Kunde / Cowpeas leaves with coconut milk

 

How to cook Kunde / Cowpeas leaves with coconut milk

Cowpeas leaves are commonly known as Kunde in Kenya and are usually served with Ugali (a Kenyan staple). Cowpeas leaves are high in protein making them a nutritious vegetable worth adding in your diet.

Please see below ingredients and instructions on how to make Kunde/ cowpeas leaves.

Ingredients

Cowpeas leaves (small bag frozen)
1 Onion
1 Tomato
1 Cup coconut milk
Cooking oil
1 Stock cube
Salt to taste

Instructions

• Boil the cowpeas leaves for 5 minutes with salty water and drain
• Heat a pan and add cooking oil.
• Finely chop the onion and add in the saucepan
• Cook the onion until browned.
• Chop the tomato and add in the browned onions, stir thoroughly.
• Reduce the heat to low level and cover the saucepan.
• Let the tomato cook until softened.
• Add crashed stock cube and stir thoroughly.
• Add boiled cowpeas leaves and stir well.
• Add salt to taste  and stir. Please taste the salt before adding more if you boil the cowpeas leaves in salty water.
• Add 1 cup of coconut milk and stir thoroughly.
• Reduce the heat to low and cover with a lid for 5 minutes.
• Turn off the heat.
• The cowpeas leaves are ready to serve.
• Enjoy

Please see below video should you wish to see the visual procedure on how to make cowpeas leaves with coconut milk.

Kachumbari

How to make Kachumbari (tomato and onion salad/salsa)

Kachumbari is a salad/salsa made of fresh tomatoes and onions. Sometimes fresh coriander or avocado is added too. Kachumbari is popular in Kenya and the East African region. It is mainly served with Nyama Choma (bbq meat), Pilau or grilled fish. Kachumbari is made with all natural ingredients (no salad dressings) and is simple to make.

This recipe is particularly useful for those who don't like the sharp taste of fresh onions as this is reduced during the pickling process.

Please see below ingredients and instructions on how to make Kachumbari.

Ingredients

2 Tomatoes 
1 Onion
Fresh coriander (small bunch)
½ Fresh lemon
1 Tbsp Salt
½ Cup water or enough to cover the onions
A pinch of salt

Instructions

• Finely slice the onion and put in a bowl or small mixing bowl.
• Squeeze in the juice of the lemon using a sieve to catch the pips.
• Add 1 Tbsp salt and mix thoroughly
• Add water and mix well
• Let the onion pickle for 1 hour.
• Chop the tomatoes and put in a another mixing bowl.
• Chop the fresh coriander and put in the bowl with chopped tomatoes.
• After 1 hour, put the onions in a sieve and wash using cold water. 
• Wash until you remove all the salt.
• Add the pickled onions in the mixing bowl with tomatoes and coriander and mix thoroughly using a fork.
• Add a drop of lemon and a pinch of salt and stir well.
• Kachumbari is now ready to serve.

Please see below video should you wish to see the visual procedure on how to make Kachumbari.

Simple spaghetti bolognese recipe

 

How to make spaghetti bolognese

Ingredients

For Bolognese 

500g minced beef
500ml Tomato sauce
2 Onions

2 Garlic cloves

1 carrot, finely grated

1/2 Tbsp paprika

1/2 Tsp Black pepper

1/4 Cup water

1 Stock cube

Salt to taste

2 Tbsp cooking oil

Fresh basil, small bunch

Parmesan for serving, shaved 

For Spaghetti

Dry Spaghetti 4 servings

1 litre, water

A pinch of salt

Instructions

• Heat a pan and add cooking oil.
• Finely chop the onions.
• Add in the pan and stir.
• Peel and and finely chop the garlic.
• Once the onions start to brown add the finely chopped garlic and stir thoroughly.
• Add the minced meat and stir until it's all sealed.
• Cover for 2 minutes
• Add the black pepper, paprika and salt and stir well.
• Finely grate the carrot.
• Once all redness in the minced meat is gone add the finely grated carrots and stir thoroughly.
• Add tomato puree and stir.
• Add tomato sauce and stir thoroughly.
• Add stock cube and allow it to melt. 
• Cover the pan on medium heat for 2 minutes.
• Meanwhile roughly chop the basil.
• Stir the Bolognese well to ensure that the stick cube doesn't form any lumps.
• Add 1/4 cup of water and stir thoroughly.
• Lower the heat and cover for 5 minutes.
• Add roughly chopped basil and stir thoroughly.
• Turn off the heat  and cover.
• The Bolognese is now ready to serve

Spaghetti

• In another pan, bring water to boil.
• Add a pinch of salt.
• Add spaghetti and cook for 8 minutes or as per packet instructions.
• Turn off the heat and drain the spaghetti using a sieve.

