In My Kitchen

by Kaluhi Adagala
In my family, we have always enjoyed sharing stories and laughs over a great meal. My mother
and aunties put so much love into the dishes they made for us, and as a result, everything always
tasted fantastic. They had so much fun in the kitchen and that peaked my interest in cooking. As
my sisters and I grew older, mom passed down her secrets to making great meals to us. With time,
we added our own personal twists and upgraded already good meals, into unforgettable ones.

I started sharing my recipes on my blog kaluhiskitchen.com as a creative outlet for myself, but
also, to show people that eating need not be just for survival, but an enjoyable experience too.
My recipes have heavy Kenyan influence but with a touch of global perspective. I make all my
recipes simple but with a ton of flavor and personality. One of my readers asked me whether
I had a book, since for her, it is more convenient having my recipes close by when she visits the
countryside. I knew it would be a challenge for me, but in retrospect, putting together my recipes
and throwing in new ones has been enjoyable and I consider it my gift to each one of you. Like
my blog, I do hope this book does add spice to your life.

From my heart to yours.

Kaluhi
 a selection of some popular Kenyan foods and ingredients

MATOKE :
nazi : coconut
NJAHI
green starchy banana in the plantain
family. It is less sweet and tastes

a variation of
best when cooked as a hearty stew. MHOGO : CASSAVA
>> goat meat <<
the black eyed bean
MANAGU
cooked in a similar
way as bean stews.
githeri: a one pot meal of beans
m & maize. Sometimes more A traditional
{ iliki:
}
veggies like carrots, peas and potatoes are added Kenyan veggie cardamom

Mala
omena: small silvery fish with similar appearance roast red

choma
a sour milk

nyama
to sardines fished from lake victoria meat, mostly
drink with the beef & goat
green grams; tiny dark green
consistency of yoghurt taken cereal grain with the same
ribs while
chicken is
as a meal accompaniment richness as beans but mildly earthy in taste.
kuku choma

CHAPATI nduma ARROW ROOT. This specific variety

has a purple color with the texture mayai:
a maize meal dish a wheat flat bread of
Indian origin and
of potatoes but very rich and earthy
eggs
: mukimo
which is among the
now a beloved a mashed potato dish where the potatoes
staple foods of are mashed together with pumpkin leaves
Kenyan dish enjoyed
with rich stews & curries mshikaki seasoned meat skewers
 TABLE OF CONTENT SYMBOLS AND MEANINGS
The amount of time it will take you to
Veg and Salads .............................. 12-24 prepare all your ingredients

Breakfast ........................................ 28-38 The time it will take for you to cook
Main ................................................. 42-92 the dish

Drinks ............................................... 94-98

Number of people you will enjoy that
Snacks ............................................ 102- 110 delicious dish with or the number of
servings that will result.

{
Cook with plenty of love and you will never go
wrong. Have and open mind and try new things
and interesting new flavors. And as always, have
fun!
}
Veggies & Salads
 KACHUMBARI WITH BASIL HONEY
VINAIGRETTE
After nights out in the town, it is not uncommon to see young folk gathered around small carts
in the city center having their street food fix. One of the most common street foods sold are roast
sausages with a kachumbari filling. They usually taste so good you could eat 20 at a go and the
kachumbari adds freshness to the spicy sausage. I added my own delicious twist to this cherished
tomato salsa.

10 Minutes 30 Minutes 2 people

Ingredients Method
2 tomatoes, diced Dice your red Onion and soak it in hot water and 1/2 a
1 red onion, finely diced teaspoon of salt. This softens the intense flavor red onion
A bunch of fresh coriander, usually has.
finely chopped In a small bowl, add your vegetable oil, honey, black
Grated ginger, ¼ a teaspoon pepper and dried basil and whisk all these ingredients
2 tablespoons of honey until they form a thick liquid. Set it aside. You can also
1 tablespoons of apple cider make this in large quantities and refrigerate and take it
vinegar out when you need to use some.
3 tablespoon of vegetable oil Dice the tomatoes and finely chop your fresh coriander
¼ a teaspoon of dried basil put them in a bowl together with the freshly grated
¼ a teaspoon of freshly ground ginger. Drain the water from the onions then add them
black pepper to the bowl too.
1 cup of hot water Drizzle the basil honey vinaigrette over it. Mix
1/2 a teaspoon of salt everything until evenly distributed then serve chilled.

Tip:
You can soak your red onion in some apple cider
vinegar (ACV) too to soften it’s otherwise overpowering
flavor. Onion breath ain’t cute guys so ensure you soak
your red onion in either ACV or hot salted water.

12 13
 COCONUT OIL SAUTEED SUKUMA
WIKI AND SPINACH
Growing up, my mum knew my sisters and I have loved spinach more than we did sukuma wiki
(kale). She would be sneaky about it and mix spinach with some kale as it would be perfectly
disguised in both appearance and flavor. After experimentation on this very veggie combination
we grew up on, I landed on a recipe that will have you wanting to eat this all your life.

15 Minutes 15 Minutes 4 people

Ingredients Method
500g of kale, finely chopped Heat your coconut oil in a sufuria and add the diced red
500g of spinach, finely chopped onion, ginger and garlic. Sautee this until the onions have
1/4 teaspoon of grated ginger softened and are fragrant.
1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg powder
4 cloves of garlic, minced Add your finely chopped vegetables and allow them to
4 tablespoons of virgin coconut oil sautee for about 4-7 minutes. The quantities may seem a
1 large red onion, finely diced lot at first but as you cook, they wilt and reduce in
1 teaspoon of salt volume.

Sprinkle your nutmeg and salt and mix it in. Let this stay
on the heat for about a minute then serve.

Tip:
When it comes to veggies, do not shy away from
different combinations. Especially when it
comes to traditional veggies, combining two or
more types usually makes it even better. For
example, to make kunde less chewy, mix it with
some spinach, then add lots of cream. Always works!
14
 PINEAPPLE GLAZED HONEY
CARROTS
I was walking towards the bus stage after a rather satisfactory thrift session at the popular Toi
Market. It was an excruciatingly hot February afternoon. To my relief, a fruit vendor was just
chopping up a fresh juicy pineapple for sale right next to the bus stage. I purchased two pieces
but managed to eat only one. On reaching home, I decided to put the remaining pineapple slice
to good use. With it, I prepared pineapple glazed honey carrots which captures the true
essence of sunny days in Nairobi.

5 Minutes 15 Minutes 2 people

Ingredients Method
1 cup of freshly blended pineapple Put your sliced carrots in a steamer. Once they are just
1/4 cup water about done, remove them from the heat and set aside.
1/2 a tablespoon of dark mushroom
soy sauce In a sufuria, add your freshly blended pineapple
1 tablespoon brown sugar juice, water, soy sauce, brown sugar and cornstarch.
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 large carrots, sliced Allow this to cook on medium-low heat while continuously
Fresh rosemary for garnish stirring. Once it has began to simmer and has significantly
thickened, it is ready. This will take about 2-5 minutes.

Add your steamed carrots and toss them until they are
fully coated in the pineapple glaze. Once this is done,
garnish with your finely chopped rosemary and serve.

Tip
In case you do not have a steamer, you can boil your
carrots to achieve similar outcome. Poke them with a
fork and when they have just softened, take them from
the heat.
16
 COCONUT MILK AND MINT
PAWPAW BOAT
Kenya has plenty of awesome things about it that makes me love it so much. One of the things
I will always appreciate about being Kenyan is the bounty of fresh organic fruit that are readily
available to us at relatively low costs. I try and take full advantage of this and eat as much fresh
fruit as I can. My pawpaw boat is the epitome of this bountiful goodness.

12 Minutes 5 Minutes 4 boats

Ingredients Method
2 small pawpaw, halved Slice your pawpaw into equal halves and remove and
2 palm sized pineapple slices, diced discard the seeds.
1 cup of diced water melon
2 cheeks of apple-mango, cubed Cube your melon, pineapple and mango then put them
Fresh mint, finely diced in a bowl. Squeeze some lime juice over these then add
Lime juice form 1/2 a lime the finely chopped mint to the bowl and toss. Scoop this
1/2 a cup of coconut milk fruit mixture and put it in the pawpaw hollow.

Drizzle your coconut milk over it and serve.

Tip:
Dice your fruit into small cubes. This not only makes your
pawpaw boat look a lot neater but allows you to have
a taste of everything in a single bite. Also, if you do not
have apple mangoes, any other variety of mango will do.

18
 CREAMED MANAGU
In my tribe, the Luhya tribe, managu are a very popular vegetable not only because of it’s rich
taste, but because of it’s high nutritional value. Growing up, these veggies had always been
everyone’s favorite and still are. Whenever they were cooked at home for dinner, I made sure to
always be home early so that I do not miss out. This recipe shows you how to prepare my favorite
veggie and enjoy them as much as I do.

