Category: Main (Page 6 of 13)

Coconut cream & Oregano Githeri

January 16, 2018 / Kaluhi / 12 Comments

My younger sister, Kadesa, finds it so weird whenever I say I am Kraving githeri. She finds it so so so weird that I actually enjoy githeri. She does not find githeri any way exciting because of how frequently we had it in boarding school, same way I deeply dislike cabbage because of high school. Different folks, different strokes, right? I love anything with beans, and githeri is right up there among the things I love! I could eat it everyday of the week! But you know what’s even more exciting? That it can be prepared in 6 million different ways with each recipe bringing out its beauty in a unique, exciting way!

For today, I hope you truly enjoy my coconut cream and oregano githeri as much as I did <3. I made a beautiful short video on the same, but first, lets get into detail!

Thyme Beef Burger with Passion Habanero BBQ Sauce

January 9, 2018 / Kaluhi / 6 Comments

“Na kunanukia!!!! Zimeiva?” (“They smell great! Are they done?”) My sister yelled form the stair case as she made her way to the kitchen where I was. I was not really in the mood for cooking because of cramps, but my sister pushed me and after some pain killers I decided to make something indulgent for both of us. Good food makes everything better right? And I had no regrets!!! Step after step after step and few moments later, there you are sinking your teeth into something juicy and delicious!!!The best burgers are those that we make at home. That is when you can customize flavors according to your preference. Aroma of herbs filled the air. Sound of a sharp sear made me salivate. And your next favorite burger is my thyme beef burger with my passion fruit bbq sauce <3 <3

This recipe, and all other recipes here on out, will be accompanied by short but sweet videos on my YouTube channel, so if you are yet to subscribe, do so HERE, right now, then come over and lets get into what this burger is all about <3

Mushroom Coconut Milk Soup

November 8, 2017 / Kaluhi / 18 Comments

The wind was blowing hard. I was walking as fast as I could. I hoped to get home before the rain could start pelting down, but no sooner had I finished thinking the thought than the rain started falling hard. I increased my tempo took out my umbrella. Despite having cover from the rain, I still got completely wet almost as though I had no umbrella at all. I thought of running, but that would be futile, so I instead decided to enjoy the rain. That is how November showers are; cold, large drops whose fury is only fanned by the wind. I was freezing by the time I got home. But at least I was rained on when coming back home rather than when I was going somewhere important or to meet important persons, right? I had a hot shower and decided to make something soothing for myself. Since I was not too hungry, I settled on a soup- best decision I made that day. Perfectly fragrant, creamy and aromatic; that is how I would describe my mushroom coconut milk soup which will very easily become your rainy season favorite <3.

Orange Chili Beer Battered Fish Fingers

November 3, 2017 / Kaluhi / 13 Comments

November.

How fast has this year flown by??? Where did all the time go? But I am not complaining, this is one of my favorite months of the year. I just find it so beautiful. The bewitchingly hypnotic hum of rain falling outside is beautiful. Warm socks, cosy nights in, indulgent food at hand is a beautiful experience on its own. Gun-metal grey of pregnant rain clouds is beautiful. The last of jacaranda blossoms and carpets of purple once they fall off is beautiful. Thigh-high boot friendly weather is beautiful. Cool, crisp, humid air is beautiful. Everything about November is absolutely beautiful!

And for the first recipe for this amazing month is one I really really enjoyed. Not only it it easy to make, but the flavors will make you scream out of sheer ecstasy. My orange chili beer battered fish fingers will become your new favorite if not you ultimate addiction! <3

