The Kenyan Food Challenge

With a billion people in 61 territories, and covering over 20% of the world's total land area, finding delicious recipes from Africa is quite easy, however narrowing down a few to blog about isn't! One of the most eye-opening classes I took in college was African Politics. It was one of those classes where I quickly realized how vast was the subject area, how little I knew and how sheltered my life was. Thus was journey into African cooking as well. 

Just as there is no single culture that identifies Kenya, there is also no single dish.  There are about 42 different ethnic groupings in Kenya, each with it's own culture, but most of them intertwining with similar and/or nearby cultures. 

Potatoes other than ngwaci (sweet potatoes) aren't that common in Kenya, but bananas and other root vegetables are. I recently fell in love with sweet potato fries only last year and today am looking forward to a Kenyan dish called Green Banana Fries, which I assume and am hoping will be quite similar. 

Green bananas, I've read, taste as good as any fast food french fries and are healthier. While still green, the bananas retain all their vitamins where riper bananas lose much nutritional value. Several reviews of this recipe, which I found on allrecipes.com, came from people with type 2 diabetes, who advise they can eat 2-3 bananas prepared this way within 2-3 hours time and not suffer a spike in blood glucose. At the beach on he 4th of July this year, I was talking food with a wonderful older couple, the wife pre-diabetic and the husband diabetic. He had mentioned his love of fries and how dangerous his glucose levels get. I wish I knew of this recipe a few days ago because I know he would love to try it.   

The second recipe, Kuku Paka, is a Swahili recipe which showcases their rich culture, and is the product of the complex history of East Africa, influenced by Middle Eastern, Arab, European and Asian cultures. I'm excited to try this recipe mostly because I get to use the fresh cilantro from my garden, even though to date, it isn't one of my favorite flavorings.

You'll note in the recipe that the alternative to oil is ghee, which you can purchase in the local grocery stores, or can make it easily yourself. Ghee is a class of clarified butter originating in South Asia. All you need to do to make it is simmer unsalted butter in a pot until all the water has boiled off and the milk proteins have settled to the bottom and a froth is floating on top. Remove the froth and then spoon off or carefully tip the clarified butter to avoid disturbing the milk solids on the bottom of the pot. You can store the ghee in an airtight container without refrigeration for long periods of time. I'll be getting more in depth about ghee when we explore Indian food as it is a must for brushing on naan, a leavened flatbread which my son is always begging me to make.

The fried green bananas were a big hit. Seriously, if you didn't know you were eating a banana, you'd never be able to guess it. There is the slightest, and I mean slightest sweetness to them, but not nearly so much as a sweet potato. The key to the texture is surely that the bananas are green enough. The picture of the dish plated was enough for 2 and I used two bananas. They were definitely more satisfying than french fries and therefore a smaller portion than you think will likely suffice. We generously salted and dipped in ketchup and ranch. When I asked my husband for his reaction, he used an expletive before delicious, so I know it was truth.

A little tip on buying canned coconut milk is to get it from the Mexican section (locally $1.69) and not the Thai/Indian section ($3.99) of the store. The Chicken in Coconut Curry Sauce, was very easy to prepare and was surprisingly and a touch disappointingly not spicy at all, considering all the spices in it. They melded together nicely in that you didn't taste just the the ginger or garlic. The Indian and Pakistani influence to the cuisine was evident. The fresh cilantro did stand out some, but cooking with any food I pull from my garden makes a meal more satisfying. I did generously salt my plate after cooking, which I seem to do more with dishes prepared with curry and cumin, but that's just me. I would absolutely prepare it again making a few changes to suit our palette more. My husband thought it would go great with a good sharp beer and I have to agree. No mention of beer can go without a shoutout to The One Senator with his weekly beer review, so please stop by his page if you are a lover of beer and check out his ramblings if you aren't easily offended. http://theonesenator.blogspot.com/2011/07/beer-review-july-2-2011.html .

EDIT: I saved the leftover coconut curry sauce and it was even better after it sat for a few hours and the spices fused together even more. I just reheated & poured over rice.

The boy is out playing and swimming, so no food for him, but I would hazard a guess he would like both dishes, except would whine about the chunks of tomato which would meticulously encircle his plate at the end of dinner.

So that's our little trip to Kenya. I really hope you at least try the Fried Green Bananas soon and let me know what you think!

See TIPS for an easy alternative to a food processor!

FRIED GREEN BANANAS

Ingredients:
5 small unripe green bananas
1 qt of oil for frying
salt to taste

1. Peel the bananas with a knife and slice into long thin wedges or strips to make fries.
2. Heat oil in a heavy, deep skillet over medium heat or a deep fryer set to 375F. Please the bananas into the hot oil one at a time and fry until golden brown for 5-7 minutes
3. drain on a paper towel, salt to taste and serve immediately.


KUKU PAKA (Chicken in Coconut Curry Sauce)

3 boneless breasts of chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 chopped onion
1 hot chili pepper
1 T chopped ginger
1 T chopped garlic
1/8 cup oil or ghee
1/2 T curry powder
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 C chopped tomatoes or tomato sauce
1 C (1/2 15 oz can) coconut milk
1/4 C cilantro
salt & pepper to taste

1. Add the onion, chili, ginger and garlic to a food processor and process until smooth. Add a little water if necessary.

2. Heat the oil or ghee in a large pot or wok over medium flame. Add the puree, curry powder and cumin and saute, stirring frequently for 5-8 minutes, or until cooked down.

3. Stir in the tomato and simmer 3-4 minutes and then add the chicken (for a more authentic flavor grill the chicken first), coconut milk (reserve some of the coconut cream that gathers at the top of the can and stir it in the sauce at the end for extra silky results), salt and pepper. Reduce the heat and simmer until chicken is cooked through. Add more water if needed.

4. Stir in the cilantro, re-season and serve with rice.