Category: Kenyan Food Recipes

Achari ya Kamba Ingredients: 1/2 kilo dried shrimp 1 cup crushed red chili peppers * Crush the red chili peppers in a blender with some lemon juice. 1 cup ginger/garlic paste Some vegetable oil Some lemon juice Some salt Method: Give the dried shrimp a quick rinse and drain. In a blender, add the shrimp and some lemon juice and roughly blend. You don’t have to over blend the shrimp, you want them chunky. In a pan heat up some oil (medium high heat). Then add the ginger/garlic paste and stir. Keep stirring so it doesn’t stick to the pan. Keep stirring and adjusting the heat to low when needed. Once the paste turns into golden colour, add the crushed chili peppers. Mix together and continue cooking. Add the shrimp and continue mixing. Add some more lemon juice and salt and continue cooking. Cook on low heat and keep stirring occasionally. When it cools down place it in an air tight container and store it in the fridge Enjoy!!

Achari ya Maembe Ingredients: Raw mangoes Salt Dawa ya achari (pickle or achar spices) Red chili powder Turmeric (optional) Crushed chili flakes Vegetable oil Method: Wash and cut the mangoes into pieces or cubes. Discard the seed and any unwanted parts. Now put the cubed mangoes in a small container and add some salt, add enough salt to make the mangoes taste salty. Then let this stand overnight or for about two days. After the two days, you will see that the mangoes have given out water, drain and discard away the water. Now spread the cubed mangoes on a flat surface and dry them out in the sun (this might take days or weeks depending on how much sun you get). Once the mangoes have dried enough to suit your taste (some like the mangoes very dried, some like them when they have some moisture), put the dried mangoes in a large container or jar and add the remaining ingredients according to your taste. Do not add any more salt, the achari should have enough salt, you can taste the achari first then decide if it needs more salt. For the oil, put the oil in a pot and place it in a low heat stove just to warm it up. Then let the oil cool completely before adding it to the achari. You can also add the oil as is without warming it up. I like the oil to cover the mangoes up to almost half way up or three quarter way up…Mix well and the achari is now ready to be eaten. Place the achari container out in the sun every two or three days. Also mix it every two days. Enjoy!!!

Mikate ya Nyama Ingredients: Flour Salt Ghee Water Method: In a mixer, mix flour, salt and some ghee. Mix well then add water and mix to make a soft dough. Divide the dough into small balls and oil the dough balls. Place them on a plate and cover. Let them rest for a few hours. For exact dough measurement please refer to my chapati recipe because I used my chapati recipe for this dough. Other Ingredients: Cooked minced meat or keema..like the one used i making samosa. Raw eggs Now oil a counter surface roll out each ball using your fingertips. Roll out the dough ball to desired thickness. In a bowl crack an egg and lightly beat it. Now place some keema in the middle of the rolled ball and pour some egg over the top of the keema. Gently fold the sides over to seal the keema and egg. Now cook the folded mikate on a lightly oiled pan until well cooked. Remember to cook both sides and keep in mind that the sides are cooked too. Enjoy with some salad and tamarind sauce. Enjoy!!

Viazi vya Rojo Ingredients: 6 large potatoes Boil the potatoes until they are soft. Once the potatoes are soft, peel them and cut them into pieces. You also need: 1 onion diced 6 tomatoes..blended 1/2 tsp chili flakes 1 tsp blended garlic Salt Lemon juice 1/3 cup oil 3 red or green chilies Diced or sliced raw mango Paprika Method: Place a pot on a medium heat stove. Add oil to the pot and cook the tomatoes. Once the tomatoes are soft, add the remaining ingredients except the potatoes. Cook until everything is well mixed, then add the potatoes and mix. Then cover the potatoes with some water and let them cook until the liquid has reduced to your perfection and the potatoes have enough sauce. Taste for salt and lemon juice. Enjoy!!!