Purple Cabbage Apple Salad with Passion Fruit Vinaigrette

October 29, 2017 / Kaluhi / 9 Comments

We all have those tasks we hate for no reason at all. They have to be done, so we do them ~~reluctantly~~ anyway. For me, I just do not like cutting cabbage. I completely dislike that task. Completely! I would rather clean the house in and out, change the roof by hand, tarmac our roads, build a dam, single handedly launch a satellite into orbit than cut cabbage. I do not know why exactly I do not like cutting cabbage, but I just don’t. Is there anybody out there who is in the same boat as I am? We had this very Konversation on twitter about kitchen tasks you do not like doing and I was glad I was not alone, and also got to learn some of the kitchen tasks that are just not your cup of tea. When I crave a good salad or a slaw, I usually talk myself out of it or very reluctantly cut up my cabbage. I waste time in between every slash, and give myself pep talks and motivational speeches that it will soon be over and be very much worth it. And by the time I was done with my cabbage and eating my salad, it was indeed worth it. I hope you enjoy my purple cabbage apple salad with the best dressing ever: my passion fruit vinaigrette.

Let’s get to it!

7 Spice Sunny Rice

October 24, 2017 / Kaluhi / 16 Comments

Most times when I make a dish, I already have a rough idea of what I am going to name it. On this day, I had absolutely no idea what I would name the rice dish I was making. I did not want to name it according to the ingredients, but something a little bit more creative and different, but my brain refused to cooperate. I then reached out to you on my Instagram stories (If you ain’t following me on Instagram, please do! I would love to have you! <3) for help. 200 responses later, I was very much entertained by your suggestions for my rice dish. From the sassy suggestions like ‘yaaaaaaaaaas rice’ and ‘bomb.com rice’, to funny ones like ‘somebody herb me’ and ‘walk wasabi KaluhiWali Kaluhi Wali’ and the rather strange ones like ‘Zemachi’ ‘Erromerro’ and Ruz rice’. Ya’ll are so so funny 😀 😀 :D, and so sweet as well for coming through to helping me. I appreciate each one of you! I decided to settle on 7 spice sunny rice, which is a combination of names from @tebz.co.ke and @martin_m.k. Asanteni!

So for this lovely day, let’s have some delicious rice!

Naan

October 17, 2017 / Kaluhi / 10 Comments

Do you ever have those moments where you have been saying you will eat a particular meal but you just keep postponing to make it? “I’ll make it tomorrow!” Tomorrow comes and goes and nothing! “I’ll start cooking at 2 sharp!!” 6 p.m comes and goes and you are instead immersed in a series or eating out. That has been me with naan. I love it since it is a great substitute to chapati, but kept postponing making it for reasons only God knows :DD. After my trip to South Africa, I returned well rested and my creative juices are now back and I got to work. I have developed so many new recipes (Nov & Dec posts are ready and will be so L.I.T!!), and I wanted to post this one mid November. But since sooooooo many of you have been crying in my DMs for this naan recipe, I decided today should be the day and not any later!

So lets get down to it!

Chili Garlic Penne Pasta

September 29, 2017 / Kaluhi / 11 Comments

Do you guys have those moments when you are too too tooooooooooo lazy to cook but at the same time you want to eat something bomb and delicious? Those days where you want to eat the juiciest, deeply marinated, perfectly seasoned, saucy, hot tender chicken like this one, but you only have the energy level of just having bread and tea and calling it a day? Lately I have been having any of such days, where I want to eat something delicious, but at the same time do not feel like standing too long in the kitchen. Such moments call for lazy meals! But lazy meals can also come packed with loads of flavor and they too can be so damn delicious! My chili garlic penne pasta is one of those! Perfect meal to make when your energy levels are at 10%, and also the perfect meal that will guarantee that all your taste buds have one hell of a party!

Here we go!

Our Super Breakfast Experience

September 12, 2017 / Kaluhi / 6 Comments

I always say my forever-friends are the ones I met while I was in high school. These are the girls who have seen me through my best, my absolute worst, who understand how easy it is for me to switch from silly to serious and who love me even when I am difficult to love at any given moment. Life in Precious Blood Riruta was difficult at most times, but the company made it all worth while. As life got busier, we made sure to make time for each other and when we do hang out, we always have a time to remember!! This past Saturday was one of those days! Diane, Joan, Anita and I decide to meet up over breakfast at Radisson Blu’s Larder Restaurant. We spoke about many things, and reminisced about our high school days the most. We laughed at how much Diane and I used to eat back (believe me, we used to eat A.L.O.T) and how at breakfast, we always used to scavenge for an extra slice of loaf because the quarter we were given never seemed to fill our tummies :D. And here we are now! All grown up and all glowed up once again sharing great conversations over breakfast, only difference is this time, we ate until we couldn’t move! And for us, no better time to share some encouragement, hearty laughs and juicy stories than over fantastic food.

