Recipes from Kenya

Kenya is made up of 32 African ethnic groups, plus some of the people are of Indian, Arab, European or mixed heritage. Only about 10% of the country’s land is considered good farmland, so the people in rural areas work hard to survive. Their diet is typically sub-Saharan African, consisting of corn meal, cassava, yams, peanuts, beans, greens and whatever vegetables they can grow. Some ethnic groups are nomadic herders. In the towns and cities you can find food with other cultural influences, particularly Indian. A good and common Kenyan food to prepare, although the recipe is not included here, are samosas, fried pastries filled with meat, beans or potatoes, accompanied by a mango or apricot chutney.

Sweet corn, bean and potato mash (Kenya) serves 4 to 6
Irio - This is a typical dish of the Kikiyu people of the Kenyan highlands, that is now served throughout Kenya.
1 cup cooked field peas or red kidney beans ½ pound spinach or greens, cooked
2 cups corn kernels, cooked, or use canned margarine
½ pound chopped and boiled potatoes 1 lemon, cut into wedges
salt and pepper
  • Place the beans, corn and potatoes into a bowl. Mash them together and combine well.
  • Put the mixture into a saucepan and add the spinach or greens. Warm through over a gentle heat with a little margarine and salt and pepper tp taste. Serve with a wedge of lemon.

Recipe from The World in Your Kitchen by Troth Wells, Second Story Press, 1993, p. 69

 

African Greens (Kenya) serves 4 to 5
Sukuma Wiki (soo-KOO-mah WEE-kee) In Kenya, a bunch of sukuma wiki costs just a few U.S. cents, and eaten with stiff porridge is the regular meal for most Kenyans.
In a small amount of water, cook until just tender:
leaves from 1 large bunch kale, washed and finely chopped
1 green pepper chopped and salt to taste
Brown in 1 tablespoon of oil: 1 large onion, thinly sliced
Add and fry until oil separates:
2 tablespoons tomato paste and 1 clove garlic crushed

Add cooked kale and mix thoroughly. Serve with ugali, below, rice or chapatis (Indian flatbread)

Recipe from Extending the Table: a world community cookbook by Joetta Handrich Schlabach, Herald, 1991, p. 122

 

Stiff porridge (Ugali) Serves 4-6
This recipe is an adaptation of an African staple food, served at every meal to help stretch the meats and vegetables.

In Kenya, this dish could be prepared with cassava or corn meal. You can make this with water instead of milk, or you can try substituting equal parts tapioca flour for the corn meal.

1¼ cups white cornmeal 
1 cup milk
  • Heat a cup of water to boiling in a medium-sized saucepan. Meanwhile, in a bowl gradually add ¾ cup of the cornmeal to the milk, stirring briskly to make a smooth paste.
  • Add this mixture to the boiling water, stirring constantly. Cook for 4 or 5 minutes while adding the remaining cornmeal. When mixture begins to pull away from the sides of the pot and stick together, remove from heat.
  • Dump ugali into a lightly greased bowl. With damp hands, shape it into a smooth ball, turning in the bowl to help smooth it. Serve immediately.
  • To eat in the traditional manner, tear off a piece of ugali and make an indentation in it with your thumb. Use this hollow to scoop up stew or sauce from a communal bowl. In many countries, influenced by Muslim custom, one should use only the right hand to handle the food.

Recipe from The Africa News Cookbook: African Cooking for Western Kitchens, by Africa News Service, 1985, p. 135.