast the coriander seeds a bit before adding your onion.
Once onions have softened, add the garlic, cook a bit the add the carrots and celery.
As they continue cooking, add your curry powder and mix well. You can reduce heat so it doesn’t burn but let it cook well.
Add your pumpkin and potatoes, mix well and let cook a while before adding two cups of water. Bring to the boil and then let it all simmer till cooked through.

I didn’t use flavoured stock as I didn’t want to overpower the curried flavour, and the sweetness of the pumpkin and the carrots. As always, low and slow does it. If you can make this ahead and let it sit a while to deepen the flavours go ahead; the taste is worth it!

Once the veggies are done, blend to your preferred soup consistency. And serve.
Look at that velvety smooth goodness!!
I garnished with some roasted chickpeas, a dollop of coconut cream and coriander leaves. Yum!

Chick peas are a great addition to this nutrient rich soup as it adds it more vitamins, minerals, fibre and a crispy yummy flavour to the soup. I pan roasted them with some olive oil, paprika and garlic powder, till they were crunchy. So delicious and I may have just snacked on half the pan while still roasting them. Shhhh… don’t tell the kids. LOL.

This soup went down well with a delicious loaf whose recipe is coming soon, you better keep it locked right here.

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