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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. |
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