10 Minutes 40 Minutes 5 people

Ingredients Method
900 g of managu leaves
Wash your managu leaves and dry them. Fold the leaves
1 cup of heavy cream
into a roll then roughly chop them up. Give them one
1 large red onion, finely diced
more rinse and boil them for about 10 minutes until they
1/2 a cup of spring onion, finely
soften. Drain all excess water then set them aside.
chopped
1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
In a sufuria, heat your vegetable oil then add your red
Salt to taste
and spring onion and fry this until it softens.
Vegetable oil for frying

Add your chopped managu leaves into the sufuria and

let them stay on the heat until they further soften and
slightly wilt. Thereafter, add your cream, salt and
nutmeg and mix it in until evenly distributed. Give it five
more minutes then you are done.

Serve with your hot ugali.

Tip
You can cook spinach in place of managu with this exact
recipe.

20
 MANGO MINT SALAD WITH
PASSION FRUIT SYRUP
I love January and February for two reasons: the warm long days and because Mango season is
usually in full swing. My favorite salad for during this balmy period is my mango mint salad with
passion fruit syrup. It is so refreshing and mouth-numbingly good!

15 Minutes 5 Minutes 2 plates

Ingredients Method
1 large mango, diced In a sufuria, add your water, sugar and passion fruit pulp.
A handful of mint leaves, finely Mix all this and allow it to cook down for 10-15 minutes
chopped on medium low heat until it thickens. Once done, sieve it
Palm sized pineapple, sliced and allow the resultant syrup to cool to room
5 passion fruits temperature.
3 tablespoons of sugar
3/4 cup of water Chop up your mango, pineapple and mint then add
these to your bowl. Toss them all together. Remember to
dice your fruit in small neat cubes so that you can have a
taste of everything in one bite.

Once the passion fruit syrup has cooled down, drizzle it

over your chopped up fruits. Mix it in lightly mix,garnish
with some fresh mint leaves then serve.

Tip
Allowing the salad to rest a few minutes prior to serving
enables the juices to seep out and the flavors to integrate.
The longer it rests, the juicier the salad shall become. And
that is an excellent thing :)

22
 BASIL &SWEET CORN AVOCADO
SALAD
As a little girl, I never used to like avocado. Reason? I don’t really know. Upon joining boarding
school, I noticed that nearly everyone liked this fruit with such great intensity. It was eaten
with almost every meal. One day, I decided to indulge to find out what the
hullabaloo was about. Oh! There was no turning back after that! Since then, I have tried
incorporating this creamy fruit in a variety of meals. This is my favorite avocado salad recipe
that is not only delicious, but healthy and very filling too.

10 Minutes 4 Minutes 3 people

Ingredients Method
1 large avocado Slice your avocadoes into halves. Proceed to cube it and
250 g of sweet corn scoop it out onto your plate.
2 tomatoes, sliced
1/2 a teaspoon of black pepper In a separate bowl, add your grated ginger, black
Salt to taste pepper, apple cider vinegar,olive oil and finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon of grated ginger basil. Whisk these together until its all evenly distributed.
1/2 a tablespoon of finely chopped This will be your dressing.
basil
1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar In a separate bowl, add your sweet corn and sliced
3 tablespoons of olive oil tomatoes. Drizzle your basil dressing over it and toss all
these together. Add this over your cubed avocado and
dig in!

Tip:
I purchased my fresh basil from Nakumatt. Our super-
markets are very well stocked with fresh herbs which you
too will enjoy cooking with. You can find some in Tuskys
too.
24
Breakfast
 CARDAMOM
GRILLED SWEET POTATO
I have always had a soft spot for sweet potatoes. My parents almost always used to bring some
with them from Maragoli and that means they were almost always present at home. They are
usually eaten just boiled by folk across the country. This recipe adds a bit more to that and brings
out the soft sweetness of these darling root tubers.

12 Minutes 45 Minutes 2 people

Ingredients Method
2 sweet potato root tubers Peel your sweet potatoes and slice it into thirds. Put them
1 teaspoon of cardamom seeds to boil in a pot together with the cardamom seeds.
4 oranges, juiced
1 heaped tablespoon of granulated As that is going, begin working on your orange syrup. Add
sugar the freshly squeezed orange juice in a sufuria together
1 teaspoon of orange zest with the orange zest, granulated sugar and 1/4 teaspoon
Fresh rosemary for garnish and the of fresh rosemary leaves. Let this simmer down until it
syrup thickens then take from the heat. This will take 10 to 15
1/2 cup of water minutes.

After the sweet potatoes are done, slice them into thin 1/2
an inch thick slices and grill them for about 2-3 minutes
on each side. Once done, set aside.

Drizzle the orange syrup over the sweet potatoes.

Garnish with some finely chopped rosemary then serve.

28
 NUTMEG AND CINNAMON
DROP SCONES
My high school holiday mornings were characterized with the aroma of drop scones. My mother
would treat us to the best breakfast dishes that we missed out on while we were in boarding
school. After high school, she taught me how she would make her perfect drop scones. With small
tweaks and years later, this still remains a morning favorite in our home.

5 Minutes 20 Minutes 3 people

Ingredients Method
1 1/2 cup of flour Crack your egg into a bowl and add the sugar. Whisk
250 ml of milk these until they become frothy and turn pale yellow.
4 spoons of sugar
1 egg In a separate bowl, mix your flour, nutmeg and
1/2 a teaspoon of nutmeg cinnamon until everything is evenly distributed. Pour in
1/2 a teaspoon of cinnamon the egg mixture followed by the milk as you whisk it.
Vegetable oil for frying After they are just mixed proceed to the frying stage.
Icing sugar for garnish
Heat some vegetable oil in a shallow pan on medium
heat. With a spoon, scoop a mixture of the batter and
drop it into the hot oil with another spoon. Allow each
Tip: side about two minutes in the oil. before turning them
To check if your oil is hot enough, over.
put a tiny bit of the dough in the
oil. If it sizzles, your oil is ready. If it Remove from the heat and drain on a kitchen towel.
doesn’t, the oil is not hot enough so Dust some icing sugar on them then and serve with tea,
wait a little bit longer. coffee or some warm milk.
 PEAR AND NUTMEG PANCAKES
I love having filling breakfast to kick start my day. And it doesn’t hurt if it is delicious too :)) With
pear season in full swing, I decided to make the most of it and incorporate this sweet fruit into
my cooking. These pear pancakes with the warmth of nutmeg and cinnamon will soon become
your number one addiction.

10 Minutes 25 Minutes 6 pieces

Ingredients Method
1 cup of self raising flour
Peel your pear and grate it. Set aside.
3/4 cup of mala (or buttermilk)
1 small pear, grated
In a bowl, add your eggs and sugar and beat them until
4 tablespoons of sugar
they become stiff.
1/2 a teaspoon of nutmeg
1/2 a teaspoon of cinnamon
In another bowl, mix your dry ingredients: the flour,
cinnamon and nutmeg. Add the egg mixture to this then
your mala. Mix all these up until they are just mixed. Do
not over-mix as this will make it too light and the
pancakes less fluffy.

Heat your pan and pour your batter onto it. Sprinkle
your grated pear over the pancake surface facing you.
Allow each side to have 2-3 minutes on the pan until they
turn golden brown then serve.

Tip:
If you do not currently have pears or they are simply not
in season when you want to try this out, the perfect
substitute would be apples.
32
 CRISPY CUMIN NDUMA
Have you ever eaten something after years of resistance and wondering why it took you so long
to try it? That was me with nduma. Like any fussy eater, I would avoid putting nduma in my
mouth at all costs for reasons unbeknown to me. But when I finally did, I could not have enough.
The richness of this root vegetable and how fast it fills you up makes it the perfect breakfast meal
to keep you energized all day.

10 Minutes 40 Minutes 2 people

Ingredients Method
1 nduma root Peel your nduma and cut it in 1/2 inch thick circular

1 cup of bread crumbs slices. Put them in a pot with some water and salt and

1 egg allow them to boil until tender.

3/4 tablespoon of cumin After they have boiled, allow them to cool slightly. In the
Vegetable oil for frying mean time, beat your egg in a bowl and prepare your
Salt to taste bread crumb crust. This is simply done by mixing the
bread crumbs with the cumin in another separate bowl.

Take your boiled nduma, dip it in the whisked egg, then

roll it in the bread crumbs until fully coated. The egg
acts as a glue for the bread crumbs to stick to.

Heat some vegetable oil in a pan and flash fry your

Tip: coated nduma until the exterior is nice and crispy. Drain
on a paper towel.
Because your nduma are already
cooked, the frying should not take
Serve hot.
long. Ensure the oil is very hot to
facilitate this and to prevent them
from becoming soggy.

