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Sweet Potato and Tender Maize Stew

November 7, 2014 / Kaluhi / 6 Comments

Stews are rather popular in Kenya, probably because they leave room for addition of different food groups into one pot making preparation of a meal faster. As an accompaniment to many dishes, the most common stews here are beef stew and Irish potato stew. However, people are trying out new things, including myself.

I made this sweet potato stew and I was happy to note how delightful and light it was, and this was a much welcome change from the ordinary. This stew is so comforting, every bite feels like you are receiving a huge hug. I used the warm spices of nutmeg and cardamom to elevate the sweet potato flavor. This really is a must-try for everyone.

Coconut milk Fish curry

November 4, 2014 / Kaluhi / 13 Comments

One of the things I love about cooking is that you can transform one ingredient and have it in so many ways. For fish, you can have it fried, stewed, stuffed in bread, made into a patti and so many other different forms. In Kenya, fish is usually fried or stewed unfilleted and in many times whole. I love fish, and to be honest, I can have it which ever way it is served.

Today I made one of the tastiest fish I have ever had. It was filleted and I stewed it in coconut milk, garlic and lemon. Read on to know exactly how this went down:

Spaghetti Marinara

October 28, 2014 / Kaluhi / 2 Comments

One of my favorite December holidays of all time was when my very generous uncle and aunty took us to stay in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania, with them for 2 weeks. It was our first time there and they made sure we had the time of our life. One day during our stay there, my aunty took us to the neighboring island paradise of Zanzibar for the afternoon. That is one of the prettiest places I have ever been to. After touring the island and getting some memorabilia for ourselves, we headed out for lunch. My aunt ordered for my cousins for us pasta marinara, which is light but still filling and very tasty. I did not know the name of the dish then, I found out may years later after getting into my love for cooking.

This spaghetti marinara is a very easy dish to prepare, for beginners who want to try something tasty and exciting and also for those who have more experience in the kitchen but appreciate a good short cut to a great meal.

Cumin Infused Potato cakes

October 21, 2014 / Kaluhi / 8 Comments

Starch ingredients are so versatile in the kitchen because they can be transformed into so many dishes, each one having its very own character and unique taste. One of my favourite starches to cook with are potatoes because you can make nearly anything with them in a relatively short amount of time.

I have made potato cakes, which I was a bit nervous to make since it was my first time. Heaven shined on me and they turned out perfectly! The potatoes were boiled with whole cumin seeds, and their taste really comes through. The exterior is crunchy because of the bread crumbs, while the interior is nice and soft. This is super easy to make and I hope you will give this a try.

Ginger and Garlic Marinated Liver

October 14, 2014 / Kaluhi / 14 Comments

Liver is one of my absolute favorite organ meats. It is soft, has a rich taste and takes a relatively short time to cook. Sometime ago on facebook, I asked which which you cannot stand. I was surprised to see that many people do not like liver. Some stated it was because of it’s smell that does not go away even after cooking. For others, it is because they just could not figure out how to add more flavor.

Today I made fried liver, that had marinated in ginger, garlic, milk and green onion prior to frying it. This made that “raw-meat-smell” to go away and more importantly, added a lot more flavor to the liver. More so, I believe to have great tasting liver, you need to cook it with plenty of red onion and plenty of bell pepper, which I added while frying. This is so simple to do, yet produces really tasty liver. I hope you enjoy it too 🙂

Potato, Corn & Tomato Chowder

October 7, 2014 / Kaluhi / 4 Comments

If you are a cartoon and animation lover like myself, you probably know this cartoon called chowder. Chowder was and still is one of my all time favorite cartoons. I thoroughly enjoy the silliness and the old-school humor which I feel majority of cartoons these days are lacking. I then accidentally discovered that all the characters, including the main character, chowder, are all actually named after a certain dish. This was very intriguing and facinating to me, so much so that I had to research into those dishes.
In honor of my favorite cartoon, today I made a heart warming potato, corn and tomato chowder.

Butternut and Dhania Chapati

October 3, 2014 / Kaluhi / 30 Comments

I still hear our squeaky little voices, our bodies bursting through the gate after an entire day of playing. With small dusty feet and tangles in our hair, my sisters and I would rush to the chair where our mom sat watching TV next to daddy or to her room where she would be “resting her eyes.”

“What’s for supper? ” We would ask.

This is the question we have asked and she has answered most. Her answer could either make us not really look forward to supper (ugali and sukumawiki) or it would make us rush to the table and have some already (chapati and meatballs).
Chapati is a flat bread, which has Indian origin, but has been tightly woven into Kenyan culture. It makes a perfect accompaniment to many stews and soups. This dish is the corner stone of any Kenyan celebration; be it Christmas, a birthday, weddings or graduation party. I made super soft chapatis but,as usual, with a little twist. My elder sister, Cheredi, put butternut in hers and I decided to follow the same route. The only difference is that I added dhania (coriander) for extra color and nutrients. If you are ready for crazy soft, beautifull tasty chapati, read on!