Tag: African Food Blogs

Garlic and Cumin Njahi Stew

November 25, 2016 / Kaluhi / 0 Comments

I always enjoy getting different opinions from my readers concerning all matters food. Not only does it let me know what we like, but also makes me even more aware of how different we all are and how interesting our personal preferences are. I especially love getting opinions from my twitter audience since they are refreshingly honest and quite funny too. I once had a series under my usual #KaluhisKonversations (check out that hashtag if you have not :))) where we spoke about njahi and why some people may not like this bean, and how you can make it better overall. I touched on this recipe I made over a year back. Those who love njahi were all into it and those who did not, were definitely won over. With our rainy season in full gear, I decided to make another njahi stew recipe, this time round with bold, very expressive flavors. Be ready to explore new flavors and try new things, because my garlic and cumin njahi stew is nothing short of delicious!

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Caramelized Cinnamon Banana Stuffed Crepes

November 11, 2016 / Kaluhi / 0 Comments

I love a good brunch dish. One that is so rich, and so flavorful and one that literally sings to the deepest part of your soul. My friend Soni always says, brunch is not a time of day, but an experience. And I have to say, I agree with her. She loooooves brunch, and really takes in every moment and savors all the delicious things that most brunch banquets have to offer. A little bit of sweet. A little bit of savory. For me, during most brunches, I find myself gravitating more towards the sweet. Considering tomorrow is another glorious weekend, and most of us will be sleeping in. It would be an absolute delight to have something very delicious to wake up to! I have always loved crepes, because they double as both a breakfast dish and a dessert dish and no way to bring this together than in this brunch dish! A word of caution though: My caramelized cinnamon banana stuffed crepes may just end up being one of your top addictions!

Mint Strawberry Posset

October 28, 2016 / Kaluhi / 2 Comments

The past week had been a huge adventure!!!! We first visited Anfield in Liverpool for a live Liverpool vs Manchester United match courtesy of Guinness. The next two days we spent in Dublin, Ireland which has become one of my favorite places to be. Besides the genuinely nice people, I loved getting immersed in the history of the city which is well preserved and proudly shown off. This too was the case at the Guinness Storehouse where we managed to learn the history of Guinness beer, its introduction into various markets, especially the Kenyan one, how the beer is brewed and various foods that can be prepared with the brew. What struck me was how seamlessly Guinness can be used to bring out flavors in both sweet and savory dishes; something most beers cannot really emulate.

I was telling my younger sister about my Dublin adventures and she was particularly curious by how an assertive beer would taste in a sweet dish. I decided to give her a taste and she was absolutely blown away with how delicious my minty strawberry posset, laced with Guinness was. She is such a sweet tooth, and this dessert completely won her over to team Guinness!! It was over in minutes!!! And that is always a good sign as to how good the dish tastes. This sweet chilled treat is perfect for sunny Nairobi. So easy to make and unforgettable to have!

Thorn Melon & Apple Smoothie

October 4, 2016 / Kaluhi / 12 Comments

Over the past month, my body has been feeling very lethargic. I stopped exercising and that is not something I am proud to admit. Despite being relatively tiny, exercise and clean eating is still very important. And when my body started slowing down, I knew exactly what it needed and what was missing: More fruits more vegetables, and daily exercise even just a little bit. Someone once told me I do not need to exercise or eat clean because my very high metabolism keeps me slim. But exercise and clean eating is not about loosing weight only (one of the many peculiar beliefs of Kenyans), but more about feeling good and having your body perform in its best possible state. Yes, it is ok to indulge once in a while coz YOLO, and it is also ok to cut back and show your body some love. To do that, I made a really refreshing green smoothie: my thorn melon and apple green smoothie that has become one of my favorites! I just had to share the recipe with you and hope your body will enjoy it as well. Cheers!!

Coconut Banana Frozen Yoghurt

September 29, 2016 / Kaluhi / 0 Comments

One of my favorite textural contrasts when it comes to food is having a mix of smooth and crunchy or soft and crunchy. It really does make the whole eating experience a lot more exciting. Eating is more than just to get full but also a dance of the senses. The more senses involved, the better the experience. For me, texture plays a key role in that.

