Soojet ak Kimyop Mataiywo (Soojet and Millet flour Ugali)

In an earlier post we discussed an essential part of the Kalenjin community food: Mursik. It is our trademark drink, and every kalenjin at one point or other has had to drink it. Another staple among the community is soojet or saakiyet. This is a bitter vegetable that is found in many communities in Kenya. Of course, you do not cook soojet on its own; a side of ugali preferably millet flour ugali or as it is known  or as in the case of millet flour ugali it is kimyop mataiywo.

I cannot count how many times when visiting my grandparents I had to eat this meal. In fact, my parents prefer to eat this meal rather than ugali and sukuma.

So how is it made?

SOOJET/SAAKIYAT

Total cooking time: 20-30 minutes.

Fry the onions in a saucepan till cooked, and add the tomatoes (As much tomatoes as you like).

Put in the soojet and mix.

Add in salt, Royco (very little as the taste of soojet is very overpowering) and stir in well.

Add a little milk to reduce some of the bitterness (optional).

Let it cook over low medium heat.

• If you want to make it less bitter, boil it before frying and pour out the water. The natural water from the vegetable is the most bitter part.

KIMYOP MATAIYWO (millet flour ugali)

Boil water in a saucepan

When the water is boiled add the flour stirring as you add.

When the flour is more than the water, keep stirring until all the flour is well mixed in.

There should not be flour visible.

Let the mixture sit for a few minutes to cook through

Stir one more time

Serve while hot.

 

Boiled Yam

Now, I want to state clearly, I am not Nigerian nor am I Ghanian. 

A couple of weeks ago, we had the pleasure of hosting some Ghanians at our home. These Ghanian gentlemen decided they have to cook for us and didn't they do a job and a half. Who knew Ghanian men (fathers mind you) could cook like this. They cooked for us a full meal but for the purpose of the blog, I will focus on boiled yam.

I have heard of yam from western Africa for as long as I can remember, but it was always made in the form of pounded yam.So the first time I ate yam, I ate boiled yam and it was yuuummm.
    Yam in its raw form.


BOILED YAM RECIPE

• Peel the yam
• Cut into cubes according to size that best suits you.
•  Boil water and make sure to salt it.
• Place the cubed yam into the salted boiled water and let it cook
• When ready, remove form the water and serve while its hot.

Boiled yam goes  with a side of beef stew or  fish or whatever you desire. 

                       

So the next time you feel a like enjoying something new travel to Ghana with your taste buds and enjoy some boiled yam.
 

Rat mshikaki

This is a common Malawian meal .Living in one of worlds poorest countries the people had to survive the way they can .So they are confronted with the choice of eating rats or starving to death .

Ingredients

• 1 rodent[rat]
• salt
• pepper

 Procedure

*After the harvest season of corn ,young children chase the tasty critters through the corn fields.This is the time when the mice are nice and fat.
*To easily catch the kapuku [the most edible mice species] locals set up traps throughout the corn fields.
*They fill large clay vats with water and smear them with field corn husks.
*As the rats fight for the husks ,some of them fall in the draw.
*The mice are cooked ,salted or dried then stung on sticks and sold as delicacies.

ZEGE

                
 This is most probably the most simplest meal to prepare. Zege, also known as chips mayai in Swahili is one of the most common dishes in Tanzania. It is a simple potato-egg omelet. Here is how zege is prepared.

PREPARATION
Ingredients

• 5 Irish Potatoes

• 2 Eggs

• 1 tablespoon of salt

• Cooking oil

Procedure

• Peel the Irish potatoes and slice them into a size convenient for frying. 

• Wash them and allow them to dry while you heat oil in a casserole. 

• Fry the potatoes in the hot oil until they are cooked.

• Place the fried potatoes in a medium sized frying pan that's heated.

• Beat the eggs well, put enough salt while you beat the eggs. 

•  Pour the eggs over the fried potatoes.

• Fry both sides well  while flipping to ensure enough heat is supplied and it is well cooked.

Can be served with kachumbari, mshikaki or vegetable salads.