34
 UJI
Uji is a Swahili word for porridge. There are several ways of preparing it and types of porridge,
but the one I grew up on is my very favorite! My mom used to give us our hot bowl of uji during
rainy mornings before school. This not only kept us warm, but kept us fuller for longer. I loved my
uji, so for me, this was extra motivation to get out of bed each morning. Here is a twist to one of
my favorite breakfast meals.

7 Minutes 20 Minutes 2

Ingredients Method
3 tablespoons of soghurm flour Put your soghurm flour in a cup and mix it with some
1 1/2 cups of water water until it forms a thick paste. Set aside.
1/2 a cup of milk
1/2 lemon, juiced Put the 1 1/2 cup of water in a small sufuria and bring it
3 tablespoons of honey to a boil. Turn down the heat and add the soghurm flour
1 banana paste while stirring. Continue stirring for about 3 minutes
1/2 a cup of oats until it thickens.

Add your milk, lemon juice and honey and stir for
another two minutes. Turn down the heat and allow this
to simmer for about 5-10 minutes.

Once it has significantly thickened, ladle onto a bowl.

Garnish with some banana slices and oats and serve hot.

Tip :
If you do not have soghurm flour readily available, corn
flour can work just as well.

36
 CARDAMOM AND ORANGE ZEST
MAANDAZI
In Kenyan culture, it is custom to serve guests with a meal whenever they visit, no matter how
simple. It is a sign of hospitality and as in every other situation, food acts as the perfect ice
breaker. Whenever we expected guests to pass by, mom would make maandazi; a kind of
donut popular through out the country. She would make hers with just flour, sugar, milk and
eggs. I added bits and pieces to her recipe. These are the maandazis I will be very proud to serve
my guests in my future home.

120 Minutes 30 Minutes 7 people

Ingredients Method
1 cup of milk
Beat your eggs together with the sugar until stiff. Set
2 1/2 cups of self raising flour
aside. Mix all the dry ingredients (flour, cardamom pow-
2 tablespoons of orange zest
der, orange zest ) together in a bowl.
1/2 a tablespoon of cardamom
powder
Once evenly distributed, add your milk, vanilla essence
1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
and the egg mixture. Initially, mix this with a spoon. After
2 eggs
everything is blended, knead the dough until it is no
6 tablespoons of sugar
longer sticky. Put this dough in a bowl, cover it with a
Vegetable oil for frying
damp cloth and allow it to rest for 30 minutes.

Tip: After this, roll out your dough onto a surface to a

thickness of a little under 1/2 an inch. With a cookie
If you do not have a thermometer,
cutter or a glass rim, shape out your maandazi and deep
pinch some of your dough and place
fry them in oil at 375 degrees until golden brown on
it in the oil. If it sizzles, your oil is ready
each side.
and you can proceed with the frying.

Once they are done, remove from the heat and serve
with some tea.
38
Main
 DRY FRY GOAT MEAT WITH
THYME AND GARLIC
Goat meat is the most popular meat of choice during any Kenyan celebration. But who can
blame us especially knowing how delicious goat meat is. In this country, it is popularly eaten
roasted, but it is also absolutely delicious eaten as a dry fry too. I especially like mine with thyme
and lots of garlic which I feel compliments its taste very well.

20 Minutes 45 Minutes 4 plates

Ingredients Method
3 cloves of garlic, minced Dice your goat meat into bite sized cubes and put them
1/2 a teaspoon of dried thyme in a bowl. Mince your garlic cloves and add them to the
1 lemon, freshly squeezed bowl followed by the yogurt, soy sauce, thyme & freshly
Plain yoghurt, 250 ml squeezed lemon juice. Mix it all up and allow it to
1 tablespoon of dark mushroom soy refrigerate overnight.
sauce Once the marination is done, put all this content in a
1/2 kg of goat meat sufuria along with 1 cup of water and allow it to boil until
3 Tomatoes, diced tender. Once done, set aside.
1 red onion, finely chopped In a separate sufuria, heat some vegetable oil and
1 green bell pepper, finely chopped sautee your onion until they have softened. Add the
1/2 a tablespoon of black pepper tomatoes, black pepper, the all-spice mix & tomato paste
1 heaped tablespoon of royco all and let this cook for about 5-7 minutes.
spice mix Add the tender boiled goat meat and mix it all in. Allow
1/2 of a thumb sized piece of minced this to cook for about 5-10 minutes. Add the chopped
ginger green bell pepper and give this another 3 minutes then
Salt to taste take it form the heat. Garnish with fresh coriander and
1 teaspoon of tomato paste serve.

42
 MEATBALL TIKKA MASALA
My father enjoys meatballs with pretty much anything. We hadn’t eaten meatballs in a long time
and he asked me if I could make some. I wanted to make something a bit different and decided
that was the right moment to implement a recipe I had been toying with around in my mind.
Boy, wasn’t this a hit! It was also my readers’ best recipe of 2015 on my blog and I am sure will be
a favorite in your home too.

20 Minutes 50 Minutes 6 people

Ingredients Method
For the meatballs
Put your minced beef in a large bowl. Add the pepper,
1 kg of minced beef
cayenne,bread crumbs, whisked egg, the yogurt, thyme,
1 egg
fresh lemon juice, ginger and garlic. Mix everything until
1/2 a cup of bread crumbs
evenly distributed. Roll your balls each the size of a plum.
1 lemon, juiced
Shallow fry them in a pan for about 5-7 minutes until
5 cloves of garlic and 1/2 of thumb
sized ginger root, minced they are cooked through. Set aside.
1/2 a teaspoon of dried thyme
1 tablespoon of cayenne pepper Add the onions, ginger and garlic to some heated oil in a
1 heaped teaspoon of black pepper sufuria and allow them to fry until they soften. This should
3 tablespoons of plain yogurt be about 2-3 minutes. Be careful not to burn the garlic.

Then add the tomatoes, 3/4 of the carrots and 3/4 of the
For the masala diced green bell pepper. Mix it all up then add tomato
1 tablespoon of black pepper, paste together with 1/4 cup of hot water. Mix your salt,
coriander powder, cumin spice black pepper, turmeric and coriander powder to form a
1/4 teaspoon of turmeric
thick paste and add this to the sauce .Let this simmer for
1/2 green bell pepper, finely diced
about 5 minutes.
3 carrots, finely diced
4 large tomatoes, grated
Add the meatballs to the tomatoes then the carrots and
2 tablespoons of tomato paste
let this simmer for about 5-10 minutes. Then, add the
2 red onion, finely diced
Plain yogurt, approx 1/2 a cup remaining green bell pepper and finely chopped
Salt to taste coriander, then serve after 2 minutes.
44
 ROSEMARY AND GARLIC
CHICKEN STEW
After the 6 hour drive form Nairobi to Maragoli in Western Kenya, we usually settle home for
a hot meal of ugali, an array of traditional veggies and chicken stew. To my fellow tribesmen,
chicken stew is always been considered as the most befitting meal to welcome guests especially
those who are from a long journey or those you have not seen for sometime. Hence it must be
cooked to utmost perfection. This recipe has never failed us.

10 Minutes 60 Minutes 6 people

Ingredients Method
For the marinade:
Put your chopped up chicken in a large bowl. Add all the
1 sprig of rosemary
marinade ingredients in this bowl and mix them in. Once
6 cloves of garlic
evenly distributed, cover with a cling film & refrigerate to
1/2 a cup of apple cider vinegar
marinate overnight.
1 whole chicken, chopped into pieces

After the marination is through, place all the content of

For the stew the bowl in a sufuria and bring to a boil until it is cooked.
1 cup of spring onion Set aside. Alternatively, you can lightly fry your chicken
2 tomatoes, grated until it is almost cooked if you prefer not to boil yours
1 tablespoon of tomato paste before stewing.
1 tablespoon of worcestershire sauce
4 cloves of garlic, minced In a separate sufuria, add your spring onion, minced garlic
Finely chopped coriander and sautee until soft. Add your tomatoes, tomato paste,
Salt to taste worcestershire sauce, salt, garam masala & black pepper.
1 tablespoon of black pepper Allow this to sautee for 5-10 minutes.
1/2 a tablespoon of garam masala
Add your chicken and let this simmer for 15-20 minutes.
After this, garnish with your finely chopped coriander.
Serve with rice, ugali, chapati or mashed potatoes and
enjoy.
46
 ROSEMARY KUKU CHOMA
Kenyans love anything roast. More precisely, any roast meat. Kuku choma, which refers to roast
chicken is one of the country’s absolute favorite. It is not only easy to prepare but takes up flavors
of other ingredients so well. I don’t know about you, but rosemary kuku choma makes me want
to pack up a picnic basket, gather my best friends, drive out into the country and chow this down
over some hearty laughs.

