Eating Around the World (From Home....And Gluten Free...): Kenya

Welcome to Kenya! Since I was very young, I have been fascinated by Kenya. I've always wanted to visit, go on a safari, and see the country. I also imagined it to be a vast desert. Turns out, there are beautiful trees and mountains in Kenya! Last year, Handsome Husband and I did a mentorship program with the local university, and my student grew up in Kenya. So we had her over for dinner, and she gave me some helpful tips for the meal! According to Google, the population of Kenya is 47.56 million people and the capital is Nairobi. Their national dish is...

Ugali!

It is very much like Fufu that we had in Cote de Ivore. Same ingredients, same process. However, I learned from my student that you let Ugali sit for a bit, and it becomes more like a wet bread that you pull chunks off to eat with your stew. To go with the Ugali, we made a beef stew, and at the recommendation of our friend, we made Minty Pineapple Juice. Here's what I did:

UGALI

1C fine corn meal

2 C water

Boil the water on the stove in a medium saucepan.
Slowly add some of the corn meal, and stir with a wooden spoon in between additions.
Once all the corn meal has been added, continue stirring, with the heat still on. The ugali should start coming together and sticking together.
Continue to turn and flip the ugali until you start smelling it cook a bit.
Once it is done (you will know it is done when you smell it, and it is sticking together well), flip it onto a plate, and serve with stew.

(Source: Ugali)

KENYAN BEEF STEW

2 tbsp avocado oil

1 onion, chopped

8 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp curry powder

1 lb stew meat

5 C beef broth

3 tomatoes, diced

Salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a pot and saute the onions until they are translucent.
Add the curry powder and garlic. Stir until fragrant.
Add the remaining ingredients, and stir to combine.
Cover the pot with a lid and simmer for 2 hours, or until the stew meat is tender.
Serve with ugali.

(Source: Kenyan Beef Stew)

MINTY PINEAPPLE JUICE

1 pineapple, peeled and cubed

4 sprigs of mint

Sugar, to taste

4 glasses water

Peel and cube the pineapple.
Place all ingredients in a blender, and blend until smooth.
Strain the juice into a large container, and chill.
Serve chilled.

(Source: Minty Pineapple Juice)

The verdict? It was actually pretty good! I learned from our friend that ugali is something that people eat with their hands, and use it to scoop the things out of the stew. I also learned that the stew is served on a plate! This was a first for me! So we scooped some ugali, scooped some stew and ate it! They went really well together! I remember not liking fufu very well, but the ugali and stew together was really good! The meal itself was pretty bland, but it was comforting. Our friend said that traditionally, Kenyan food is bland, and that the meat in stews is really chewy. I was thankful ours wasn't chewy! The pineapple juice was good too, but not what I expected. I think if the pineapple were sweeter, it would have been better. Our friend said that my version didn't have enough mint - that when they made it, the drink was green! I'll have to try it again when it is pineapple season!

Taste of Ugali (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 5