Githeri is one of the Kenyan staple meals.
It's a simple, budget-friendly yet incredibly delicious (if prepared well) meal whose main ingredients are boiled maize and beans.
Githeri's origin can be traced to central Kenya, however, the meal is common in all parts of the country albeit with different names.
Other ingredients such as meat/vegetables can be added to enhance the taste and flavour of the meal.
Ingredients
- 1 cup maize
- 1 cup beans
- 2 tomatoes
- 1 green bell pepper
- 1 large onion
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 2 red chillies
- 1/2 courgette
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- Cooking oil
- Salt to taste
Method
Boil your fresh maize and an equal amount of beans in a sufuria filled with water.
Alternatively, you can buy pre-cooked maize and beans at the market. If you choose to buy them pre-cooked, ensure you wash them thoroughly before cooking them.
Wash and chop all your vegetables accordingly and set them aside.
Place a sufuria over medium heat then add cooking oil and fry the onions with a teaspoon of ginger powder till they are golden.
Add garlic, sliced courgette and ground coriander, and chopped green pepper, stir and allow them to cook.
Sprinkle some water so that they don't stick on the sufuria. Add tomatoes, salt to taste and cumin then stir generously.
Cover till the tomatoes are well cooked into a soft sauce, then add your cooked maize and beans with sliced chillies. Stir until everything is well combined.
Cover and allow it to simmer for a minute or two over low heat, then add a cup of water, stir and bring it to boil over medium heat until the soup turns to the thickness you like.
As it boils, steam the cabbage.
You'll need a quarter of a cabbage and 2 carrots shredded together.
Heat up a pan with 2 tablespoons of oil then add the cabbage and carrot. stir and add salt, and garlic powder. Sprinkle some water, cover, and let it steam over low to medium heat.
Once the meals are ready, take the cooking pots from the heat source.
Serve, garnish accordingly and enjoy.