24 hours 25 Minutes 2 people

Ingredients Method
For the marinade Put your chicken thighs in a bowl. Add all the marinade
2 sprigs of rosemary ingredients and mix until evenly distributed. Cover with
1 tablespoon of whole black pepper a cling film and marinate overnight. This is a marinade I
seeds, crushed learnt form my mother and I have never used any other
2 lemons, juiced marinade besides this one. It is that good!
6 cloves of garlic, minced
2 chicken thighs After the marination is done, shake off any excess liquid
and pat dry. In a small bowl, mix the garam masala, salt,
For the spice rub cayenne and finely chopped rosemary & the vegetable
Garam masala oil. Rub this on your chicken thighs and proceed to bake
Salt to taste them in am oven at 165 degrees for 20 minutes.
Cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon of finely chopped Once they are ready, serve.
rosemary
4 tablespoons of vegetable oil
Tip:
Do not sweat it if you do not have an oven but still want
to make this kuku. You can use a jiko and flame grill
your chicken and get the authentic kuku choma with
that amazing smokey flavor and amazing grill marks.

48
 PLUM MARINATED PORK
When my friend and fellow blogger, Funmi, visited Kenya from Nigeria for a food tour, we did
not hesitate to give her a true taste of Kenya. We took her to ‘The Carnivore’ , which showcases
our love for roast meat in the grandest way. For all of us present, our favorite meat for the night
was the flame grilled pork with fruit salsa. We ate a ton of it until our tummies were nearly
exploding. Preparing this dish made me reminiscent of that night.

24 hours 45 Minutes 3 people

Ingredients Method
For the marinade:
Cut up your pork into bite sized pieces and put it in
12 plums, seeded and blended
container. Seed and blend your plums together with the
1/4 teaspoon of dried sage
sage and 3 of your garlic cloves. Mix it in with the chopped
5 cloves of garlic, minced
pork and allow this to marinate overnight.
After the marination is done, pour all the content of the
Other Ingredients
marinade in a sufuria. Let it simmer down until it dries
1/2 kg of pork
up and let the pork render in its own fat. Then set aside.
1 red onion, finely diced
Mince your garlic, chillies and ginger and add them to a
6 cloves of garlic and 1/2 of a thumb
sufuria with the onions on medium heat. Cook them for
sized ginger root, minced
about 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes, black pepper and
1 small birds eye chili, chopped
dark mushroom soy sauce. Add 1/4 cup of hot water and
4 teaspoons of honey
let this simmer for 5 minutes.
2 tomatoes, blended
Add your pork and the honey and let this simmer for
1 tablespoon of dark mushroom soy
about 10-15 minutes. Once done, garnish with your finely
sauce
chopped coriander and serve.
1/2 a teaspoon of black pepper
Salt to taste Tip
Vegetable oil for frying If you cannot find plums to use in the marinade, an awe-
Coriander for garnish, finely chopped some replacement would be pineapple. Blend it then
add it to the marinade.
50
 GARLIC AND LEMON TILAPIA
PERI PERI
Tilapia is the most common fish in Kenya. Fished from Lake Victoria, it is sold through out the
country and has since gained popularity. My mom used to make this for us all the time growing
up and we truly came to love it. I personally can eat tilapia every single day of my life. With this
tilapia peri peri recipe, you will fall in love with tilapia as hard as I have.

10 Minutes 35 Minutes 1

Ingredients Method
1 small tilapia fish, fried
In a kinu (pestle and mortar), mince the garlic, the black
1 lemon, juice pepper seeds, sage and the chillies. Set it aside after they
have turned into a paste.
1/2 teaspoon of lemon zest

2 birds eye chili In a sufuria, add your onions and the ginger-chili-garlic
1/2 a teaspoon of sage paste and cook this until the onions have softened. As
that is going, fry your fish until it is just cooked through.
1 teaspoon of black pepper seeds

4 tomatoes, grated Add the tomatoes and the lemon juice to the sufuria
Coriander, finely chopped with onions and allow this simmer for about 3-5 minutes.
Scoop out 3 table spoonfuls of the tomato sautee and
set aside in a separate bowl. Add the fish to the pan and
Tip slather the tomatoes you had scooped out on top of the
If you prefer not to fry your fish fish. Sprinkle the lemon zest on top, cover with a lid and
before cooking, bake it at 180 reduce the heat to low.
degrees for 20 minutes.
Allow it to simmer for about 10-20 minutes. This allows
the flavor to infuse into the fish. Do not mix as that will
make the fish come apart. Once you are done, serve and
garnish with finely chopped coriander.

52
 CHILI AND GARLIC MATUMBO
As a little girl, I really used to abhor matumbo (tripe). I never understood why my sisters loved
it so much and stared at them with horror as they chowed this down with so much excitement.
One day when I was home alone, I decided to have a bite to see what all the excitement about
matumbo (tripe) was all about. And at that moment it all made sense. Nowadays, I can never
miss matumbo when it is prepared at home. This is a recipe developed by my mom which we all
love . You will too :)

180 Minutes 40 Minutes 3 people

Ingredients Method
5 cloves of garlic Thoroughly wash your matumbo until the water runs
1/2 kg of tripe clear. Boil the tripe until it tenderizes. Add the chili and
4 tomatoes, roughly chopped milk after about 2 hours and let this further simmer down
Fresh coriander, finely chopped for 45 minutes. This final step is important since it infuses
1 1/2 tablespoon of royco all spice mix the chili flavor and further softens the tripe. Remove from
1 large red onion, diced the heat, chop into bite sized pieces and set aside.
1 cup of milk Pound your garlic cloves in a kinu into a paste. Dice your
2 birds eye chili onions and add into sufuria with some heated oil and the
minced garlic. Add some salt and let these sautee until
the onions are soft. Add your tomatoes & let this simmer
Tip: for about 5 minutes until it has significantly thickened.
If you cannot find royco all spice mix,
Then, add your chili infused boiled matumbo and mix
you make your own spice blend with
it in. Let this simmer for about 2 minutes then add your
a mix of the following spices:
royco all spice mix. Mix this all up and add 1/4 cup of
water and cover this with a lid and let it simmer for about
ginger, garlic, fennel, turmeric, cumin
10-20 minutes.
and coriander and some cornstarch.

Thereafter, add your finely chopped coriander and mix it

You can make some in a big batch
in then serve immediately.
and in proportions that suit your
taste and keep for future use.
54
 SWEET CHILI NYAMA CHOMA
DRY FRY
A major part of the Christmas holidays has always been family reunions, indulgence and fun. In
Kenya, this is one time when the goat selling business is always booming. This is because Kenyans love
its tender meat especially for festive hang outs. We love our mbuzi choma when we get together in
the warm December afternoons. Mbuzi choma is so delicious on its own, but with this recipe, it’s out-of
this world good! So good it will have you speaking in tongues by the time you are done.

10 Minutes 45 Minutes 3 people

Ingredients Method
1 kg of goat meat, boneless Take your goat meat and flame grill it until the outside
1/2 a cup of finely chopped spring has just browned. If you prefer your meat more well done,
onion allow it to stay on the grill longer. Once done, slice it up
1 tablespoon of tomato paste into 3 inch strips and set it aside.
2 tablespoons of brown sugar
1/2 a tablespoon of cayenne pepper In a pan, add your spring onion, minced ginger and garlic
1 tablespoon of soy sauce and let this sautee until the onions are soft and fragrant.
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 of a thumb sized ginger root, After that, add your tomato paste, soy sauce, cayenne
minced pepper, sugar, black pepper together with 1/2 a cup of
1/2 a teaspoon of black pepper hot water. Let this simmer for about 10-15 minutes on
Salt to taste medium low heat until it thickens.
Onion chives, garnish (or coriander)
Add the goat meat nyama choma strips and toss them
in the sauce for 2-3 minutes. Once fully coated with the
sauce, garnish with some onion chives and serve!

56
 THYME AND CHILI LIVER
Liver has always been my go-to alternative for red meat. Not only is it packed with nutrients, but
it is very delicious when cooked right. This is a recipe passed down from my grandmother to my
mother and from my mother to my sisters and I. I am sure you will love it too.