Serve Spaghetti Bolognese and sprinkle parmesan cheese.

Enjoy!

Please see below video should you wish to see the visual procedure on how to make simple Spaghetti and Bolognese.

How to make sweet and sour finger millet porridge

How to make sweet and sour Finger Millet Porridge

 

Finger Millet is a grass grain commonly known as Wimbi in Kenya and Ragi in India. Finger millet grows in arid and semi-arid areas. It is grown in India and East Africa for consumption. In Kenya it's widely used to make porridge and sometimes Ugali.

Finger millet does not contain gluten therefore it is a perfect choice for people with Coeliac disease. 

Ingredients

2Tbsp finger millet flour
1 Cup water
¼ Piece of fresh lemon
1 Tbsp Sugar
¼ Cup plain yoghurt (optional)

Instructions

• Add 2 Tbsp of finger millet flour in a saucepan.
• Add 1 Cup of water whilst stirring.
• Stir thoroughly to ensure that there are no lumps.
• Turn on the heat and continue stirring.
• Stir until the porridge starts to bubble up.
• Add the lemon juice and stir.
• Add 1 Tbsp sugar and stir.
• Add ¼ cup of plain yoghurt and stir thoroughly for 1 minute.
• Turn off the heat.
• The porridge is ready to serve.
• Enjoy!

Please note that you can add the plain yoghurt during serving as well, it doesn't have to be added during the cooking process.

Please see below video should you wish to see the visual procedure on how to make sweet and sour Finger Millet Porridge.

One pot/pan cabbage and beef recipe

 

How to make one pot cabbage and beef

Cabbage and beef with turmeric rice

Please see below the ingredients required and the instructions.

Ingredients

1 Cabbage
2 Onions
2 Tomatoes
400g Beef, diced
Beef stock cube
1/2 Tsp Paprika

Cooking oil

Salt to taste

 Instructions

• Heat a pan, add cooking oil
• Finely dice the onions and add in the heated pan
• Cook the onions until browned.
• Add diced beef and stir thoroughly until the meat cubes are sealed.
• Add salt to taste, cover and let the meat cook on medium heat for 5 minutes. 
• Stir the meat to ensure that it doesn't stick or burn, if  it's too dry reduce the heat to low level.
• Chop the tomatoes and add in the pan.
• Add paprika (optional) and stir thoroughly.
• Let the tomatoes and beef cook for a further 10 minutes on low heat. 
• Add the sliced cabbage and cover the pan to let it shrink for 2 minutes. Letting the cabbage shrink makes it easy to stir the cabbage as it softens it.
• Let it cook for 5 minutes on low heat and turn off the heat.
• The cabbage and beef is now ready, serve with rice or your preferred accompaniment.
• Enjoy!

Please see below video should you wish to see the visual procedure on how to make one pot/pan cabbage and beef.

Onion and courgette omelette

 

How to make onion and courgette omelette

Please see below the ingredients required and the instructions.

Ingredients

1 Courgette
1 Onion
2 Eggs
¼ Tsp black pepper
Salt to taste
Cooking oil as required

 Instructions

• Heat the cooking oil in a pan.
• Slice the courgette.
• Put the sliced courgettes in the pan with heated oil.
• Stir and cook for 3 minutes on medium heat.
• Slice the onions.
• Add the sliced onions and stir.
• Add salt and black pepper.
• Cook the mixture until the courgettes are soft.
•  In the meantime, beat the eggs and lightly season the beaten egg with a pinch of salt and black pepper.
• Turn off the heat on the courgette and onion mixture.
•  Heat another pan and add cooking oil.
•  Add the mixture in the beaten egg and mix using a fork
•  Add the omelette mixture in the heated pan.
•  Cook on medium heat.
• Turn the omelette and cook the other side.
• Please note that you can also put the omelette in the oven if your pan can be used in the oven.
• The omelette is now ready to serve
• I enjoy my omelette with a slice of bread and a cup of tea.

Please see below video should you wish to see the visual procedure on how to make onion and courgette omelette.

Cavolo Nero stroganoff, simple and delicious

 

How to make a Cavolo Nero Stroganoff

This is a simple vegetarian dish with minimum ingredients. It can be enjoyed with rice or pasta as an accompaniment. In this article the Cavolo Nero is serviced with penne pasta.

