Author: Kaluhi (Page 21 of 23)

Coconut Cream and spicy sausage matoke

January 2, 2015 / Kaluhi / 10 Comments

I really love Kenyan food. That puts Matoke as one of my favorite foods. Like many other cuisines around the globe, there are millions of ways to have the same meal. Unfortunately for majority of Kenyans, there is not that much experimenting with new ways of cooking the same meal. But worry not, that’s where I come in 🙂

The first time I added my twist to a matoke dish was in this post where I used coconut milk and fresh herbs to bring my dish to life. In today’s matoke dish, I used coconut cream, which makes the matoke luxuriantly creamy,thick and fragrant. To add to that, I added some spicy sausage, which brought this otherwise one-note dish to a whole new level.

Ready for something different? This is for you:

Taking Stock 3

December 30, 2014 / Kaluhi / 0 Comments

The year is coming to a close, and I have to admit this was a year to remember. Plenty of pits and just as many peaks, which come together in the beautiful symphony of life. Today, I want to take time and look back on what was and hope for what is to come. My first taking stock and my second were a while back where you got to know alittle more about me. And today, here is my third: Taking Stock 3 🙂

Geelrys

December 24, 2014 / Kaluhi / 0 Comments

I have always been fascinated with South African cuisine ever since I started watching Siba’s Table on Food Network. I have since embarked to become a great cook just as Siba is. In the process, I have researched more into what South African cuisine has to offer. And majority of the time, I always get something new to try out.

I love sampling recipes from African countries because I am almost guaranteed that I can get the ingredients here in Kenya too. Today, I made some Geelrys, which directly translates to ‘yellow rice’. It is a rice dish popular in South Africa and because the ingredients were available locally, I was more than eager to try this. It is a gorgeous dish, beautiful as it is delicious. The only ingredients I added were my two favorite spices: ground cumin and coriander.

If you cannot go to South Africa, Bring South Africa to you :).

Pineapple, Carrot and Raisin Salad

December 19, 2014 / Kaluhi / 2 Comments

I am lucky to live around people who love to host parties to facilitate neighborhood get-togethers, and prepare the best food during the times they host. There is always something new to taste and new food combinations to experience. And for foodies such as myself, this is the ultimate experience. Today’s recipe is actually one of my favorite salads, which I first ate at my neighbors place. I have been hooked on it since! It is so easy to make, but the flavor profile is so sophisticated. I always love having my fruit especially when it is really hot in December, and this salad always makes my indulgence a delight.

This will be a really short post because the process is not too long or complicated. And I must add, this is a must-try for you and your family this festive season 🙂

Turmeric and Garlic Viazi Karai

December 16, 2014 / Kaluhi / 11 Comments

December holidays are in full force and many Kenyans are making their way down to the coast. Besides the amazing weather, the picturesque beaches, the hospitable people, rich history and the electric atmosphere, people also travel down to the coast to sample some of the hearty food of the coastal people. They really tale food and its preparation really seriously, which is something I personally admire because eating, in my opinion should be an experience.

One of the foods associated with the Kenyan coast is Viazi Karai. It is sold in little kiosks all over our coastal towns and by hotels too. I decided to add my own twist to the traditional recipe and added several more ingredients which made this already delectable meal even more spectacular.

Today, sample my Tumeric and Garlic Viazi Karai.

Kiwi and Strawberry Oreo Icebox Cake

December 12, 2014 / Kaluhi / 2 Comments

Like majority of Kenyan teenagers, I lived out my high school years in boarding school. I was in a Catholic boarding school and it was strict, to say the least. One of the things that I found really bizarre, was how it was imposed on us to carry the same things (snacks, jam, hair tiers, etc) and the many things we were not allowed to have at all (perfume, deodorant, face wash etc). The logic was that they were trying to make us all equal, and that the things we carry from home may go against that. Their intentions were good, but this made some of us mischievous and wildly creative about how we could sneak in the “forbidden” things. One of the snacks we were allowed to carry were these biscuits, only two packets, to last until the next time we returned home, which was about 6-8 weeks away. To break the monotony, we would put tastier snacks in the boxes of the marie biscuits so that they pass past inspection without raising any suspicion. One of my favorite to sneak in were Oreos. I mean, they are so tasty!!! That worked until we were caught and had to get more creative ways of sneaking them in.

When I posted a sneak peek of today’s post on Facebook and Twitter, I got the impression that majority of you thought we shall be baking oreos. Sorry to disappoint you, but that will not be what is going on. I have oven issues as highlighted in this post. However, we are going to use oreos that are ready made and reinvent them into something even tastier.

