Tag: kenyan food

Porridge. A perfect comfort food.

On By WanjoroIn Recipes2 Comments

Can I start today’s blog post with a riddle?

Question: What do you call couture porridge?

Yummy fancied up oats porridge.

Answer: Haute- meal.

I knew you’d get it, LOL!

Porridge is a popular breakfast option in many cultures around the world. It is also a good meal for weaning babies, convalescing adults and anyone struggling with a solid food diet.

Amaranth flour porridge with crunchy peanut butter, honey and garnished with unflavored yoghurt and moringa powder.

There are many ways and options for making porridge. In our culture, we like it fresh but also fermented . We call it “ucuru wa mukio. You can read more about it here.

I love fermented porridge, it is full of good bacteria, as well as nutrients. It is usually served on festive occasions and also to breastfeeding mothers, as it is believed to boost milk production. I remember when I got my first born, my grandmothers as well as my mother in law made me some. At one time I had three full jerrycans of fermented porridge. That’s almost 100 litres! I loved it.

I am yet to try making some fermented porridge for myself from scratch, but it is definitely on my to do list.

Porridge is a great breakfast option. It is usually rich in carbohydrates, making you fuller for longer, regulating your appetite as a result. It is rich in fibre, boosts immunity, and abundant in various minerals and vitamins too. For example, did you know finger millet is one of the richest plant sources of calcium, as compared to other cereals? Porridge is a great way to indulge in our whole grains and get all the amazing benefits in one go.

I prefer this local brand of porridge flour. They have amaranth, millet, and even bean options available.

My usual porridge options range from amaranth flour porridge, oatmeal, millet, rice, flour, pumpkin flour porridge and even green banana porridge which I have already shared here.

I have attached a video below of how I make my oatmeal sometimes.

This was a decadent, delicious bowl. Yum!

If using porridge flour, I usually boil 3 cups of water on the stove top. In a small bowl, I mix 6 tbsp of the porridge flour with another cup of cold water to get a thick, smooth paste. I then add the paste to the boiling water and stir with a wooden spoon till it thickens to my liking. I let it simmer on low for about 10 or so minutes then add some milk or peanut butter, if using. This makes enough porridge for 3-4 people.

Finger millet porridge, garnished with unflavored yoghurt, moringa, black seed powder, chia and sesame seeds.

I sweeten my porridge with honey though sugar also works well, but when using sugar I add it in while still on the stovetop so it can dissolve completely.

You can use ripe mashed banana to sweeten your porridge too, and some yogurt works well with oatmeal, in addition to your favorite toppings.

Porridge bowls are quite versatile so you can play around with your preferred flavours and toppings.

Other add ons once I pour some porridge into my bowl are chia seeds, baobab powder, black seed powder, desiccated coconut, chocolate flakes, moringa powder. Nuts and seeds work well too, as do chopped fresh fruit or dried fruit. Banana, raisins, passion pulp, mango cubes add yummy flavours, interesting texture and added colour and nutrients to your porridge bowl. Work with what you like and have on hand. 🤗

Creamy cardamom flavored oatmeal porridge. Garnished with sliced banana and chia seeds, sweetened with honey.

Porridge is a perfect comfort food to me, especially on cold, dull mornings, during the rainy season and anytime I feel I am missing home. A bowl of thick porridge works wonders in lifting my mood.

Millet porridge is another fave, topped with cream, peanut butter and some moringa powder.

Here are other delicious breakfast ideas worth checking out.

Do you like porridge, how do you make yours?

Sautéed Cabbage and Amaranth leaves.

On By WanjoroIn RecipesLeave a comment

One of the things that’s easy to take for granted in this part of the world, is having access to fresh green vegetables all year round.

If one has space to grow their own, even better. If you do not and have to buy, it is ok as they are not only inexpensive, but come in many different varieties to please different palates.

