Che GUEVARA
Dryden KIREMBU

Ugali

Maize (white corn flour)
Water
Salt (optional)

Bring water to a boil in a pan (about 4 cups).
Reduce heat to medium and put flour gradually stirring until consistency is stiff.
Stir continuously and cover for about 5 minutes, stir again and form into a mound, When it pulls from the pan sides without sticking to the edges.
The finished product should look like stiff grits.
Cover the pots and invert the pan so that the Ugali drops.

This Ugali is prepared to welcome warriors from war usually served in the evening and eaten by adults because it is believed to rejuvinate the strength lost during battle. It was believed that Juju (a famous whitch doctor) come to maumau warriors and prepared it for them. She left only after leaving the recipe.

Mashed Potatoes

6 medium all-purpose potatoes
1/2-3/4 cup hot milk
4 tablespoons butter
Salt
Freshly ground pepper

Peel the potatoes and cut them into quarters.
Put them in a pan and just cover them with cold water.
Bring them to a boil and boil gently for 15-20 minutes or until tender when pierced with a fork.
Drain very well and return to very low heat.
Add 1/2 cup hot milk and the butter and start mashing with a potato masher or a fork (or put them through a potato ricer), smoothing out all the lumps.
When you have worked the potatoes free of the lumps, transfer to a warm bowl and whip with a fork or whisk until light and fluffy, adding the remaining milk, if necessary, and salt and pepper to taste.
Serve immediately, or keep hot, uncovered, in a double boiler.

It is given to babies by mothers so as to soothe them.

Potato Cakes

Using leftover mashed potatoes, shape into small flat cakes.
Dip lightly in flour, shake off any excess and brown each side in hot bacon fat or butter over medium heat.

This foods are prepared as a snack for grown-ups, as breakfast or supper.

By Aquinas High School, Nairobi

Milton OSUMA
Martin KAMAU

Njahi (green) beans stew

Ingredients :
500 g Njahi beans (boiled)
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon margarine
3 onions (sliced)
Ginger, coriander and garlic (crushed)
3 tomatoes (sliced)
50 g cheddar cheese
2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon turmeric powder

Method :
In a large pot heat the two oils together and add in coriander, onions, ginger, garlic and tomatoes. Cover and cook until soft. Add in the beans, stock, salt and turmeric powder. Allow boiling and then reducing heat to simmer for 5 minutes. Lastly add the cheese and simmer for another 5 minutes. Mix well to prevent sticking to the pots.

Serving :
In order to get prawn stock, boil some prawns and retain the liquid/soup (fish stock can also be used instead of prawns). Because the stew is quite “salty” in terms of taste, it goes well with something starchy, e.g. rice. To add some vegetable to the dish, salads can be used, e.g. carrot, cabbage or tomatoes salads. Remember to serve with the prawn or fish stock.
Enjoy !

History :
The meal can be served for lunch or dinner or in celebrations.
It is quite delicious and contains a lot of iron and proteins among others.
It can also be grinned and served in powder form.
Njahi is a dish mostly preferred by the Kikuyu. They believe that their old grandmother (ancestor) who was living in polygamous family discovered it. She used to cook vegetables and cereals to feed her family. One day she decided to cook Njahi beans for her supper, the meal came out very nice and everybody liked it in the family. Then they continue to use it as food. They discovered that it was such a great meal and mostly to mothers after delivery. So they used it to feed these mothers believing that it will restore back the energy and blood lost during child bearing, they also use it to feed people with blood related problems. It was later discovered by scientists that Njahi is a very rich bean and can be used for other purposes, like medicinal purposes, other than just food. And that is how Njahi beans came to exist as food.

N.B :
Prawn : A small pink shellfish that is used for food (e.g. prawn salad, prawn sandwich).
Stock : A liquid made by boiling meat or bones and vegetables which is used to make soup (e.g. chicken stock).
Puree : Food that is smashed almost like liquid.

Ingredients :
Rice (Pishori)
Cinnamon
Red onions
Tomatoes
Cumin
Ginger
Cardamom
Salt
Bay leaves
Black pepper
Coriander
Garlic
Cooking fat/Oil

Method :
First pre-heat the cooker and the cooking pan.
Add some oil and allow it to melt down.
Put your well chopped onion and well smashed ginger in the pan and cook it.
After some minutes, add the tomatoes and garlic in the mixture.
Then add all the other spices (after grinding them) and cook well for about 5 minutes.
Afterwards, put the rice and stir well to prevent sticking.
Add a bit of little water and cover till it has have all evaporated.
You can test if it has cooked or not, if it hasn’t, you can add some more water.
The meal will be ready, you can serve it with almost any stew.
Enjoy !

History and significance :
Pilau was discovered in the coast province of Kenya, in the city of Mombasa. It was discovered by Swahili people who are an intermarriage of Bantu and Arabs. They did this when they were trying to add more flavour to the cooking of rice. The art of its cooking was spread to the interior of Kenya through intermarriages and trade. With this, more and more ways of making it spicier were born. Though the art was spread to the interior, the Swahili remained the best cooks to date. This meal is common in ceremonies like weddings, parties and national holidays, and in both Christian and Muslim religious festivals. Pilau is significant in that it acts as a symbol of togetherness. For example, the Swahili usually put Pilau in a large dish and the whole family feeds from it. This is like a symbol of togetherness and unity of the family.

By Nairobi School, Nairobi

Njagi Tosh
Mwitimi Kelvin
Kiplimo Nicholas
Miri Nicholas
Wafula John
Muganda Boniface
Muya Edward

Chapati

History:
Chapati is one of the many delicacies among the various Kenyan communities. Its origin is not clearly traced but it is believed to have originated in the coastal communities. It then spread to other areas of the country by interaction of communities. Its fame has suprisingly grown to an extent of becoming one of the most preferred dishes in leading Kenyan restaurants.

Ingredients:
Wheat flour
Sugar
Salt
Cooking fat
Hot water

Preparation:
Pour half a packet of flour into a bowl.
Add water containing sugar and salt into the bowl.
Mix them to form a dough.
Cut the dough into smaller pieces.
Take each piece and roll using a rolling pin to form a round disc shape.
Put it in a pan and cook until it turns brown.
Serve it with bean or meat stew.