I decided to make an oreo icebox cake, incorporating kiwi fruit and strawberries, which happen to be the colors of our national flag- black green and red. On this Jamuhuri day, this post is so befitting. I think its an interesting recipe, read on 🙂

Pesto Chicken Penne

December 9, 2014 / Kaluhi / 0 Comments

All of my very close friends, those who know me really well and whom I am most free around, are those I was in High school with. We have maintained friendship ever since and often when we hang out, we indulge in each other’s hobby’s. My friend, Gakii, is one of those pals who I have been with since high school, through university and I am sure, through the times ahead. She enjoys cooking just as I do and she is also one fierce fashionista, refer to her blog for more details. We decided to have a small cooking session as we spent our afternoon together, coz that’s the best way to spend any afternoon :). Our good and talented friend, Frank, was also generous enough to take photos for us as we cooked. It was a day well spent!

Remember when we talked about simple meals with sophisticated names? This one fits the bill. This is a quick and easy dish in which penne pasta is tossed with marinated chicken in a simple but outrageously delicious pesto. You will love my chicken pesto penne!

Spicy Minced Beef Samosa

December 5, 2014 / Kaluhi / 5 Comments

I always love to indulge in a snack to keep my energy up, especially when I have tons to do, but little time to sit down and have a full meal or when I know I will be stuck in the hellish Nairobi traffic for some hours. Among the many things I like to have, I particularly enjoy having a samosa ( or many samosas :D) in the as I wait for a matatu or bus. They are one of the most delicious Kenyan treats in my opinion.

I decided to have one of my favorite snacks as today’s blog post because this blog would never be complete without it. The recipe is very easy to follow, and I am sure you will want to try this too. 🙂

Hope you enjoy the read 🙂

Raisin Pancakes with Orange Syrup

December 2, 2014 / Kaluhi / 12 Comments

I usually love having french-style pancakes, crepes, for breakfast because they are light and my sisters and I finally landed on the perfect ingredient combination. The most common pancakes however, are the thicker, American-style pancakes. I can count the number of times I have had these style of pancakes. In the past, I have never really been a fan of them because I personally found them a little bit heavy. To fix what I did not like, I experimented with some ingredients and I have finally landed on the perfect pancake recipe.

One of my friends has been asking for a pancake recipe on Instagram literally since the day I opened my account 😀 and this is one recipe I am proud to share because I know just how good it is. My sisters loved it, and I know you will too 🙂

Carrot Kari

November 28, 2014 / Kaluhi / 0 Comments

In our house, it is very uncommon for us to have a meal without vegetable serving. Regardless of which vegetable it is, there has to be something served together with our protein and carbohydrates. Sometimes, we play around with various vegetables and in the process come up with new vegetable side dishes in the process.
Carrots are usually part of many dishes, but rarely are they the star of the dish. Today I let my amazing carrots be the star of the dish as I made this Indian inspired Carrot Kari . This one goes really well with ugali, but I felt it went best with rice dishes. Here is this unique,easy to make and delicious Carrot Kari.

Veggie Jollof Rice

November 25, 2014 / Kaluhi / 10 Comments

Some few weeks back on my twitter, one of my followers shared a link I found rather interesting. It was about Jamie Oliver, a world renowned chef, who was being sued by Ghanaian and Nigerians for cooking, Jollof Rice, whose origin was from west Africa, but failing to use maggi cubes while cooking it. I found this very amusing, and a bit unfair, because in my opinion, what makes cooking exciting is having your own take on an already delicious meal and not always following the original recipes to the letter. Read the full article here. Hoping that I do not also get a law suit slapped my way 😀

Today I added my own twist to this controversial meal- Jollof rice. It has the right amount of spice, heat and has the perfect blend between moisture and starchiness. It is often cooked with meat (goat meat, chicken etc) but I decided to use what I had ready with me. Its easy to make, and different from what we are used to and that makes it even more exciting! You must give this a try :).

Potato Latkes and Salsa Verde

November 21, 2014 / Kaluhi / 6 Comments

Have you ever read the name of a dish and the sound of it makes it a little bit intimidating to try, but then upon reading through, you realise it really is easy to make? The sound of this post may evoke such emotions. All I can guarantee you is that this is one of the simplest and speedy recipes yet that you can unleash on short notice. And there is nothing better than something that sounds so sophisticated, but is so easy to prepare.

I think it is becoming apparently clear that one of my favorite ingredients to cook with are potatoes. I like them because there are infinite things to do with them. We have made several potato dishes like this one, and this, and this, each of which have their own character. Today we are going to make the easiest, crispiest potato latkes, that you can make blindfolded and the juiciest salsa verde that really compliments them. The best part is, you can get all these ingredients readily 🙂

Here we go:

Beef Pilau

November 18, 2014 / Kaluhi / 31 Comments

Pilau is one of the meals that define Kenyan cuisine. Just like chapati, pilau is one of those meals that is ever present at any major ceremony in this country. Pilau is a rice dish that is cooked in a seasoned broth, with some pieces of beef, chicken and sometimes peas, nuts and raisins, and whose brown color is obtained from being fried in caramelized onions and a blend of spices. Global variations of pilau are pilaf/pilav of Turkey, Pulao of south-central Asia and Palaw of Iraq.