For today’s recipe we shall be playing with crunchy and smooth textures. As part of Onja bloggers monthly posts, this month’s theme is texture. An easy silky luxurious banana and coconut frozen yogurt recipe is what I have for you today, and of course in true K fashion, simple, but exploding with flavor 🙂

The Triple D Drum Sticks

September 16, 2016 / Kaluhi / 55 Comments

I love a dish that has a ton of character and flare to it. My triple D Drumsticks has to be one of those; Delicious. Daring. Dark. At triple dose of juicy goodness in each meaty bite. Easy to make yet with such beautiful culmination of flavors, these drumsticks will change your life for ever! And you know when I say that, I actually mean it ;))

I was home alone while making these, and I gave you a sneak peak on my InstaStory mid last week. Lord God! These were really good! So many of you asked for the recipe, and the day is finally here that I get to share it with you. I was kinda broke but had to make enough so that when my sisters came back home they would a taste of my best drumstick recipe yet. Food is simply a lot more delicious when you can share it with people you love, is it not? Today, I give you this recipe, which I hope to bring you just as much joy. My Triple D Drumsticks are exactly how delicious chicken should taste like and made even more spectacular with a dark rich garlic stout BBQ sauce that has the most daring of all flavors. Buckle up! This will take you to the moon and back!

Cheesy Guinness Beef Samosas

September 2, 2016 / Kaluhi / 32 Comments

“Tuko hapa Nyayo, umepika?” (“We are at Nyayo. What have you cooked?”) I hesitated to answer the question. I knew I had nothing ready, yet my ~~impromptu~~ guests were not too far off. My mum would literally slash my head off my shoulders if she found out people came home and left without something memorable in their bellies, even if the guests were mine and not hers, LOL! You see, there is a certain pressure that comes with being a food blogger. Everyone expects an elaborate banquet each time they visit your home, regardless of whether or not you are tired or you have been surviving on (delicious!) left overs. We all have those times when we just have nothing grand to present, regardless of whether you are Siba or Kaluhi. But in an African home, when guest come knocking, you have to provide. And as a food blogger, you just have to pull all the stops. I just had to deliver. #pressure

Since I was a bit time strapped & feeling a bit lazy yet still excited to have my friends over, I just had to make it work. I decided to make my cheesy Guinness beef samosas. I took an ingenious shortcut along the way, but I was sure using my Guinness and part of adding flavor to my samosa filling would be dynamite!!! As you all know, I always go an extra mile :)). These were cleared so fast coz they were just that good! Thinking about something to ring down the weekend? This is it, baby!

Crispy Rosemary Potato Wedges

April 5, 2016 / Kaluhi / 16 Comments

On the night of April 1st, Nairobi and much of central Kenya received its first rain after the beautiful sunny months of Dec-Jan-Feb-Mar. There was no transition, just abrupt rain with the close of March. Being someone who lives for and thoroughly enjoys the dry months and the intense heat everyone complains about, I sadly welcomed April rains and already started looking forward to December. But I remembered how I pointed out in this post that I will be more thankful for everything and indeed, there is plenty to be thankful about even in grey, rainy April. Even as mango season is now behind us, I am happy that pear season is rolling in. Even as the warm sunny weather I love is gone, I am thankful that the air is clear and its green all around. Even though I can’t enjoy my flirty skirts, at least now I can rock my thigh high boots (ladies do you feel me?!!). There is always something to be thankful for.

For today, I am giving you yet another potato wedge recipe that will warm your heart and fill your tummy in the rainy days ahead.

Plum Marinated Spicy Pork

February 17, 2016 / Kaluhi / 27 Comments

Some months ago, Nigerian food blogger Funmi of The Village Pot decided to come to Kenya to experience the food scene. She called upon food bloggers in the country to give her a taste of our country. Wangeci, food blogger at African Kaya and myself were available so we gladly took her under our wings. We decided to take her to The Carnivore, which as the name suggests, is a place that show cases how we Kenyans absolutely love our grilled meat in all its splendor. Some of the meat served included beef, crocodile, duck, lamb, pork, turkey and many others ~~I do not remember since I was busy pigging out~~. My favorite was the grilled pork ribs which were paired with a fruit salsa. I just could not have enough! It is on that night that I realized with absolute clarity how well pork goes with sweet flavors. You can read about this entire experience from her blog here.

This recipe was not only created with the backdrop of that awesome night, but also inspired by my friend and fellow food blogger Wangeci. Since plums, and plenty of other sweet fruits are in season, what better time to make this juicy pork dish than now?!