And for that the Larder Restaurant’s Super Breakfast was the perfect choice. This was not the ordinary maandazi-egg-sausage breakfast buffet we are used to in Nairobi, but it had a wider variety from cold cuts to pastries and cheeses and everything else! I find breakfast dates so warm and intimate and we had the time of our lives! Breakfast dates should be more mainstream don’t you think? Here is what we ate and what we liked most:

Spicy Lime Honey Marinated Seared Shrimp

September 8, 2017 / Kaluhi / 23 Comments

One of my favorite moments of 2016 was when 6 Kenyan food bloggers and myself got to visit Lamu for the annual Lamu Food Festival. It was a magical three day trip that saw me fall in love with the island paradise, it’s people, their culture, their scenic beaches and enchanting buildings. The food was delicious and having been prepared by the masters themselves, it couldn’t get any better! One of the things I always remember having and often day dream about to this day was a sea food pizza we had on one of our busiest afternoons there. It had lots of uduvi (shrimp), lobster and peppers all on a base of a rich tomato sauce. We then went for a sunset dhow ride, came back had dinner (more shrimp for me :D) then set out to again for another dhow ride until midnight. Is there such a thing like overdosing on seafood? I don’t think so! You can never really have enough!

Since I can’t go to Lamu (for now…hehehe) why not bring Lamu to me? I gave you a sneak peak of this recipe on my Instagram Story and Twitter page on Wednesday and as promised, here is the recipe <3

Thyme & Beer Marinated Mushroom Beef Stew

August 31, 2017 / Kaluhi / 3 Comments

I had this really fun Konversation on twitter early August about meat marination. I shared how I marinate my different meats and different variations of the same and how I like to switch things up. You can check that #KaluhisKonversation out HERE and if you are not following me on twitter yet, what on earth are you waiting for boo??! What I enjoyed most were the contributions you guys made and I was so blown away by your marinade recipes!!! When I say #KNation has the most creative people, I actually am not lying. From the different sauces you use, different combinations of chillies, spices, different citrus fruits, different dry rubs…you guys are so creative!! And all that marinade talk inspired this recipe.

I decided to make a delicious mushroom beef stew, that had been marinating in my favorite ingredients. It came out so so well and I am beyond sure that you will love this recipe too! The final recipe for my birthday month: my thyme and beer marinated mushroom beef stew.

Thyme and Garlic Mbaazi

August 23, 2017 / Kaluhi / 4 Comments

There is ALWAYS more than one way of preparing a dish. ALWAYS!!!! While we may have our personal favorites that we may prefer to stick to for one reason or another, there is no harm in exploring other options. I have always had mbaazi cooked in coconut milk, and I one day wondered how else could I prepare them and still bring out the amazing taste mbaazi inherently has? Coz just like everything else, there is more than one way of cooking mbaazi!! I asked you guys on twitter and my mind was opened up to all the different ways you make them. Velma Kiome (@mzinduzi) loves her’s with courgettes, carrots, matoke or potato, fresh herbs and spices of choice and she prefers that her mbaazi are fresh and green and not the dried kind. Chululups (@miss_patriciah) uses mbaazi instead of beans in her githeri plus with lots of veggie assortment and cooked as a dry fry. She taught me this dish is called Gítherí a njūgū (I love learning from my tweeps! Need to try it out!!). For me, besides having them in coconut milk, I like mine as a rich stew, similar to a bean stew, but with rich full flavors of garlic and thyme! Ready to step out of your comfort zone and try out something different? Buckle up!!