Pilau is associated with the people of the Kenyan coast, and I must admit, they make the meanest pilau but we are slowly catching up :). There are many variations to the recipe but today I will give you my take. You cannot have a Kenyan food blog without the most cherished Kenyan recipe!

Savory Crepe with Garted Red Bell Pepper

November 14, 2014 / Kaluhi / 0 Comments

I bumped into my former university classmate during rush hour some weeks back. It was pleasant to see him again and we talked a little bit about life after school. One thing he spoke of most was how he feels so tired after work, so much so he does not bother to prepare supper for himself but takes exactly what he had for breakfast. Besides that, he absolutely enjoys life after school.

This inspired me to recreate breakfast meals for supper. You can do this with nearly every dish, the only thing is to transform the sweet into savory. I chose crepes, whose sweet breakfast version we did here by adding vanilla essence, mango and cinnamon, and today,s savory version has green onion, red bell pepper and cumin.

Nutmeg Doughnuts with Dark Chocolate Glaze

November 11, 2014 / Kaluhi / 6 Comments

In Kenya, after completing high school, there is about a 4 month wait between the time you complete your exams and the time the results of the national exams are released. During this period, majority of us did short computer courses to make good use of our time and to better ourselves. During the end of each class every Wednesday, I would treat myself to a chocolate doughnut from Bakers Inn that was close to my computer school and on my way to the stage. It nearly turned into a weekly ritual, but this eventually died down once they increases the prices of their doughnuts.

Some weeks ago on my twitter handle, one of my followers asked for a doughnut recipe. I was more than happy to give her one and in the process, re-live one of my favorite indulgences back in 2010. I added my own twist by adding fragrant nutmeg into the mix, and instead of having a cocoa-powder-icing frosting like Bakers Inn, I opted for a rich dark chocolate glaze with some sprinkles which added an extra crunch. This was really fun to make and so delicious to have!

Sweet Potato and Tender Maize Stew

November 7, 2014 / Kaluhi / 6 Comments

Stews are rather popular in Kenya, probably because they leave room for addition of different food groups into one pot making preparation of a meal faster. As an accompaniment to many dishes, the most common stews here are beef stew and Irish potato stew. However, people are trying out new things, including myself.

I made this sweet potato stew and I was happy to note how delightful and light it was, and this was a much welcome change from the ordinary. This stew is so comforting, every bite feels like you are receiving a huge hug. I used the warm spices of nutmeg and cardamom to elevate the sweet potato flavor. This really is a must-try for everyone.

Coconut milk Fish curry

November 4, 2014 / Kaluhi / 13 Comments

One of the things I love about cooking is that you can transform one ingredient and have it in so many ways. For fish, you can have it fried, stewed, stuffed in bread, made into a patti and so many other different forms. In Kenya, fish is usually fried or stewed unfilleted and in many times whole. I love fish, and to be honest, I can have it which ever way it is served.

Today I made one of the tastiest fish I have ever had. It was filleted and I stewed it in coconut milk, garlic and lemon. Read on to know exactly how this went down:

How to make coconut milk

November 3, 2014 / Kaluhi / 2 Comments

Coconut milk is one of my favorite substitutes for using water or vegetable stock in my stews or various other dishes. In my opinion, using coconut milk is one of the easiest ways of adding more flavor or transforming the taste of a dish. Coconut milk is not a dairy product though. Even so, it has plenty of health benefits. It helps with improving skin and hair health, boosts the immune system, has plenty of antioxidants, has anti-fungal properties and many more.

You can get this in the supermarkets, and if you are in Kenya, I recommend coconut milk by Kara as it is of high quality. But you can also make your own coconut milk, and here is how you can do that:

Coconut french toast with caramelized pineapple

October 31, 2014 / Kaluhi / 4 Comments

I have always loved french toast for breakfast. It is such a lovely way to begin the day. Besides that, there are so many ways you can have your french toast, and I love this because it allows one to be creative in the kitchen. I did orange zest french toast some months back and they were unbelievably tasty! My Uncle brought us some coconuts from Mombasa when he came to visit us in Nairobi and I decided to make coconut french toast this time round. I added some caramelized pineapple and this perfectly complimented the coconut in the french toast. I was not disappointed.

I hope you give this a try because they really are the tastiest french toast I have had so far!

Spaghetti Marinara

October 28, 2014 / Kaluhi / 2 Comments

One of my favorite December holidays of all time was when my very generous uncle and aunty took us to stay in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania, with them for 2 weeks. It was our first time there and they made sure we had the time of our life. One day during our stay there, my aunty took us to the neighboring island paradise of Zanzibar for the afternoon. That is one of the prettiest places I have ever been to. After touring the island and getting some memorabilia for ourselves, we headed out for lunch. My aunt ordered for my cousins for us pasta marinara, which is light but still filling and very tasty. I did not know the name of the dish then, I found out may years later after getting into my love for cooking.

This spaghetti marinara is a very easy dish to prepare, for beginners who want to try something tasty and exciting and also for those who have more experience in the kitchen but appreciate a good short cut to a great meal.