Favourite Kenyan dishes (2)

Fried Omena with ugali

Ingredients:
Omena
Onions
Tomatoes
juice from one lemon
Tomato paste
Salt
Vegetable oil


For ugali:
Maizemeal flour
Water


To cook ugali, just boil water then add flour gradually and mix gently with a mwiko. As the mixture thickens, keep mixing and adding flour until it's consistency thickens and forms a semi-soft dough. Make sure you cook on high heat and gradually lower the heat as it cooks. Then cover, reduce heat and let simmer for a few minutes. Turn again and transfer to a plate and cover with the pan until ready to serve.

As for the omena,

Remove any shells or sand in the omena.
Wash with warm water and put in a separate bowl.
Squeeze lemon juice on to the omena and mix to blend in. Add a sprinkle of salt.

Heat oil in the pan till very hot and add the omena. Fry until browned and a little hard. Then add the chopped onions and tomatoes and continue frying and stirring every once so often. Add the tomato paste and reduce the heat. Cook gently until ready. Adjust seasoning according to your taste.

This dish can be eaten as it is with ugali or you can cook sukuma wiki as an accompaniment.
Wewe! Utapenda!

Banana and Apple Bread

Ingredients:
3 Ripe bananas mashed using a fork. (Blend if you have a blender)
100 g Butter or magarine
100 g Muscovado sugar
1 Apple, grated
250g Flour
3 Eggs
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla essence

You can vary the ingredients as suits you.

Prepare a baking tin by lining it with greaseproof paper.
Preheat the oven to 180 C / Gas Mark 4

Method:
Put the butter and sugar in a bowl and beat together until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs, one at a time, then mix in the vanilla essence.
Stir the bananas gently into the butter mixture. Then add the apple, flour, nutmeg and cinnamon stirring until just mixed.

Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for about 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Remove from the oven and let cool before turning out on a wire rack.

Slice the loaf and serve plain or with your favourite spread.

Favourite Kenyan dishes (1)

Menu

Pilau

Kachumbari

Beef Stew

A platter of assorted fresh tropical fruits.

Wow! Utapenda! (You will love this!)

Ingredients:

Pilau

meat (lamb, chicken, beef or fish)

onions (red or white)

Garlic

Ginger

potatoes

peas

Coriander (preferably fresh)

Vegetable oil

Chumvi (salt)

Garam Masala (whole or ground)

Basmati Rice

(The quantities you use will depend on the number of people you are cooking for. Sijui your apetite iko aje! I will let you decide.)

Method:

Boil the meat adding salt, potatoes separately until tender. Keep the stock from the meat, drain the potatoes. Make sure the potatoes are not too tender or else they will crumble and I'm sure you do not want a mash pilau!

Fry the onions, garlic and ginger and do not burn them, please.

Add garam masala and cook gently then add the meat then gradually the stock and rice.

Cook gently in a low heat until the rice is ready. Stir once to mix.

When the liquid starts evaporating from the pilau, add peas and cook for about three minutes or till tender then stir in the potatoes. Adjust the oil and when just about ready, add the coriander.

Hopefully you will have made some beef stew to eat with this or you can make gravy. Some people like it as it is. Then...

Kachumbari...

Ingredients:

Onions

Tomatoes

Garlic (optional)

Green chilli (optional)

Lemon

Coriander

Salt

vegetable oil (optional)

Method:

Chop the onions, tomatoes, garlic and green chilli and mix in a bowl.

Squeeze lemon on the mixture, add chopped coriander, vegetable oil and salt to taste.

Serve as an accompaniment.

Tropical fuit salad:

Grapes, oranges, pineapples, melon.

Serve paw paw on a separate platter as it just might get mashy if mixed with the other fruit.

As for bananas, you are probably better serving them whole as they might get oxidised and turn dark - not a good sight!

Tamu sana!

Enjoy your meal.

New year, new menus, new recipes

Aha! But do I say! Ugali-mania on the loose!

Look out for a variety of menus on this page.