10 Minutes 20 Minutes 4 people

Ingredients Method
1/2 a kg of liver Take your liver and chop it into bite size pieces. Put the
6 cloves of garlic, minced chopped liver in a bowl and rinse it with clean water
1/2 of thumb-sized root of ginger until most of the blood is rinsed off. This will take about 3
1 large red onion, finely diced rinses. Drain the water and pour in your milk. Allow this
1 large green bell pepper, finely to sit for about 30 minutes. The milk draws out the excess
diced blood. As that is going, prepare the other ingredients.
2 tomatoes, blended Put your garlic, ginger, chopped chilies and dried thyme
1 tablespoon of tomato paste in a kinu and grind them until they form a paste. In a
1 tablespoon of coriander powder saucepan, heat some oil and add your onion, garlic-
1 cup of milk ginger-thyme paste. Sautee until they are fragrant.
1 tablespoon of black pepper Add the tomato paste and tomatoes, 1/4 cup of hot
2 birds eye chili water and allow this to simmer for about 5 minutes. Add
1/2 a teaspoon of dried thyme your liver and the green bell pepper and let this simmer
Fresh coriander and chili for garnish for about 7-10 minutes.
Once tender and cooked through, remove from the heat
and serve.

Tip
Always ensure you remove the membrane coating the
liver and any large blood vessels before you begin
cooking. It is this step than makes the liver very tender
once you are done cooking
58
 LAMB SAMOSA
Besides duck and goat, one of my absolute favorite meats is lamb. It has a very specific flavor and
it is so tender making it perfect for nearly anything. To add my own twist to one of my favorite
snacks, I used one of my favorite meats in one of my favorite snacks.

30 Minutes 30 Minutes 6

Ingredients Method
1 kg of minced lamb
Pour your hot water in a bowl. Add the salt, oil. Add your
1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
flour bit by bit while mixing . Once it is just mixed, remove
1/2 a teaspoon of cayenne pepper
from the bowl and knead until it stops being sticky. Allow
7 fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
this to rest for about 30 minutes.
4 cloves garlic, minced
Juice and zest of 1/2 a lemon
As the dough is resting. Begin working on your filling.
1 teaspoon of freshly ground black
Heat some vegetable oil in a sufuria and add your spring
pepper
onion, half of your finely chopped coriander, and the
1 cup of spring onion, finely chopped
garlic. Sautee this until it is softened. Add your minced
1 bunch of coriander, finely chopped
lamb, cayenne pepper, lemon juice and zest, mint leaves
salt to taste
and mustard powder. Let this stay on the heat for 5-7
Vegetable oil for frying.
minutes, or until your lamb is ready. Remove from the
heat and set aside.
For the crust:
1 cup of hot water
Divide your dough into golf ball size portions. Roll them
All purpose flour
out into a circular shape then cut into quarters. Fold the
1/2 a teaspoon of salt
ends of the circular part towards the center. Add the
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
lamb filling and fold the remaining flap over. To make
the flap stick, use some dough as “glue”

Flash fry for about 2-3 minutes in hot oil until golden
brown then serve.
60
 LEMON INFUSED CHILI OMENA
For one reason or the other, omena are believed to be really so difficult to cook. These tiny
sun dried fish popular at the lake basin are rich in flavor and in reality, pretty easy to make. I like
mine with plenty of lemon flavor which brings out their rich taste. This is arguably the best omena
recipe on earth and I will show you how to make it :)

90 Minutes 35 Minutes 5 people

Ingredients Method
125g of sun dried omena Place your omena in a bowl. Add some hot water and
3 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar the apple cider vinegar and allow this to soak for about
1 lemon, squeezed 45 minutes. As the soaking is going, crush your black
1 teaspoon of lemon zest pepper, garlic and chili in a kinu (pestle and mortar) until
1/2 a teaspoon of black pepper it forms a paste.
seeds, crushed Heat your oil and add the red onion, add the minced
6 cloves of garlic garlic and ginger paste and sautee this until it becomes
1 red onion, finely chopped fragrant. Add your tomatoes and tomato paste and let
1/2 thumb sized ginger root this simmer down for about 5-7 minutes.
1 birds eye chili Completely drain the water from the omena & add it to
2 tomatoes, grated the tomatoes. Pour the lemon juice over it. Mix it in and
Coriander, finely chopped allow it to simmer for 5 minutes. Add the lemon zest and
Salt to taste allow it to cook for a further 10 minutes.
Vegetable oil for frying Add your finely chopped coriander and remove from the
heat and serve.

Tip:
If you do not have omena with you, you can try this
recipe with fresh sardines. The only step you will have to
skip is the soaking in hot water and vinegar since they are
not sun dried.
62
 MBUZI MEATBALL MSHIKAKI
One of my most popular recipes on my blog for the year of 2015 was a chicken mshikaki I made
with rich honey sauce. It was much beloved and I decided to make another mshikaki recipe,
only this time with goat meat and lots of chili. And just like the chicken mshikaki on my blog, this
mbuzi mshikaki was just as popular. I am certain you will love my mbuzi meatball mshikaki as
much as my readers did.

10 Minutes 20 Minutes 5 people

Ingredients Method
1/2 a kg of minced goat meat Put your minced goat meat in a bowl. To this, add the
1 red onion, finely diced finely chopped coriander, red onion, ginger and garlic,
1/2 a cup of finely chopped coriander the spices and roughly mix it all up. Add the egg and the
6 cloves of garlic bread crumbs then give it another mix until it is all even-
1/2 of thumb-sized ginger root ly distributed.
1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1/2 a tablespoon of garam masala Roll your balls into plum sized shapes and set aside. Heat
1/2 a teaspoon of salt your vegetable oil and shallow fry your meat balls until
1 egg they have a lovely char on the outside and are cooked
3/4 cup of bread crumbs through. This will take 5-8 minutes. Take them from the
Onion chives for garnish heat and allow them to rest for a minute.
Barbecue Sauce
Vegetable oil for frying Toss them in your favorite barbecue sauce and proceed
to skewer them. Garnish with finely chopped onion chives
and serve.

Tip:
In case you do not have goat meat, you can substitute it with beef for this recipe.

64
 PEPPERY CARROT AND GARLIC
NDENGU
Ndnegu are not only delicious, but also very tasty. Their nature allows them to easily get flavors
of other ingredients making them so fun to cook! This is my favorite ndengu recipe

60 Minutes 35 Minutes 8 people

Ingredients Method
2 cups of ndengu (green grams)
Boil your ndengu. Once they are tender, drain any
4 tomatoes, grated excess liquid and set then aside.

Spring onion, a handful

In a separate sufuria, heat your vegetable oil and add
6 cloves of garlic, minced your cumin seeds. Once they start to sizzle, add the spring
1 thumb sized ginger root, minced onion. Let this stay on the heat for 2 minutes, or until the
soften.
1 heaped tablespoon of black
pepper
Add the grated tomatoes, minced ginger and the garlic
1/2 a tablespoon of whole cumin
seeds and mix. Follow this with the two table spoons of tomato
paste. Add 1/4 cup of hot water and mix. Turn down the
2 tablespoons of tomato paste
heat and let this simmer for about 5 minutes.
2 heaped tablespoon of Royco

Add your ndengu and the diced carrots and mix it in with
3 carrots, finely diced
everything. Mix in your royco and black pepper with some
hot water to form a paste and mix it with the ndengu.

Cover the lid and let this simmer for about 10-15 minutes
so that all the flavors meld. As that goes, prepare your
favorite starch them serve with the ndengu after they are
done.

66
 CURRY AND CUMIN SEED
MATOKE
As a little girl, a fort night would not go by without mum preparing matoke. My sisters and I were
not too enthusiastic about this meal and we would do everything to avoid it. Fast forward years
later and matoke is one of my best meals ever! This recipe transforms one of Kenya’s signature
meals into a culinary experience.

10 Minutes 30 Minutes 5 people

Ingredients Method
10 Matoke, peeled & chopped Put the cumin and the mustard seeds in a sufuria with
4 cloves of garlic, minced some vegetable oil on low heat. Once they become
1/4 a teaspoon of grated ginger fragrant, add your onions, garlic and ginger.
3 tomatoes, grated
1 tablespoon of tomato paste Once they have softened, add your tomatoes and
1 large red onion, diced tomato paste. Let this simmer for about 3-8 minutes.
1/4 teaspoon of turmeric Add the peeled and sliced matoke and mix it in
1/4 teaspoon of curry powder together with the curry powder, salt as to your liking and
1/2 teaspoon of mustard seeds the turmeric.
1/2 teaspoon of cumin seeds
Salt to taste Pour in a cup of hot water (or vegetable stock) and let
Vegetable oil for frying this simmer on medium low heat for about 20 minutes.
Garlic chives for garnish Pass a fork through the matoke and when they are
tender and yellow, they are ready to eat.
Garnish with garlic chives or fresh coriander and serve.

