Tag: kenyan food (Page 10 of 14)

Spicy Beer Beef Stew

June 16, 2015 / Kaluhi / 24 Comments

I am not much of an alcoholic drink drinker. But one of the things I enjoy doing is cooking with some alchohol. During the coking process, much of the alcohol burns off and the food remains with just the taste and depth of that particular drink. I have seen time and time again people making their beef stews with beer and I was slightly taken aback as to why it was so popular. This was until I tried it myself. And all I can say is, the beer+beef combination is a match made in heaven. This author agrees too! I am always for trying out new things and pushing myself beyond what I am used to. And this really paid off. This beer beef stew is the perfect comfort food. I really cannot put in words how good this is. You just have to try it for your self.

Chili and Ginger Githeri

June 9, 2015 / Kaluhi / 19 Comments

I am one of those people who can never EVER miss githeri when it is cooked. It’s almost an obsession. Ask my sisters, I absolutely love githeri. When I tell this to people, I get that look as though I just said I love eating kittens, live ones, in a graveyard, while chanting sacrilegious hymns of an extinct tribe . This may be because majority are yet to have that deliciously celestial githeri-eating experience. But I will give you one..

One of my earliest recipes on this blog was that of githeri, where I prepared it with coconut cream and curry which brought our its softer elements. You can get that recipe here. This time, I am using stronger flavors of chilli and ginger which brings out its more savory side. There is more than one way of preparing anything. And that is what makes cooking very exciting and a constant adventure. Do not allow your self to cook one meal the exact same way for all the days of your life. You will be missing out!

To warm you up as days get colder: Chilli and Ginger Githeri

Fried Nduma with Crunchy Bread Crumb Crust

June 5, 2015 / Kaluhi / 14 Comments

Have you ever eaten something after years of resistance and wondering why it took you too long to try it? That was me with nduma. Just like I did matumbo, I would avoid putting it in my mouth at all costs for reasons unbeknown to me. But when I finally did, I can not have enough. Nduma are what we Kenyans refer to arrow roots. They are super duper nutritious and taste so good. Thank God I got over my senseless fear,LOL.

At home we usually just have them boiled. But I have been encouraged by numerous people to try them fried. Everything fried is tastier after all, so I decided to give this a try. To add to the texture, I coated the nduma with breadcrumbs, seasoned lightly with nutmeg which transformed this to the most glorious breakfast meal. My tongue has never been as delighted! Yours will be too, promise!

Cayenne and Red Onion Nyama Choma Dry-fry

June 2, 2015 / Kaluhi / 9 Comments

In my country it is almost an abomination to throw away left overs of any meal. In the Kenyan spirit of resourcefulness, all meals that are left over from the current meal are set aside to be eaten as part of or for the next meal. Wastefulness is totally discouraged in our culture. And I believe that is a totally fantastic thing.

But lets be honest, at times having left-overs over and over can sometimes be monotonous. Hence it is always advisable to change things up and add new flavors to and transform an already awesome meal. Following the Madaraka day celebrations, we had some left over nyama-choma. To make this richer and tastier, we usually turn this into a dry fry. The process of frying it tenderizes the meat further but it still retains that smokey flavor. The onions and the chilli enhance the flavor of the nyama choma meat so well. It is soo good, just typing this made me salivate.

Peppery Carrot and Garlic Ndengu

May 26, 2015 / Kaluhi / 28 Comments

You know those times when you are just chilling at home then guest come knocking? I know all Kenyans can relate to this since in our culture, it is quite normal to show up/visit unannounced. While it is a good thing as it preserves the sense of community, ~~most of the time~~ sometimes , you really are not prepared for them. And it is considered rude not to serve guests something small to eat while they are in your home. So we resolve to offering whatever is there to make them feel at home.

We once received unexpected guests some Sunday ago. We had nothing flamboyant to prepare, so we gave them exactly what we were having for lunch that afternoon- Coconut Rice and this Peppery Carrot and Garlic Ndengu. While this is a very normal meal to us, the guests were so impressed with what we served them that they could have sworn we knew they were coming :D. This is not to show off, but to encourage you too to strive to make each meal a memorable banquet. So much so that eating fantastic food becomes part of your everyday life. After all, life is too short to wait for only special occasions to eat great tasting food. Have nice food as often as you can.

So for today: Peppery Carrot and Garlic Ndengu. Hope you try this out

Garlic Masala Fries

May 15, 2015 / Kaluhi / 18 Comments

I am not such a big fan of junk food as I highlighted in this post not too long ago. But in all honesty, I find it so hard to turn down a good plate of masala fries. And I guess these garlic masala fries have to be the only exception. Fries have become quite common in Kenya over the past decade and different ways to have them have come up with time. I first heard of masala fries from my eldest sister while I was still in boarding school and the name alone made my mouth water. I vowed to have a taste of them as soon as my holiday begun. With some of my savings at hand, I made my way to Wimpy and bought some. I was not disappointed!

Today I made masala fries, but added my little twist to them, as usual! I added plenty of garlic which brought out the taste of the chilli so well and added to the juiciness of the masala sauce. These garlic masala fries iare a must try for all my readers.

Minced Beef Kebab with Tangy Dip

April 24, 2015 / Kaluhi / 2 Comments

I had a real Kebab addiction problem while I was in high-school. The love I had for these was so strong it was almost obsessive. I needed my kebab kick each and every day. They used to be quite cheap back then. And when the prices increased, I just could not fuel my addiction so I kicked it.

I have never made kebabs on my own. I decided to give them a try but with a recipe and style that differs from the ones that are traditionally had in Kenya. Mine did not use eggs to hold the meat together, but used bread crumbs.Instead of deep frying mine, I grilled them. And to make this more flavorful, I added a beautiful array of spices.

I hope you give this a try 🙂 <3