                                                                                                                       

Rolex

1)      Apologies dear readers its been a while since our last post! But this week we’ve made up for it in this very yummy late night snack entitled ‘the Rolex’ which originates from the streets of Kampala, Uganda sold between  600UGX to 1500UGX (20KES – 50KES)

I Cannot exactly pin point how it got its name but I will certainly admit that this fried delicacy is the best post partying snack and will lead you into a beautiful slumber, whatever happens in the morning I cannot account for!

Whether you buy it on the street or you want to make it at home (Which is even better!) I will list down the simple and easy steps and ingredients for your own general knowledge

INGREDIENTS

·         Chapati (already cooked and prepared)

·         Fried omelette (1 or 2 eggs)

·         Cabbage (A handful, shredded )

·         A raw Tomato (3 or 4 thin slices)

·         Chopped Onion (handful)

·         Chopped Green Pepper (handful)

·         A pinch of Black Pepper

·         A pinch of Salt

DIRECTIONS

2)      With your chapatti already prepared and your omelette still in the frying pan, lift the omelette and slide the chapatti underneath so they may warm together

3)      In the centre of the omelette You may now sprinkle the shredded cabbage, the tomatoes, onions, green pepper and Aromat or whatever flavouring suits you but do not cook for long! If you must you can remove the omelette and chapatti from the sauce pan before adding these final touches

4)       After you’ve laid this almost finished master piece on a plate remember to sprinkle a pinch of salt and black pepper and now here’s the tricky part Roll. (First fold the right side not covered in toppings to cover toppings, then fold along center axis, and then wrap remainder around outside.

5)      TADA! You may pack it the African way and put it in a clear polythene plastic bag to avoid dripping!

You may accompany this fine snack with ketchup or chilli but that’s all up to you!

FISH STEW

This week we look at fish stew which is a vegetarian favorite all over the world. In Kenya however it is most common among the luo people who are mostly found in Nyanza county thus thy have easy access to fish which lives in water and in this case The Lake Victoria. It is an easy meal to prepare and here is a recipe for 3 people;
      INGREDIENTS

• 2 fish
• 1 clove of onion
• 2 tomatoes
• cooking oil
• 1 spoon of royco 
• 1 cucumber
• green pepper
• 2 cups of water for the stew
• 2 pinches of salt to taste

      METHOD
Deep fry the raw fish
Put cooking oil in a separate sufuria
Dice the onions and put them in the oil

Stir for a while till the onions turn golden brown
Add the sliced cucumber
Put the diced tomatoes in the sufuria and stir till the tomatoes and cucumbers are well cooked
Add the well cut pepper in small amounts
Add the dhania the put royco to enhance the taste
Put the fried fish in the sufuria and add the 2 cups of water
Leave the delicacy to cook for about 5 to 7 mins


         SERVING
This meal can be served best with ugali and while hot.

sample of well prepared fish stew

Nyama Choma & Kachumbari

  

This week, we are going to look into an East African Favourite mix of protein by the name Nyama Choma. Nyama Choma is a Swahili name East Africans give roast meat. Around the world Nyama Choma is a delicacy that brings people together and a famous African social lubricant.  Kenyans prefer taking it with beer and a salad side dish called Kachumbari which I’ll get to in a bit. 

 This hand eaten meat feast has two ways of preparation, the first common used method around the world is using a grill and the second natural method is grilling it over firewood, the firewood method has been the most favourable because when prepared from a late afternoon till evening it keeps all members of the feast closer and warmer as they celebrate and reminisce events. Nyama Choma can be any meat, but usually East African people prefer goat's meat as the favourable protein.

  Some of the high protein delicacies that make up Nyama Choma include: 

•  Mutton 
•  Pork
• Chicken
•  Beef        
• Turkey  

 

Kachumbari is a popular tangy tasty  salad and side dish served as well in East Africa Which Is Very Simple to prepare by mixing the following ingredients in one bowl :

·         5  tomatoes, thinly sliced 

·         2 small onions, thinly sliced 

·         1 red or green chilli, de-seeded and cut lengthways into fine slivers 

·         handful of  coriander, finely chopped 

·         juice of 1 lemon

·         3 tablespoons  olive oil 

·         black pepper

So with that I bid you farewell till next week!