Amaranth leaves are more commonly known in Uganda as “Dodo” and in Kenya as “terere” or “mchicha.” It is on rotation in our meals a lot. It is rich in vitamins, easy to digest, low in calories and is a great immunity booster.

In this simple recipe, I used red amaranth leaves which are also rich in antioxidants, and gave the veggie mix a bright red color. Green amaranth leaves can work just as well too, minus the red colour obviously.

Let us get started:-

Ingredients.

⁃ Half a head of cabbage, chopped.

⁃ I small bunch of amaranth leaves. I used red but green can work well too.

⁃ 2tbsp ghee.

⁃ 1 tsp mustard seeds.

⁃ 1 large onion, sliced.

⁃ 1 tsp of crushed ginger and garlic.

⁃ 2 tomatoes, chopped.

⁃ 1 tsp dhania jeera powder.

⁃ 1/4 tsp ground turmeric.

⁃ Sliced bell pepper (optional).

⁃ Salt and pepper to taste.

Our spice mix for this dish.

⁃ A pinch of garam masala.

⁃ 1 small lemon halved.

Method.

⁃ Clean and chop all vegetables.

⁃ Heat pan, add ghee and mustard seeds. Once they sizzle a bit, add the onion and let cook till it is soft and translucent.

⁃ Add the ginger garlic paste and mix in well.

Once it’s cooked a bit add the tomatoes and cumin / coriander powder as well as some salt and pepper.

⁃ Let the tomatoes cook down then add the veggies.

Mix well and let cook for not more than ten minutes. You don’t want to overcook them. Leave uncovered.

They will shrink and wilt a bit. Don’t over cook them though. The cabbage is great when it still has a bit of crunch.

⁃ Check your seasoning and add the garam and squeeze half a lemon over the veggies.

The red amaranth leaves’ colour will give the dish a nice reddish, pinkish hue.

Serve hot with rice, ugali or chapati. It’s a perfect side dish but also yummy and healthy enough on its own.

Definitely worth a try don’t you think?

Try and let me know how yours turned out.

Love,

Wanjoro.

Tasty Chicken and Peanut Stew.

On By WanjoroIn Memories, Recipes2 Comments

This is one of my favorite chicken recipes. It comes a close second after my chicken in lemon and garlic that I have already posted here on the blog. Check it out too.

I love cooking this chicken in peanut butter for my loved ones. It is hearty, delicious and easy to make.

Let’s get started right away:-

Our ingredients are 1 kg of skinned chicken cut into pieces, one large chopped onion, 1 large chopped tomato, some tomato paste, 1 tbsp ginger garlic and turmeric paste, Freshly ground black pepper and salt, 2 tbsp smooth peanut butter, 2 cups water, a small pinch of sugar. 1tbsp of cooking oil.

Method:-

Clean and chop your chicken into pieces. Sprinkle salt and some freshly ground black pepper on it and mix well.
Add the peanut butter to a bowl and add one cup of water and mix well till the butter is dissolved. Set aside.

Heat your wide heavy based sauce pan and add the cooking oil. Once hot, add the chicken pieces and sear till brown but don’t let it cook yet. Once brown set aside.

Add your onion to the same pot and cook till soft. Add the ginger garlic and turmeric mixture and let cook for a while.

Next add the tomatoes and paste. Let cook down into a paste / sauce. Once the tomatoes are soft and cooked through, add the chicken pieces. Mix well.

Add the peanut butter you had dissolved with the remaining water. Mix, lower heat. Cover the pan and let simmer on low heat for 25-30 minutes until chicken is cooked though. Boneless chicken will obviously take a shorter time to cook.

The sauce will thicken so keep an eye on it so it doesn’t burn. If it’s too thick you can add some water as it simmers.

Once ready check seasoning then serve. It goes well with rice and vegetables.

Very flavorful.

I usually determine how much seasoning to use depending on the peanut butter, so it is important to use a good quality. If it’s too salty or sugary it will affect the taste of the sauce, that’s why I prefer checking the seasoning at the end.

