During lockdown, I looked though pictures of past expeditions and re-lived fond memories and great times in East Africa. I remembered, how well I felt at the end of the longer trips. A month spent in the bush or trekking is great for losing a few kilograms. I would return to the UK and often be able to easily fit my smaller 'post-Africa-set' of clothes.
Trekking, guiding clients and physical work on NGO projects is only part of the story. Manufactured and packaged food with familiar or similar brands are widely available in towns and villages near transport hubs. The simple delight of an Eet Sum Mor shortbread biscuit with Africafe black coffee.
But if you're prepared to source your own ingredients, or look for authentically cooked local food, you can eat very healthily and relatively inexpensively in East Africa.
Tanzanian, Kenyan, Ugandan and Rwandan food has been largely overlooked and passed by on the European table. We're missing out on fresh, amazing, colourful and great tasting meals. Easily prepared and achievable with a handful of ingredients and a few spices.
The spice trade from the Swahili Coast has been a major influence on the region's food style. Later, fusion with European tastes combined to create classics such as masala chips - the Kenyan favourite while heading home after night at the dance club.
So, here's a few recipes to experience a taste of Tanzania and Kenya.
Wali na Maharage (Rice and Beans)
Ingredients:
1 cup Dried kidney beans (Or do what I did and save lengthy preparation time, by buying a tin)
1 tin Chick peas (my addition)
2 cups Long grain rice (I used Basmati)
4 small Tomatoes, diced
10 Baby carrots, diced
1/2 large Onion, dices
2 cloves Garlic, minced
2 cups Broth (I used two vegetable Oxo cubes in hot water)
to taste Cayenne pepper
to taste Salt
1/2 can Full fat coconut milk
1 large Plantain (I used an ordinary banana)
1 Avocado, diced
Vegetable oil
Instructions:
If using tins of kidney beans, go straight to number (4)
1) Soak kidney beans overnight
2) Drain water and add new water to fully cover and salt. Bring beans to the boil on high heat then med-low. Cook until tender. Don't need to be completely soft as they will cook in the sauce.
3) Drain off water, rise and set aside.
4) Saute onion and garlic on med heat until translucent
5) Add diced carrots and tomatoes in pan and saute for another 5 mins.
6) Add beans and chick peas to the pan. Add veg broth until the beans and vegetables are covered.
7) Add salt and cayenne, to taste
8) Cook for an additional 30-45 mins until beans are soft and sauce thickens a bit. Add water if it gets too thick
9) Cook rice
10) Slice plantain (banana) and in a separate pan, fry in oil. 2-3 mins each side until slightly caramelised.
11) Assemble - Pour generous portion of beans and sauce over rice. Drizzle coconut milk on top. Thin slices of avocado and slices of fried banana on top.
Mchuzi wa Samaki (Tanzanian coconut fish curry)
Ingredients:
250g Salmon cubed
250g Hake cubes
(Instead of the above. I used Basa, a river fish, as a easily sourced alternative to East African Nile Perch).
1 Onion, sliced
2 tablespoon Curry powder
1/2 teaspoon Chilli powder
1 teaspoon Tumeric, ground
1/2 teaspoon Coriander, ground
2 tablesooon Ginger and garlic paste (I used fresh finely grated ginger and mashed garlic)
6 Plum tomatoes, chopped
400 ml Coconut milk
1 tablespoon Tamarind paste (I didn't have any of this, so left it out)
A few Coriander leaves, chopped
2 tablespoons Vegetable oil
Rice (I used Basmati)
Instructions:
1) Heat oil in pan, add onions, curry powder, chilli powder, tumeric, ground coriander. Saute on low heat until softened for about 7 mins
2) Stir in ginger and garlic paste and cook for another 2 mins
3) Add chopped tomatoes and cook for 5 mins. Stirring so they don't stick to the pan. Add coconut milk and simmer for 30 mins.
4) In separate pan, prepare boiled rice
5) Add tamarind paste and fish, submerge in sauce. Cover and cook, 7 mins.
6) Serve fish and sauce, next to boiled rice
Note: I added a few thin slices of fresh green chilli as a garnish
Note: The side dish is Bombay potato and mushroom bhajee
Kenyan Masala chips
Ingredients:
2 tablespoon Vegetable oil
1/4 Medium red onion, finely chopped
1 Tomato, diced
1 Serrano chilli (I used a medium green chilli) seeded and finely chopped
2 cloves Garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoon Garam Masala (I didn't have any of this, so used all spice and cumin)
1/4 teaspoon Tumeric
1/2 teaspoon Ground cumin
1 teaspoon Lemon juice
2 tablespoons Coriander fresh, chopped
1 lb Chips, cooked, hot
To taste Salt
Instructions:
1) Heat oil in large pan med-high heat. Add onion and cook for 5 mins until brown
2) Add tomato, coriander, garlic, stir well, cover, cook 5 mins until tomato is soft
3) Add garam masala, tumeric, cumin. Stir, reduce heat, cook for another 10 mins or until sauce clings
4) Stir in lemon juice and coriander
5) Add chips, salt. Toss well to coat. Serve immediately
Kachumbari
Ingredients:
2 tomatoes, sliced
1/2 Red onion, large, diced
1 or 2 Jalapenos (I used medium green chilli) seeded, diced
1 Cucumber, medium, diced
1 or 2 cloves Garlic, minced
Juice from 1 lime
To taste Chopped fresh coriander or parsley
To taste Salt and black pepper
Optional: 2 beef tomatoes, thickly sliced
Optional: 1 or 2 Avocados, mashed, diced or sliced. Add lime to retain colour
Dressing:
1 clove Garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup Olive oil
2 tablespoon Lemon juice, fresh squeezed
2 tablespoon Balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon Honey
2 tablespoon Fresh parsley and basil, chopped
Salt and Pepper
Blend
(I didn't have enough ingredients for the above dressing, so used mayonnaise)
Ice and Africa Fusion dessert
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon Vegetable oil
1 Banana, sliced and fried until slightly caramelised
1 tub Icelandic Skyr natural unflavoured yogurt
1 scoop Paul Wallis' East Yorkshire, set honey
Furahia chakula chako
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