Chili Chicken wings in Orange Whiskey Sauce

August 16, 2017 / Kaluhi / 4 Comments

I had not anticipated to be cooped up at home the entire week, last week. I thought we would have a maximum of 2 days off for the election break then everything would be back to normal. With a full week of having nothing much to do, I decided to put off my prep for September recipes and instead give myself a much needed break. And I am now recharged and ready to embark on new projects! I slept to my fill. I caught up on series I stopped watching years ago (can you believe I stopped watching Vampire Diaries at the start of season 4?!). I ate so much too! Well, I eat a lot on usual days but last week’s eating was just hedonistic! One of my FAVORITE things I ate last week were these chili chicken wings in orange whiskey sauce. Hot. Meaty. boozy and oh so perfect for cool August! I know you will fall in love with this recipe as much as I did! <3

Chili Oregano Kamande

August 4, 2017 / Kaluhi / 14 Comments

I have always loved kamande. In my opinion, they are low key more lit than ndengu, but because they are slightly more expensive than ndengu they have become a once in a while thing for me. But when I do prepare them, I eat them every single day of the week until they run out. I grew to love them even more when I used to be in the 8-5 grind. The place I used to work before I took on Food Blogging full time used to give us lunch! Such a blessing that was. On Wednesday, kamande was on the list and served with roti and okra. I lived for this day!! Literally started counting down to lunch time the moment I sat on my desk at 8 a.m. LOL! And I was always first on the queue! No shame 😀

As a celebration of the meal I used to enjoy most at my former work place, I gave kamande some #K treatment. I hope that you too enjoy my chili oregano kamande.

Thyme Broccoli Soup

August 1, 2017 / Kaluhi / 5 Comments

Nairobi evenings can be bitterly cold this time of year. All I ever think about at the close of each day is getting home, having a blisteringly hot shower, slipping into some warm socks and having a hot cup of tea with my favorite biscuits (of course after some supper :))) As I raced towards my matatu stage, I glanced down at the goodies hawkers were selling and momentarily stopping to purchase some things, as usual! After bagging an amazing faux leather coat and cute doll shoes, I couldn’t let myself head home without some veggies! “Madam kuja uchague fresh!!” (Madam come and select fresh ones!!”); one of the lady hawkers exclaimed to me as she stacked her broccoli heads one over the other. I stopped, slowly selected my four broccoli as the droves of people pushed against me on the streets. As I paid, she told me to try make soup with them; that it would be delicious and that I would enjoy it. I thanked her for the veggies and for the idea as that is exactly what I was going to do- make a hearty delicious soup with my broccoli.

My favorite soup yet has got to be this thyme chili broccoli soup! So light and so delicious you will need 700 bowls before you are completely full! So perfect for chilly Nairobi this August! Mtapenda! <3

Coconut Milk Chili Bean Stew

July 11, 2017 / Kaluhi / 13 Comments

I have been doing a back to basics series on my Instagram Stories for a couple of months now. I have not done one in quite a long time though (sorry guys :((((, life got in the way. ). Some of the recipe request I got were too detailed to be done as a back to basics so I will instead post them as blog posts; and my coconut milk chili bean stew is one of them. One of my followers requested for a bean stew, thought there is one I posted in 2015, I decided to make one that is richer and in my opinion of fuller flavor. What would a Kenyan food blog be without a coconut milk bean stew be after all?! 😉

With warming flavors of chili and garlic, this one soooo perfect for July-August when it is much cooler in Kenya. And I promise, it is so easy to make too <3