Rice, chicken peanut stew and steamed vegetables.

Try it and enjoy!

Simple Irio Recipe.

On By WanjoroIn Recipes1 Comment

Irio is a staple in my motherland, and is more or less the same as mukimo, which I have shared here and here. Irio means food in my mother tongue, and is used to refer to the mashed mix of maize, beans, potatoes and fig gourd leaves, which we call ‘kahūrūra. This is not to be confused with pumpkin leaves, though they are very similar. However you can replace them with pumpkin leaves if you can’t get the fig gourd leaves and they will work just as well.

This is a nutritious and filling meal to make, and you can have it on its own, or with an accompaniment of your choice. I like traditional food because you get to taste the authentic flavour of the different ingredients and benefit from the nutrients and it tastes just as our forefathers or rather mothers made it.

Ingredients: 1 kg or so of peeled Irish potatoes, already boiled maize and beans, blanched pumpkin leaves. For the accompaniment i made stir fried veggies (onions, capsicum and courgette)
Peel, clean and boil your potatoes in salted water. A dash of pepper is ok too.
Once the potatoes are almost cooked down, you can drain the water and add the beans and maize so they heat through.
Add your blanched and blended pumpkin leaves, check seasoning and mash away…
….till you get this smooth mash. You can use a potato masher or a wooden cooking stick to mash them up.
I had some leftover fried onions (birista), so I crushed them and mixed them in the irio adding a lovely flavour.
Look at that lovely green colour! I really love colourful food especially when the colour comes from natural ingredients that offer added nutrients too.
Final plate: Irio and stir fried vegetables for the win! Yummy.

For the stir fried vegetables, I first caramelized the onions low and slow till they released their sugars, then increased heat and added the veggies to just let them cook a bit, before adding a splash of balsamic vinegar, then garnished with sesame seeds. Yum!!!

This is such a great veggie full meal that’s also perfect for #meatlessmondays too don’t you think?

Tasty Githeri.

On By WanjoroIn Memories, Recipes2 Comments

Gītheri is one dish that is synonymous with where I come from, and a trademark of Kenyan cuisine. It is also found in other communities by different names, and with some slight differences. Whereas we Central Kenya folks make it with maize and beans most of the time, some communities add groundnuts to the mix, or just have maize and another cereal or legume such as peas, pigeon peas and hyacinth bean which we call ‘njahī’ in my mothertongue.

I have already shared another githeri recipe here using fresh green peas but here I will share with butterbeans, with a tasty twist. Let’s get started:-

Ingredients: Already boiled butterbeans and green maize, 1 tsp mustard seeds, some curry leaves, 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste, 1 large chopped onion, 2 chopped tomatoes, 1 chopped green pepper, chopped carrot and courgette and coriander leaves to garnish.
Heat your pan and add one tbsp vegetable oil, once the oil is really hot. Add the black mustard seeds and curry leaves, they will sputter immediately then add the onions before they burn, mix well.
Once your onions have softened, add the coriander stalks, green pepper and ginger garlic paste, mix well and cook for a whole then add your spices of choice here; I just added some Kenyan curry powder.
Add the chopped vegetables, and let cook a bit. Then add the beans and maize.
Add some salt and pepper, and a little water if too dry, cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes until the flavours are blended well.
When ready, garnish with your coriander leaves and serve hot.
Avocado goes perfectly well with gītheri, so add some chunky guacamole and chilli on top, then enjoy!

Gītheri actually means ‘plain’ as it was usually eaten as is with just some salt. And it is tasty that way, fresh off the pot when boiled together then drained and served hot sprinkled with salt is one way. You can also mash it with potatoes and it becomes ‘mūkimo’ which I have already shared here, or fry it with some onions and spices and array of vegetables for a different taste like in this post.

That is the beauty of cooking, using what you have on hand to experiment with a different way of eating your food, isn’t it?