A simple recipe to making Githeri

Growing up we ate a lot of githeri. I’m not sure we ate it because it was a Kikuyu ( One of the tribes in Kenya that I belong to) traditional meal or because it was cheap. We (the kids) hated it mostly because the corn used to prepare it was dry and tough and also because it was seen as the poor man’s meal. The main ingredients were cheap and easy available.

As an adult now, I love it and most times I feel like it is a delicacy because getting fresh green maize is an uphill task and also because I can flavour it just the way I love it.

So this week, we had it for dinner in my house and it was delicious. Too delicious to the point that my pick 9 year old had two servings. I am going to be nice 🙂 and share the recipe with you.

Ingredients

• 2 cups pre-cooked green maize(corn)
• 2 cups pre-cooked beans of your choice (I used rosecoco in this recipe)
• 1 cup cubed carrots
• 1 1/2 cups cubed potatoes

• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1 teaspoon tomato paste
• 1 large onion chopped
• 2 medium-sized tomatoes chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 table spoon fenugreek seeds
• 1 table spoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• ½ cube chicken stock cube(optional)
• 1 cup coconut milk
• Bunch of  fresh dhania (coriander)

• In a heavy pot on medium-high heat, fry the chopped onions in some oil until they are transparent and soft.
• Add the chopped tomatoes and saute until they start getting mushy. Add the cubed potatoes fold them in the tomatoes and cover for 2 minutes to allow the potatoes to cook slightly
• Pour in the tomato paste and garlic and stir them in. If the potatoes are sticking to the bottom of the pan, add a little water and low the heat ever so slightly. Cover and cook for 2 more minutes

• In a separate bowl mix all the dry spices ( salt, black pepper, fenugreek seeds, paprika, turmeric & stock cube) in a cup of cold water
• Add the spice mix to the pot together with the carrots and stir them in. Add one more cup of water into the stew and simmer for 5 minutes.
• At this point add the coconut milk and simmer until the potatoes have cooked through. Remove the pot from the stove and add chopped coriander and let sit for 2 minutes before serving
• Serve and garnish with chopped coriander. Enjoy with a cup of green tea & a few slices of avocado.

Let us know what other recipes you would like to see here and we’ll try our best to share?