Brandy Marinated Grilled Chicken Wings

January 22, 2016 / Kaluhi / 22 Comments

Have you ever had those moments where you wake up with a song in your head and it plays all day long? Such songs have you forgetting everything because they are all that is occupying your mind. I was trying to remember where I got inspiration for this but I couldn’t, why you ask? Because boomba train by E-sir and Nameless has not stopped playing in my head since I got up.

“Tumekuja kuparty. DJ hebu weka tracki. Tukule hepi, alafu, tufungue sakafu. Sababu inabamba. Inashika! Wingu la tisa inatufikisha. Ukiwachilia mahewa, maze DJ unatubeba ah……”

I hope you were dancing as you sang along to those lyrics :D! If you do not know this song, you are too young my friend! Isn’t it amazing how we can remember songs from over a decade ago but can’t remember inspiration of a dish you made less than a month ago?! Anyway, as we indulge in the celebratory spirit of Friday, savor my brandy marinated grilled chicken wings.

Pumpkin and Cardamom French toast

November 27, 2015 / Kaluhi / 8 Comments

When my sisters and I were little girls, my mother had employed a help named Maggie to assist her with the house hold chores and help her keep an eye on her hyper active girls. I always remember how we sometimes used to stress Maggie when we would mess the house LOL, but she still enjoyed having us around more so during the holidays. I remember the first time I tasted pumpkin chapati. She was the one who made them for us under the guidance of my mum. Like many kids, we never liked eating pumpkin. Together with my mum they tried various ways of sneaking this into our food and they finally succeeded when we liked pumpkin chapati they made for us.

There are so many ways of having your pumpkin. I asked you guys on Instagram how you liked having your pumpkin and it was evident how there are so many ways to creatively have your pumpkin. Today, I give you one of my now favorite breakfast meals: Pumpkin and Cardamom french toast.

Ginger and Chilli Spaghetti fritters

November 10, 2015 / Kaluhi / 10 Comments

Sometimes the best things are bourne out of the worst situations. Sometimes, you land on your true calling after leaving that job your thought was heaven sent. Sometimes you finally get the person who truly gets you after letting go of the other one who was not really worth it. Sometimes, you really discover amazing qualities you never knew you had when in the most uncomfortable situations. And in everyday (kitchen) life, sometimes, you discover the best recipes after failing in those you thought would be the best. There is a silver lining in everything.

This recipe was a second attempt at fritters I tried in September. They looked good on camera, but tasted like Satan’s favorite snack, no kidding. After rethinking everything and giving it a second try, my ginger and chilli spaghetti fritters were born.

Chinese Vegetable Fried Rice

May 8, 2015 / Kaluhi / 6 Comments

My late aunty, Aunty Kavetsa, one of those people you could never shake off or forget even if you met her for just one minute. One word that could summarize her personality is fire. She was fiercely loving, fiercely protective, very resolute and downright honest (sometimes, a bit too honest :D) Some of the many firsts I have experienced was through or with her; my first plane ride, my first Mombasa visit, my first encyclopedia, my first knowledge of the constellations and my first sampling of Chinese food. I remember she once took us for dinner to China Plate in Nairobi and ever since, I have always been fascinated by oriental Chinese flavors. This backdrop of nostalgia inspired today’s dish. It is easy to make. My sisters enjoyed it and I hope you do too 🙂

In other news, I have been featured in Healthy Woman Magazine, May Issue, and this vegetable fried rice is the recipe I made while their team came over to interview me. It has already hit the shelves and costs only 350 shillings. Do grab yourself a copy :).

Chocolate and Raisin Banana Split Delite

May 5, 2015 / Kaluhi / 0 Comments

I am the kind of person who is very analytical before I get into something. A few weeks before I started this blog, I used to post some pics of what I make at home on my personal Face Book page. I did that to see how the reception would be and how the public warmed up to them. To my surprise, people loved them and requested for the recipes. I was then sure the best platform to share the recipes would be via a blog.

One of the pictures I shared were those of this banana split. I made it first for my sisters and it was a hit. I initially made it with just ground nuts but this time I tweaked it a little bit and added some raisins for some extra sweetness. This is one of those very simple desserts that are just as healthy as they are breathtaking. The flavors of the chocolate, robustness of the raisins, softness of the vanilla yoghurt and texture of the nuts came together in perfect harmony in this banana split.

As I posted on Instagram, for the month of May, I shall focus on very simple recipes that bring out high profile flavors. Today, feast your eyes (and tongue) on this 🙂