There is no singular dish that represents all of Kenya’s wide cuisine. Different communities have their native foods. Staples are maize and other cereals depending on the region, including millet and sorghum eaten with various meats and vegetables. The foods that are universally eaten in Kenya are ugali, sukuma wiki, and nyama choma. Kenya’s coastal cuisine is unique and highly regarded throughout the country.
Irio, the green puree
Irio is a staple of Kenyan cuisine. Also known as Mukimo, this purée is usually served as a side dish of meat or fish and is made from very simple and nutritious ingredients such as potatoes, corn and peas.
Time 30 minutes
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 450 gr potatoes
• 240 gr peas - 240 gr maize
- 1 tbsp butter
- salt and pepper.
Preparation
Place the peeled potatoes in a large pot and add water to cover them completely. Add some salt and cook over medium heat. Once boiling, lower the heat and bring to a simmer, then add the peas and cook everything until the potatoes are quite soft, for about 15-20 minutes.
In a separate pot, boil the corn in a little salted water for a few minutes while the potatoes and peas are cooking. Once cooked, mash the potatoes and peas with a potato masher to form a light green puree. Combine the corn with a little of the reserved liquid and season with salt and pepper to taste. We advise you to add a knob of butter to mix everything before serving your Irio. (World Vision/photo by Laura Reinhardt)
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Githeri, the popular Kenyan stew
Githeri is one of the main dishes in Kenya. Traditionally originating from the Kikuyu tribe of central Kenya, it has become popular throughout the country. It is a bean-based stew, with potatoes and meat in some versions of the recipe, really tasty and rich in proteins. We recommend you enjoy it accompanied by white rice or chapati.
Time: 1h
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 400 g dried mixed beans,
- 300 g corn,
- 250 g diced beef (optional),
- 1 stock cube, oil to taste,
- 1 onion,
- 2 tomatoes,
- 2 potatoes,
- 1-2 green chillies,
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste,
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin,
- 1/4 teaspoon red chilli powder,
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder,
- Salt to taste,
- 1 lemon,
- 1 clove garlic
Preparation
Rinse the previously soaked beans and place them in a pan. Add the corn (if using from a can you will not need to boil the corn). Add enough water to cover everything and sprinkle with salt. Boil until they are tender. At this point, drain but keep the water that you will use later to cook the Githeri. In the version with meat, at this point, you can add and boil the diced steak in water with a teaspoon each of salt, pepper, ginger and garlic powder until the meat is quite tender.
Heat the oil in a pan, add the chopped onions and let them brown. Add the garlic, tomato paste and chopped cherry tomatoes. Cook over a low heat until the tomatoes are soft, stirring regularly. Add the chopped chillies. Once the tomatoes are cooked, add the meat cubes and mix them in, followed by all the powdered spices. Subsequently, add the potatoes that you have previously boiled cut into cubes and the cooked beans. Mix everything together, then add the broth left over from boiling the meat or, if you are not using meat, dissolve a stock cube in a little water. The liquid should almost cover the beans.
Let the Githeri simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally until the mixture thickens. Taste and adjust salt and spices. Finally, add the lemon juice which will help intensify all the flavours. Mix and serve hot, with a garnish of coriander or chopped chilli. (Photo: CC BY-SA 4.0/Mukuba)