Tip:
As soon as you peel your matoke, place them immediately in water so as to prevent them from
darkening as a result from being exposed to the air. Leave them in the water up until the point
you are adding them in the sufuria for cooking.
68
 GARLIC MUKIMO
Oh boy! Don’t I just love mukimo! It is a mashed potato dish very common with the tribes on the
mount Kenya region but has been fully embraced by all people within the country. It is super
nutritious too. I love anything potatoes and naturally, this will be on my list of faves! I call it
mashed potatoes on steroids, but in the most positive light. My recipe makes this already
delicious and simple dish into a super flavorful one.

15 Minutes 25 Minutes 3 people

Ingredients Method
5 large potatoes
Skin your pumpkin leaves and finely chop them. Blanch
250 grams of tender boiled maize
them for about 5 minutes then put them in a blender
3 large pumpkin leaves
together with the garlic cloves, coriander and dill. Add
1 bunch of coriander
1/4 cup of milk and blend until it forms a paste. Set aside.
2 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon of finely chopped dill
Boil your potatoes in some salty water. Once they are
1 cup of spring onion, finely chopped
tender, begin mashing them. Once the potatoes have
1/2 a cup of parmesan cheese
just smoothed out, add your, finely chopped spring
onion, blended greens, cheese and mix them in. The
blended greens is what gives mukimo it’s green color.

Tip: After that, add your tender maize and fold it in

You can add peas in place of or
until it is distributed through out. Allow this to
together with the boiled maize. It
stay on the heat for a minute or two then serve
will not only add more texture and
with some spicy meat balls or chicken gravy.
depth of flavor, but pack on some
nutrients too.

70
 RAISIN AND CARROT FRIED RICE
When my sisters and I get together after not seeing each other all week, we usually have plenty
of catching up to do. We raze through all possible topics, from makeup, to music, to politics and
of course, food. We exchange interesting recipes that we have tried in each others absence. This
rice recipe was suggested to me by my eldest sister Cheredi. Its so speedy and delicious and
perfect for weeknights.

5 Minutes 20 Minutes 5 people

Ingredients Method
1 cup of pishori rice
In a sufuria, put your rice to cook. Once it is just done,
A handful of ground nuts
remove from th heat and set aside.
A handful of carrots, finely diced
1/2 a handful of raisins
In a separate sufuria, add your red onion, carrots, minced
1 red onion, finely chopped
ginger, garam masala, coriander powder and ground
2 tablespoons of soy sauce
nuts. Let these cook for about 5 minutes. Let them cook
1/2 a thumb-sized ginger root,
but still retain some texture. Do allow them to become
minced
too soft.
1 tablespoon of garam masala
1 tablespoon of coriander spice
Add your cooked rice, the soy sauce and raisins and toss
1 teaspoon of black pepper
all this until everything is evenly distributed. Let this stay
Salt to taste
on the heat for a minute then you are done. Wasn’t this
Vegetable oil for frying
fast?!

Garnish with some fresh coriander and enjoy!

72
COCONUT MILK AND CUMIN BEAN
STEW
My mom knows my youngest sister Musimbi and I have always loved anything beans. This has
always been to her pleasure since that made getting her to eat healthy food a less complicated
process for her. As years went by, we have modified the bean stew we have in our home. This
one remains top on the list due to the fullness of flavor it embodies.

2 hours 35 Minutes 5 people

Ingredients Method
2 tablespoons of cumin seeds Soak your beans for 1-2 hours but preferably overnight.
125 ml of coconut milk Put them to boil together with the cumin seeds until they
1 cup of beans are tender. The soaking softens the beans and
1 red onion, finely chopped allows them to cook a lot faster. Once they are done,
2 tomatoes, grated drain any excess liquid and set aside.
1 teaspoon of tomato paste
1 green bell pepper, finely chopped In a sufuria, add your red onion and finely chopped
1 carrot, finely diced garlic and sautee until they are fragrant. Add the
1 tablespoon of black pepper tomatoes and tomato paste and let this simmer for 5-10
1 tablespoon of royco minutes.

Add the carrots, beans and half of your green bell

pepper and the coconut milk and allow this to simmer for
10-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Once it is done, serve with some rice or chapati.

Tip:
I like my bean stew to have just a taste of the coconut milk. Just a taste! But if you prefer the
coconut milk flavor to be stronger in your beans, increase the quantity of the milk according to
your preference..
74
 CUMIN BHAJIA WITH TATZIKI
Just like viazi karai, bhajia are one of my favorite street food. Not only are they awesome snacks,
but they too can be transformed into the richest of meals. With this recipe, I added a global touch
to this Kenyan delicacy. This combination unleashed a party in my mouth that was truly
unforgettable!

15 Minutes 35 Minutes 3 people

Ingredients Method
Mix the dry ingredients (ground cumin, salt, ground
For the bhajia coriander, turmeric, garam flour) together. Then add
3 large potatoes some water bit by bit until the mixture attains the
Garam (chick pea) flour consistency of yogurt. Grate your bell pepper, add it to
½ green bell pepper the batter and mix. Set aside.
1 table spoon of ground cumin Boil your potatoes and once they are just done, slice them
1 table spoon of ground coriander into pieces with a thickness of 1/2 inch & dip them in the
½ teaspoon of Turmeric batter. Fry them until the batter turns crispy then put on
Salt a paper towel to drain the excess oil.

For the tatziki,

For the tatziki Grate your cucumber and let it fall on a paper towel. This
allows the excess liquid to be absorbed
120 g of thick plain yogurt Put your plain yogurt into a small bowl. Add the salt,
½ cucumber, seeded minced garlic, black pepper, lemon juice and mix. Once
½ teaspoon of salt the cucumber has significantly drained its juices, add it to
½ teaspoon of black pepper the bowl too. Mix it all up and serve together with your
Freshly squeezed ½ lemon bhajia.
2 crushed garlic cloves

76
 CHICKEN PILAU WITH GARLIC
SAUCE
Growing up, whenever we had guests over, my mum would always make pilau. The house would
be filled with the inviting aroma of masala spices. They would have nothing but praise for my
mum and I always believed she made the best pilau on earth! (She still does ;) ) I later
learnt the art of making pilau and tried it with different kinds of meat. This chicken pilau with
garlic sauce is among my all time favorite recipes.

20 Minutes 30 Minutes 6

Ingredeints Method
For the Pilau In a sufuria, add the onion, garlic & the diced chicken
2 cups of pishori rice breast. Let this cook until the chicken has just turned
2 1/2 tablespoons of pilau masala white. This will take about 3-5 minutes. To this, add the
1 teaspoon of whole black pepper tomato paste and the pilau masala, black pepper seeds
seeds (optional) and allow this to cook for about 5 minutes.
2 tablespoons of tomato paste
Palm size chicken breast, diced Add the 2 cups of rice followed by 4 cups of hot water.
1 red onion, diced Mix everything, cover with a lid and allow it to cook.
6 cloves of garlic, minced After the water has totally gone down, turn down the
heat to low. Once the water has completely gone down,
For the sauce serve.
6 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon of vegetable oil For the sauce, add the minced garlic in a sufuria with the
1/4 cup of hot water heated vegetable oil. Once the garlic has softened (not
1/4 a teaspoon of ground mustard browned), add the heavy cream, salt, mustard and the
1/8 teaspoon of white pepper hot water. Mix it all up and turn down the heat to low.
1/2 a cup of heavy cream Let this simmer until the entire mixture has thickened.
Pinch of salt Ladle into a bowl and enjoy it with your chicken pilau.

78
WALI WA NAZI WITH WHOLE CUMIN
SEEDS
My younger sister, Kadesa had brought guests over and wanted me to make them something
they would remember. Because we already had enough vegetables and stews, I embarked on
making rice. I gravitated towards coastal flavors and I made rice that strongly mirrored flavors
of the Kenyan coast. The coconut and cumin flavors brought my rice to life. My sister’s friends
enjoyed this so much and you will too!

2 Minutes 15 Minutes 5 people

Ingredients Method
1 1/2 cups of basmati rice Toast your cumin seeds in a frying pan until they
50 g of dessicated coconut become fragrant. Set them aside. The toasting allows the
2 cups of coconut milk cumin flavor to be more pronounced. Just be careful not
1 cup of water to burn them :)
1 tablespoon of cumin seeds
1/2 red onion finely diced In your sufuria, add your toasted cumin seeds finely
chopped red onion, the coconut milk, the water and
some salt to a boil. Add your rice in once it boils.

After a minute, add the dessicated coconut and mix it

in. Turn down the heat, cover with a lid and allow the
rice to cook. Once the rice is done, remove from the heat,
garnish with some fresh coriander and serve.

80
 CHILI AND SAGE GITHERI
High school in Kenya is usually characterized by 4 years of boarding school. As I approached
this phase, I would often hear form my eldest sisters, Cheredi and Sieva, about how the githeri is
the signature meal of all boarding schools and how they braved the tough maize for four years.
Needless to say, I experienced the same. This however motivated me to find a recipe to make my
githeri delicious. This recipe has made my worst high school meal my favorite one yet!