Mtuzi Wa Kababu Ingredients: 1 and a half pounds keema 1 egg 5 tbsp breadcrumbs 1/2 tsp ground cumin 1/2 tsp ground black pepper 1/4 tsp red chili flakes 1/2 tsp ground mixed spices 1 tbsp ginger/garlic paste Lemon juice Salt Mix all the ingredients well, then form into kabab balls. Take a frying pan and add some oil to it, then place the kabab balls and cook them on medium heat. Cover the frying pan. Once one side is crispy coated, gently flip the kabab balls to the other side and cover..At this point you can reduce the heat to medium low. Continue cooking until the kabab balls are fully cooked, then remove them from the stove and keep them aside. For the curry: 1 jar (640 ml) pasta sauce 1 tsp garlic powder 2 tbsp dried onion flakes A half to a teaspoon of ground mixed spices 1/2 tsp cumin powder 3 tbsp chili garlic sauce Coriander Salt Dried parsley Oil 1/4 tsp red chili powder In a pot, add the oil and cook the pasta sauce for a few minutes. Then add the spices except for the coriander and the dried parsley.. Cover and continue cooking for a few minutes, next add the kabab balls and cover the pot. Let the curry cook until the sauce has reduced to your liking and all the ingredients are well cooked..If you want you can add some lemon juice to the sauce.Turn the stove off, taste for salt and add the dried parsley and coriander.. Serve with pasta, rice or chapati.. Enjoy!!!

Samaki wa kupaka grilled fish with coconut sauce Ingredients: 2 large fish (whole) 2 tbsp ginger/garlic paste 1/2 tsp ground black pepper Salt Lemon juice 3 to 4 tbsp oil Method: Clean the fish and lightly slice the fish, giving the fish cuts not all the way through (mitai), this will help the fish obtain more flavour. Do it on both sides. Mix all the ingredients and marinate the fish. Next place the fish on a fish BBQ grill basket and close it so the fish doesn’t fall. Next grill the fish on a charcoal grill until the fish is well cooked. For the sauce: 4 to 5 cups thick coconut cream/milk 7 green chilies 7 cloves of GARLIC Salt Lemon juice 1/2 tsp turmeric powder Method: Crush or grind the chilies, garlic and salt together. In a pot, add the coconut cream, the crushed garlic, chilies and salt, turmeric and lemon juice. Cook until the sauce thickens, taste for salt and lemon before removing from the stove. When the sauce is thick, remove from stove and let it cool. Next when the fish is ready, open up the fish BBQ basket and start brushing the sauce on the fish, while the fish is still on the charcoal grill. When you find the fish is sticking to the BBQ basket, let the fish cool before opening the basket, otherwise continue brushing the fish with sauce on both sides while still placing the fish on the hot stove so the fish can get nice aroma of the smoke from the sauce falling into the charcoal, at the same time keeping an eye on the fish not to burn. When the fish is well coated with the sauce on both sides, remove from the grill and serve on a plate. Enjoy!!!

Pan seared Mishkaki Ingredients: Beef without bones cut into small mishkaki size. Salt Ginger/garlic paste Chili powder.. optional Cumin powder Garlic powder Lemon pepper salt Ground black pepper Chili flakes Some oil for marination Method: In a bowl, add everything and mix well. Let the beef marinate for a few hours. In a pan, add the marinated beef and some more oil and cook the meat until soft but not too soft. When cooking the meat, you can add some water to help soften it when needed and also so that it doesn’t stick to the pan. The beef is ready when it’s soft and there’s no liquid left. Take the meat out and place it on a plate to cool. Skewer the beef pieces using wooden skewers. In a big pan, add some oil just a few tablespoons, then cook the skewers on low heat turning them every once in a while so they cook evenly. The skewers are ready when desired colour is reached. Serve with salad and ukwaju. Enjoy!

Bokoboko boko boko recipe Ingredients: 2 cups barley 1 lb meat 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp ground black pepper 1/2 tsp ground cumin 1/2 tsp ground cardamom 10 whole cardamom 3 large cinnamon sticks 1 and 1/2 tbsp lemon juice 1/2 tbsp salt Method: Wash the meat, cover it with water and boil it (do not add salt). Next wash the barley and drain them. When the meat is half way cooked, add the barley and continue cooking the meat with the barley. If the water has reduced, add some more to cover the meat and the barley. When the barley has softened up, add the lemon juice, whole cinnamon sticks and whole cardamom. Continue cooking until the meat and the barley have completely softened up and there is less water. Start mixing using a large spoon and add the remaining spices. Keep mixing and gently crushing the meat and the barley with the large spoon. Taste to see if you need to add more spices. Once everything is well mixed, remove from the stove and take an immersion blender and blend the mixture. The bokoboko is now ready. Take a portion of the bokoboko and place it in a serving bowl, then add melted ghee on top and some sugar. Enjoy