Please see below the ingredients required and the instructions.

Cavolo Nero stroganoff served with penne pasta

Ingredients

400g Cavolo Nero with stalks

250g Mushrooms

2 Medium onions

2 Tomatoes

2 Garlic cloves

150ml Soured cream

1 tsp Paprika

½ tsp Black pepper

½ Tbsp Dijon mustard

Cooking oil

Stock cube

Salt to taste

Parmesan cheese enough for serving

 Instruction

• Slice the onions and add into a pan with hot oil. Cook the onions until they start to brown.
• Add finely chopped garlic to the browned onions and stir.
• Add sliced mushrooms and stir. Let it cook for 2 minutes.
• Add black pepper, paprika and dijon mustard.
• Add chopped tomatoes and stir thoroughly.
•  Add salt to taste and stir.
•  Dissolve the stock cube into water and add this into the pan. Stir well.
• Cover and let it Simmer for 2 minutes.
• Add chopped Cavolo Nero and cover to allow the greens to shrink before stirring. Please note in this recipe the stalks were removed as a personal preference.
•  After 2 minutes remove the lid and stir.
•  Let the Cavolo Nero stroganoff cook for 5-7 minutes on medium heat.
•  Reduce the heat, add soured cream, stir thoroughly and turn off the heat.
• The Cavolo Nero stroganoff is now ready to serve.
• You may service the Cavolo Nero Stroganoff with rice or pasta as a side.
• Sprinkle parmesan cheese.
• Enjoy!

Please see below video should you wish to see the visual procedure on how to make the Cavolo Nero stroganoff.

How to make coconut pigeon peas rice, arroz con gandules

I like coconut and the different ways we can transform dishes using this amazing fruit and seed. In this recipe I will share how to make coconut pigeon peas rice.

Please see below the ingredients required and the procedure.                        

Ingredients

2 cups boiled pigeon peas
1 cup of rice
2 onions
2 tomatoes
1 ½ cup of coconut milk
3 garlic cloves
Water (enough to dissolve the stock cube)
Stock cube
Paprika ½ Tbsp
Black Pepper ¼ Tsp

Pigeon peas rice with coconut milk 

Procedure

• Chop the onions and add into a pan with hot oil. Cook the onions until they start to brown.
• Finely chop the garlic and add to the browned onions and stir.
• Add the seasoning, black pepper and paprika.
• Chop the tomatoes and add in the pan. Stir.
• Add salt to taste.
•  Add the boiled pigeon peas and stir.
• Dissolve the stock cube into water and add this into the pan. Stir well.
• Let it simmer for 5 minutes.
• Add the washed rice and stir. I prefer basmati for this dish but you can use long grain rice as well.
• Add the coconut milk and stir thoroughly.
•  Let it simmer until all the liquid is gone.
•  The coconut pigeon peas rice is now ready to serve.
• You may service the rice with salad. I like it with a tomato, onion and coriander salsa.
• Enjoy! 

                                  

  Should you wish to see the visual instructions, please watch the video below

How to make a simple and delicious aubergine stew / eggplant stew

 

This is a simple vegetarian dish using minimum ingredients. It can be enjoyed with rice or chapati as an accompaniment. I enjoy making this stew especially in winter time.

Ingredients 

Aubergine 1
Tomatoes 3
Onions 2
Red pepper 1

Coriander small bunch
Garlic 3 Cloves
Water 1 cup
Stock cube
Paprika ½ Tbsp
Black Pepper ¼ Tsp
Cayenne Pepper a pinch
Turmeric ½ Tsp

The aubergine 🍆 stew is ready

Procedure

• Slice the onions and add into a pan with hot oil. Cook the onions until they start to brown.
• Finely chop the garlic and add to the browned onions and stir.
• Add the seasoning that is; black pepper, turmeric, cayenne pepper and paprika.
• Cut the red pepper into your preferred size and add in the onions and garlic. Stir.
• Chop the Aubergine and put them into a bowl with water. This is to ensure that they keep the moisture as they do tend to be dry.
• Add the chopped Aubergine into the pan and stir.
•  Chop the tomatoes and add in the pan. Stir.
• Add salt to taste.
• Dissolve the stock cube into 1 cup of water and add this into the pan. Stir well.
• Let the aubergine stew simmer for 10 minutes.
• Once cooked turn off the heat. Add fresh coriander and stir well.
• The aubergine stew is now ready to serve.
• You may service the aubergine stew with rice or chapati as a side.
• Enjoy!

Please see below video should you wish to see the visual procedure on how to make the aubergine stew.