Food and Recipes from Kenya

Vegetable Dishes

Easy Curry Recipe:1 onion, chopped
3 Tbsp Oil
2 Tbsp whole wheat flour
2 - 2 1/2 cups water or vegetable stock
2 medium carrots, diced
1 1/2 - 2 cups diced vegetables (celery, green peppers, potatoes, green beans - any combination)
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 Tbsp curry powder
1 cup tomato sauce or medium tomatoes, diced
1/3 cup milk
2 Tbsp corn starch

Brown onion in oil. Add flour and water or stock. Add vegetables, salt, pepper, and curry powder. In a bowl, mix tomato sauce, milk, cornstarch then add it to the pot with the vegetables. Simmer 45 minutes until vegetables are tender and sauce is thick and glossy. Serve over rice, biscuits, noodles, or with chapaties!

Makes 3 to 4 servings.

Irio Recipe:The Kikuyu and Meru people both lay claim to this recipe.

1 1/2 cups ripe maize/corn (not dried)
1/2 to 3/4 cup shelled peas
3 medium potatoes
2 Tbsp butter
salt
pepper

Place maize and peas in a pan with water and boil until almost soft. It should take about 1 hour, depending on the maize and peas. Add the potatoes and cook them until they readily mash. Add water as it is needed. When the mixture is soft mash it with a fork. Add salt, pepper, and the butter. Mix it and serve.

Makes 2 servings. 

 

Dry Potato and Pea Sak Recipe:2 boiled potatoes, cut into bite size pieces
1/2 cup boiled peas
1 tsp cumin seeds
3 Tbsp oil
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 onion, chopped
1 hot pepper, chopped (optional)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 piece ginger, chopped
1 tomato, chopped (optional)
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp salt

Heat oil. Add cumin seeds and turmeric. When the seeds begin to pop add onions, garlic, and ginger. Saute for a few minutes. Add the tomato now if you are using it. Saute for a few more minutes.

Sprinkle salt and cayenne on the potatoes. Add the potatoes and peas to the oil, spice, and onion mixture. Stir until the potatoes are coated with oil and are yellow. Heat everything well.

Makes 2 servings.

Sak means a spiced vegetable dish

 

Sukuma Wiki Recipe:This is made out of any leafy green vegetable, mainly collards or kale. Incidently, sukuma wiki means 'to push the week' implying sukuma wiki is a food used to stretch the meals to last for the week.

2 tablespoons fat (oil or shortening)
1 Onion
1 Tomato
A bunch of Sukuma (kale or collard greens), chopped
Salt

Melt fat in a pot and add the onions. Stir well and saute for a bit. Add tomato and saute. Add sukuma and saute for a short time. Add 1/2 cup water and the add salt to taste. Let the mixture simmer until the sukuma has reached a desired tenderness.

Serve with ugali or chapati.

2 servings. 

 

 

Vegetable Curry Recipe:

 

3 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 medium onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 1/2 Tbsp curry powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp whole cumin seeds
1 cup tomatoes, chopped
1 medium head cabbage, chopped
3 medium carrots, diced
4 - 5 small potatoes, cut into 3/4 inch pieces
3 cups green beans

Note: You can use any vegetable you would like - eggplant, zucchini, peas, squash as long as you have 5 to 6 cups of vegetables.

In a 3 to 4 quart pan heat oil and saute onions and garlic for 4 to 5 minutes. Add curry powder, turmeric, and cumin seeds and continue frying mixture for 3 to 4 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook until you have a thin sauce. Add cabbage, carrots, potatoes, and beans and stir well until all is covered by sauce. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and reduce heat. Simmer for 30 to 45 minutes. Add water as needed to keep the level around 2/3 depth on the vegetables.

Makes 5 to 6 servings.