15 Minutes 40 Minutes 5 people

Ingredients Method
1 teaspoon of black pepper seeds Put the garlic, the black pepper seeds, the diced chili
1 medium sized birds eye chili and the sage in a kinu (pestle and mortar) and grind it
1/2 a teaspoon of dried sage all up until it forms a paste.
1/2 a teaspoon of curry powder
4 garlic cloves In a sufuria, heat up some vegetable oil and add the red
900 g of boiled githeri (mixed maize onion and the garlic-chili paste you have just pounded.
and beans) Let this simmer on medium high heat until the onions
1 red onion, finely diced have softened.
3/4 tablespoon of royco all spice mix
2 tomatoes, grated Add the tomatoes, the tomato paste and 1/4 cup of hot
1 teaspoon of tomato paste water then allow this to simmer for about 5 minutes.
Salt to taste Thereafter, add the boiled maize and beans to the
tomatoes and mix them in. In a small cup, mix the
royco and curry powder with some water and form into
a paste. Add this to the githeri plus 1/2 a cup of hot
water and mix in. Turn down the heat and let this
simmer for 10-15 minutes.

Chop up some fresh coriander and mix it in. Turn off the
heat and serve.

82
GARLIC AND RED ONION INFUSED
CHAPATI
While in boarding school, we had only one visiting day for the whole year. We made sure that we
made the most of this day and eat all the tasty home food our parents would carry with them.
For me and my friend Gaciku, chapati was a total must have in the food baskets from home.
Years later, I still love chapati. There are so many ways to cook them, but I like this one most since
it brings out this flat bread’s savoriness so beautifully.

60 Minutes 40 Minutes 12 pieces

Ingredients Method
1 cup of hot water Roughly chop your red onion and your garlic cloves. Put
All purpose flour these in a food processor. Once they are crushed and
2 table spoons of sugar blended, remove and set aside.
1 teaspoon of salt In a bowl, add your hot water, sugar, salt and vegetable
1 tablespoon of margarine oil. Mix until the sugar and salt have dissolved. Add the
1 red onion flour bit by bit while stirring with your mwiko. Once the
4 cloves of garlic dough has come together, remove from the bowl and
start kneading. After it has ceased sticking on your
surface, spread it out with your hands and put you
margarine at the center. Fold it in and once it is
distributed evenly, cover with a cling film and allow to
rest for 30 minutes.
Pinch tangerine sized dough balls and roll them out.
Cut them from the center outwards and fold the dough
around the center to form a cone. Fold the tip and the
base of the cone towards the center of the cone.
Roll out your dough once again to a thin circular shape.
Put your rolled out dough on a hot pan. Allow each side
a minute on the heat or until browned. Remove from
heat and serve.
84
 MAYAI YA KUKAANGA WITH
OREGANO AND CHEDDAR CHEESE
Mayai ya kukaanga are eggs fried in tomatoes and onion. They are very easy to make, very
filling and a very popular turn to meal for bachelors, bachelorettes and families around Nairobi.
I decided to give this classic a gourmet twist which would turn an otherwise ordinary meal into a
feast. I was not disappointed!

5 Minutes 15 Minutes 2 people

Ingredients Method
4 eggs Crack your eggs in a bowl and whisk them with your
1 tomato, diced salt and pepper. Set them aside.
Spring onion, diced
Red onion, finely chopped Heat some vegetable oil in a pan then add your spring
1/2 a teaspoon of dried oregano onion and red onion. Allow this to sautee until they have
1 tablespoon of cheddar cheese softened. Add the diced tomatoes and cover with a lid
Salt and pepper to taste until they have reduced.
Vegetable oil for frying
Pour the whisked egg over this and mix it in. Add the
cheddar cheese and turn down the heat to low.

Scramble the egg and allow the egg to set and the
cheese to melt then serve.

86
THYME AND LEMON MASALA FRIES
My eldest sister Cheredi used to love masala fries. She would talk about them all the time and so
descriptively that I just had to try them myself.. One sunny December holiday, I took some of my
savings and went ahead to treat myself. I was indeed impressed. I gave these a try at home and
added other components that took this Kenyan indulgence to level 100!

15 Minutes 30 Minutes 2 people

Ingredients Method
5 large potatoes Peel your potatoes and chop them into fries. Fry them in
1 sprig of fresh thyme hot vegetable oil until they are done. Remove from the
3 cloves of garlic, chopped heat and set aside.
1/2 a tablespoon of lemon zest
1 red onion, finely chopped, In a frying pan, heat your vegetable oil and add the
Tomato paste, 1 tablespoon finely chopped onions and garlic. Sautee these until they
1/2 a teaspoon of crushed black are fragrant then add the tomato paste, lemon zest,
pepper seeds black pepper and cayenne and 1/4 cup of hot water.
1/2 a teaspoon of cayenne pepper Allow this to cook down for 5-7 minutes on low heat.
Finely chopped coriander
Vegetable oil for frying Add your fries and the finely chopped thyme. Toss them
in the sauce. Once they are evenly coated, garnish with
some thyme sprigs then serve.

88
 ROSEMARY AND GARLIC VIAZI
KARAI
In primary school, my friends and I would forgo taking a bus home in favor of walking home
every Friday. It was always more fun for us. Along the way, we would purchase viazi karai with
the money that was meant to be our fare home. This snack was ever so indulgent and worth
sacrificing a bus ride home. With this recipe, I added my own twist to my child hood favorite.

15 Minutes 30 Minutes 2 people

Ingredients Method
7 potatoes Peel your potatoes and put them to boil with some salt,
1 cup of all purpose flour the rosemary and the cumin seeds. When they have just
1/4 teaspoon of turmeric tenderized, remove from the heat and slice them into
1 tablespoon of cumin seeds quarters.
1 sprig of fresh rosemary
1/2 a teaspoon of salt Crush your garlic until it forms a paste. In a separate
Vegetable oil for frying bowl, mix your all purpose flour, the garlic paste you
have just made and turmeric with some water and form
a batter that has the same consistency as yogurt.

Dip the boiled potato quarters in the prepared batter

and fry them until the batter sets and turns crispy.

Remove from the heat and serve with your favorite dip.

Tip:
Because the potatoes are already pre-cooked, they do
not take a long time in the oil. The oil must therefore be
quite hot for the flash frying. If you use oil that isn’t hot
enough, the viazi will become too soggy.

90
 OKRA AND ROSEMARY
FRIED RICE
Whenever I develop my recipes, I always try and make them fun for everyone. One of the mottos
I go by is that “Healthy does not have to be boring”. This is one of those dishes that is so healthy,
packed with nutrients, but the furthest thing from boring. Light yet filling are the words I would
describe my rosemary and okra fried rice.

15 Minutes 20 Minutes 3 people

Ingredients Method
1 red onion, finely diced Put your rice to boil. Once it is almost done, turn off the
1 cup of basmati rice heat and set aside.
5 cloves of garlic, minced
7 okra, thinly sliced In a sufuria with heated vegetable oil. To this, add your
1 tablespoon of dark mushroom soy red onion, garlic, garam masala and black pepper, finely
sauce chopped rosemary and carrots. Let these sautee for about
1 small carrot, finely chopped 4 minutes then add your okra. To maintain its texture
1 teaspoon of finely chopped rose- and color, let this sautee for not longer than 4-5 minutes.
mary
1 tablespoon of garam masala Add the pre-cooked rice and toss it together with the
½ a tablespoon of black pepper veggies for about a minute. Add the soy sauce and mix
Vegetable oil for frying it in until evenly distributed. Remove from the heat and
serve.

Tip:
Always cut your veggies into small pieces. This will not
only make your dish look more appealing but it will
make the veggies cook faster and allow you to have a
taste of everything in a single bite.

92
 COCONUT AND ILIKI
MILKSHAKE
Milkshakes always remind me of one of my best friends Nasimiyu. We always indulge in some
when we meet up and seek relief from the Nairobi heat. I added a twist to the usual vanilla
milkshake infusing in it flavors of the Kenyan coast.

10 Minutes 3 Minutes 2 people

Ingredients Method
6 scoops of Vanilla Ice cream In an ungreased pan, add your cardamom seeds and
50 ml of Coconut Milk toast them for about a minute or two. Remove them
1/2 a tablespoon of freshly crushed from the heat & proceed to crush them until they
cardamom completely pulverize. The purpose of toasting the
3 tablespoons of Dark chocolate cardamom seeds is to intensify their flavor.
shavings
Put your icecream, coconut milk and cardamom pow-
der in a blender. Blitz this until it is smooth.

Pour this into your glass mix in the chocolate shavings.

Serve immediately.