Kuku wa Kupaka

June 29, 2017 / Kaluhi / 33 Comments

I get excited when my readers from outside Kenya get excited and curious about Kenyan food. I get even more giddy when they try the recipes out!! I got a call one late evening a fortnight ago from a New York Times editor curious to know how I make kuku wa kupaka. “There are many variations of the recipe, but how do you make yours special?” She asked. I explained to her exactly how I usually make mine, detailed it for her New York Times article and I thought it would also be dope if I shared the recipe with you guys right here. My kuku wa kupaka recipe (which is basically chicken cooked in a coconut sauce) is easy, delicious and regardless of your nationality, you will be able to try this out and enjoy it as well. <3

Garlic Grilled Tilapia Fillet in Lime Coconut Milk Sauce

June 21, 2017 / Kaluhi / 43 Comments

After a long day, I just had to make one more run and dash to City Market and buy some fish fillet. It was a pretty hot afternoon, and I just wanted to get home, but I knew what I prepare for dinner make would make the short trip worth while. I got to city market and was pleased to see that they had plenty of freshly filleted fish. I slowly weaved my way through the small market, quietly but very intensely surveying each stock. The sellers, ever eager to earn an extra coin, would try woo anyone that walks through in. “Sister wacha nikifungie fresh” (Sister let me pack some fresh ones for you) “Mrembo kwani leo hununui kwangu?” (Are you not buying from me today?) “Brenda si leo nikufungie wings” (Let me pack some wings from you, Brenda.) My name is not Brenda by the way, they were literally guessing LOL! I finally settled on one vendor I passed just at the entrance and got myself a juicy cut of tilapia fillet. I rushed home, rested a little bit and embarked on making my dinner. I wanted something delicious, so I had to deliver on all the flavors. And let me tell you, I was not disappointed and totally blown away!! I made this again this past Sunday when we had guests over and it was a hit! And today, I share the recipe to my garlic grilled tilapia fillet with lime coconut milk sauce.

Chicken and Mushroom Creamy Pasta

June 13, 2017 / Kaluhi / 21 Comments

I went through the whole of last week with baited breath since I just could not wait to FINALLY watch Wonder Woman!! I even avoided watching trailers and snippets as I did not want my movie experience to be ruined. I love all Marvel movies, and I knew this one may become my favorite one of all time! I had not been to the movies in ages, and I had not seen my girlfriends for quite some time and I decided to combine the two. And it was the best decision I made. I needed that break; break from life and break from work, and it was worth every second! We laughed so much, talked about….. well, everything, bore our fears, hopes, hearts to each other (sounds dramatic! I know.. :D) and everything in between. There is absolutely no way I would be who I am without my girls!! After our wine and some samosas, we went ahead and watched our movie. And no better movie to watch with them than one that celebrated the magnificence that a woman is! Let me tell you guys, if you are yet to watch Wonder Woman, please do yourself a favor and go ahead and watch it! It lives up to the hype!!

When I got back home, I wanted something delicious yet easy to make. With what I had in the fridge and in my pantry, this beauty was born! My creamy chicken meatball and mushroom pasta is a very simple dish (yay!), so easy to make (yay!!!!) and of course so delicious! If you love both pasta and chicken, and maybe mushrooms too, this one is for you!

Ginger and Coconut Milk Matoke

May 23, 2017 / Kaluhi / 26 Comments

“Would you make a matoke recipe without spices?” One of my readers requested of me way back in 2014. I love getting requests from you guys and a good chunk of my recipes are inspired by your suggestions but this particular one made me hesitate a little. Quite a challenge that was! I am a girl who loooooooves her spices and loves her food with lots of flavor and character, but nevertheless, I took this up. The result was pretty good, but still, I think spices would have brought out the flavors much better.

I always say there are more than a million ways to prepare one dish. That is why it is just not fair to your self to eat a meal prepared the same way for 70 years when you can enjoy it in many other ways. You get? One of the meals I totally love due to their versatility in the kitchen (besides potatoes and rice) is matoke. There are many ways you can prepare it one of them being my ginger matoke masala. Today’s recipe is very similar to this one I made in 2014, as per request of one of my readers. So with inspiration from that #KRecipe form 2014, here is an upgrade of the same with layered rich flavors: My ginger and coconut milk matoke.