The ABC Culinary tour has been in Kenya for the last three weeks, but the heat here in Italy during the same time have given me serious problems cooking anything at all. It has been a lot of ice-cold Gazpachos, fresh salads and tons, tons and tons of fresh fruit. Haven’t eat anything else. But tonight we are leaving and I wanted to try to do something to bring to our host Valentina. She’s been sitting (in the same heat) waiting for the all of us to bring any recipe at all.
It wasn’t so easy to find authentic Kenyan recipes, there are many recipes but many have influence from the countries nearby. That is normal as people has always moved around in all times. But this Nyama na Ndizi, sounded so tasty so I decided to try it even if perhaps it is not 100% Kenyan at all. 😀 The meat is tender and tasty, as usual I didn’t add salt, but you can’t tell..being the meat so spicy. I was also intrigued by cook the meat with ginger pefore putting it in a pot. But I must say I prefer my way of cooking, leaving the meat cooking over slow heat for hours. I didn’t find (didn’t really try I must admit) any plantains, but still tried the recipe anyway. I served it together as suggested by All Kenyan recipes rather that mix the two dishes together as suggested by Congcookbook. Below the directions how they did it.
My recipe is a mix of two recipes found in the web: Congocookbook.com & All Kenyan recipes I didn’t add any tomatoes to my Matoke as suggested by the Congocookbook, but added a(a lot:D) of onions All Kenyan recipes left out.
Nyama na Ndizi – Beef stew & Mashed Matoke aka Bananas
one cup water
one to two pounds of beef (or similar), cut into bite-sized cubes
one teaspoon salt
one-half teaspoon black pepper
one-half teaspoon curry powder
cayenne pepper or red pepper, (optional)
three tablespoons cooking oil
one or two onions, thinly sliced
two tomatoes, chopped
one tablespoon tomato paste
one cup coconut milk (canned is okay, see the note about coconut milk on the Wali wa Nazi recipe page)
one bay leaf (optional)
three to six plantains, peeled and sliced
In a pot or pan, bring one cup of water to a boil. Add the meat, salt, pepper, curry powder, and cayenne pepper. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer.
While meat is simmering:
Heat oil in a separate pan. Fry the onions for a few minutes.
Add the tomatoes and tomato paste and cook for several minutes. (I didn’t add them)
Reduce heat.
Add coconut milk and bay leaf. Cover and simmer.
Add sliced plantains to meat. Cook for ten minutes or until meat is done and plantains are tender.
Combine the onion-tomato-coconut mixture with the meat and plantains.
Stir.
Adjust seasoning to taste.
Kenya is one of those countries on my “to visit list”, because of Mount Kenya. It is Africa’s second highest peak, Mount Kenya (5199m), while Kilimanjaro is very crowded this mountain is less visited.
Mount Kenya is located in central Kenya, about 16.5 kilometers south of the equator, around 150 kilometers north-northeast of the capital Nairobi.
Mt Kenya is regarded as the most visually stunning of the ice-capped African peaks and is home to a great diversity of wildlife, including leopard, elephant and buffalo. It is an exhilarating and diverse trek, with only a tenth of the number of trekkers compared to Kilimanjaro. The Chogoria Route (48km in 4 days) offers the best combination of alpine scenery and acclimatisation and takes you through the spectacular Gorges Valley and Lake Mackenzie before traversing the Point Lenana summit (4985m).
Mount Kenya has three peaks Nelion (5188mt), Batian (5199mt) and Point Lenana (4985mt), the last one is the only one for turists to visit. Here you can read who to get there.
This recipe goes to Valentina of Di verde Di Viola
briggishome 