94
 MANGO AND LIME DAWA
Dawa is a swahili word for medicine. Why is the signature Kenyan vodka cocktail called dawa
you ask? I personally do not know but we can find out together :)). It is usually prepared with
lemon wedges, but I decided to make my dawa more on the sweet side with impressive results.
I channeled the flavors of Lamu where the locals enjoy their mango and lime juice but married
these two in a single drink.

7 minutes 25 minutes 2 cocktails

Ingredients Method
1/4 cup of vodka
Combine lime juice, ginger, mango juice and 1 cup of
2 limes, squeezed
water in a small sufuria over medium heat. Bring to a
1/2 a mango, blended
simmer then reduce the heat, This will take about 10-12
1/4 teaspoon of grated ginger
minutes.
3 thumb-sized rosemary sprigs
1 cup of water
After that, sieve the mixture and allow it to cool down to
1/2 a cup of sparkling water
room temperature . You can speed it up by putting it in
the freezer for a few minutes. Be careful not to freeze it
though.

Fill two glasses with ice and 4-6 rosemary leaves. Muddle
with a wooden spoon. For each drink pour the cooled
down mango-lime juice to half the glass.

In a cocktail mixer, add your vodka, a sprig of rosemary

and sparkling water and shake then strain as you pour
this into the glasses.

Garnish with the remaining rosemary sprigs and serve.

96
 VANILA BEAN CHAI MASALA
Kenyan food culture has very heavy Indian influence that over centuries has been identified as
our own. The word chai is of Indian origin, referring to milk brewed tea. This is the same term
used in Swahili. My Aunty Jabeya loved to make us tea and with biscuits when we went to visit
her after church. She always put masala in it making it very aromatic and comforting. I have
upgraded it even more. This chai is so good, it will warm the coldest of hearts.

3 minutes 20 Minutes 5 cups

Ingredients Method
500 ml of milk
Put your milk and water in a sufuria together with the
1/2 a cup of hot water
clove, vanilla beans, cardamom seeds and ginger pow-
1 tablespoon of tea leaves
der. Bring this to a boil at low heat. It will take longer,
1 clove, roughly crushed
but the slow brewing allows the flavors of the seeds and
1 vanilla bean pod, seeded
spices to really infuse.
(optional)
6 cardamom seeds, split
Once the milk has come to a boil, add the tea leaves
1/2 a teaspoon of freshly grated
and stir them in. Let this simmer, on low heat too until
ginger
this too comes to a boil.

Sieve your tea and serve.

Tip
If you are in Nairobi, you can get vanilla pods from Naisenya Foods (Instagram @naisenyafoods).
As stated above, they are not mandatory for this chai masala recipe but they add an inviting
aroma, taste and softness to this drink.

98
Snacks & Bitings
 CHEESY MAHINDI CHOMA
Mahindi choma are the most common road side snack offered in my country. During the
evenings, soft maize roasted over glowing embers of coal with eager buyers, usually from work
and school, are usually awaiting by the each maize stand. Typically this would be served with
chili powder rubbed on the maize with some fresh lemon. This recipe ups the flavor of this
already awesome Kenyan snack by taking the unexpected and giving you only the best.

5 Minutes 12 Minutes 3 pieces

Ingredients Method
1 tender maize on the cob Heat some coal and place your corn cobs over the hot
2 tablespoons of chili powder embers. Turn the corn every 4 minutes or once each side
1/2 teaspoon of garam masala has turned golden brown.
1/2 a teaspoon of coriander powder
1/4 teaspoon of cumin powder Take all the dry spices and mix them together put them
1/2 a cup of cheddar cheese in a bowl. Once your maize is done, toss it in the spices
Finely chopped coriander to your satisfaction.

Add the grated cheese and microwave the maize for

about 30 seconds until it has all melted.

Add your finely chopped coriander over the molten

cheese and dig in.

102
 DATES AND SESAME SEED BITES
My best friend in primary school, Kalahi, used to carry the tastiest treats to nibble on during break
time. Her mum would pack for her some groundnuts, fresh juice and sometimes home made
sesame seed bites. Because we were best friends, we would share our break time snacks. She
would have mine, and of course, I would have hers. This recipe this adds to one of the snacks I
liked having back then.

20 minutes 20 Minutes 5 pieces

Ingredients Method
1 cup dates, seeded Soak your dates in some warm water to dislodge the skin.
1/2 a cup of coconut flakes Once the skin is off, pop them in a food processor together
Cinnamon, 1/2 a teaspoon with the cinnamon and nutmeg and run it until it forms
Nutmeg. 1/4 a teaspoon a paste. If your dates do not have their coating. You can
1 cup of sesame seeds skip the soaking and go ahead with the grinding.

Pinch plum sized pieces of the crushed dates and form a

ball. Make a hollow with your index finger and put in it
your fresh dessicated coconut. Roll it up until the center
is totally covered. Roll this in your sesame seeds or
dessicated coconut and set aside.

Serve.

Tip:
You can use your favorite crushed nuts in these bitings too: pistachios, peanuts, cashews e.t.c. You
can also throw in some sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds too. You can make these in advance
and have them with you whenever those sweet cravings kick in.

104
 NUTMEG KASHATA
Friday is a day of prayers for our muslim brothers and sisters. After their prayers, swarms of sellers
align their merchandise outside their mosques. My younger sister Kadesa almost always goes to
purchase kashata since , as she says, the coastal women who sell by the mosque make the best
kashata. I made my own version of kashata at home that is nutty and very fragrant as a result
of the spices I added. This may make me as addicted to kashata as my sister Kadesa is.

3 Minutes 20 Minutes 10 pieces

Ingredients Method
1 1/2 cup of freshly dessicated coconut In a sufuria combine the sugar, your choice of coloring
2 cloves, crushed and cup of water. Swirl it around until the sugar has just
1/2 a teaspoon of cardamom spice dissolved. Do not stir as this will cause the sugar to
1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg crystallize.
1 cup of brown sugar
1/4 cup of water Once this dissolves and thickens add the fresh coconut,
Food color of your choice the nutmeg, cardamom and crushed cloves and mix it in
until it forms a lump and pulls away from the sides of the
your sufuria. This will take 3-6 minutes.

Remove this from the heat and spread on a cookie sheet

or a greased pan at a thickness of about 1/2 an inch.
Allow this to completely cool down and firm up. Once it
has, divide it into rectangular bars. Store in an airtight
container.

Tip:
If you do not have freshly dessicated coconut, you can use store bought coconut. To add some
moisture into it, soak it in some coconut cream for about an hour, drain it then use it as
instructed.
106
 MANGO AND DARK CHOCOLATE
PARFAIT
Mangoes are my favorite fruit. When they are in season, I always try eat them with every meal
and sometimes, incorporate them in different desserts. This is a very tasty dessert, which you can
have as a snack too. It is also packed with antioxidants and vitamins. Healthy does not have to
taste be boring after all, right?

7 Minutes 8 Minutes 2 cups

Ingredients Method
2 apple mango cheeks Cube your mango cheeks into bite sized pieces. And set
150 g of dark chocolate aside.
1 handful of raisins Roughly chop your dark chocolate and set that aside
1 handful of oats too.
50 ml of plain yogurt Begin adding each component, layer by layer beginning
with your yogurt .
Garnish with some raisins and oats then dig in!
Tip:
Don’t have mangoes around? Well
you can use any other fruit you have
at hand or generally prefer. From
bananas, to strawberries to nectar-
ines, nearly any fruit will taste just as
good.

108
 GREEN MANGO POSSET
Green mangoes and a kind of mango common through out East Africa with a green rind even
when ripe, and a bright orange pulp. They are very sweet and have a very specific taste that sets
them apart from other mango varieties. I decided to make this dessert with this unique fruit and
it was perfection. A little indulgence never hurt anyone ;)

10 Minutes 60 Minutes 2 bowls

Ingredients Method
1 green mango Peel your mango and slice it up. Put the slices into a
1 1/2 cup of heavy cream/whipped blender and blend it until it is just done. Set aside.
cream/ double cream
3 tablespoons of granulated sugar In a small sufuria, add your double cream and the sugar
Lemon slices for garnish. and bring to an boil while stirring continuously. Once it
begins to simmer, take from the heat and pour in your
fresh mango pulp and mix it on.

Once mixed in, pour it into your bowls and let this cool for
about an hour in your fridge. Once it has set serve and
enjoy!

Tip:
The beauty about possets is that you can make them with nearly all fruits. Fancy a lemon posset?
You can make one! Or a blueberry posset, well, go ahead and treat yourself to one :)

110
Congratulations! You made it to the end! I hope you are planning on
trying out a couple of the recipes you have read through.

Incase you have any questions, you can reach me on social media, i’d
be more than happy to help you out.

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