mayurisjikoni

MEGA BLOGGING MARATHON -SEPT 2017 #80TH BLOGGING MARATHON THEME: PROTEIN RICH DISHES/LENTILS DAY:18    When one mentions Kenya, marathon runners, safari and wildlife comes to ones mind. Kenya is no doubt a beautiful country. From Mountains to beaches. Mount Kenya, the 2nd tallest mountain in Africa, is a mountain climbers dream with jagged peaks. Grasslands or Savannah, pristine beaches, The Rift Valley, every part of the country there is something to see. Kenya is well known for its wildlife like lions, cheetahs, leopards, zebras, gazelles, elephants, buffaloes, hippos, giraffes, rhinos and so much more. Shrubs to baobab trees, filled with all sorts of flora and fauna. The famous song in Lion King, Hakuna Matata means no problem. Simba means lion in Kiswahili and Rafiki means friend. You'll always be greeted with a friendly Jambo.    Why am I talking about Kenya? Well, rafikis today I'm going to introduce you to a very famous wholesome,one pot meal called Githeri. ...

Vitumbua #BreadBakers From the East Coast of Africa Vitumbua (singular kitumbua) pronounced as vee toom booa are the local answer to pancakes/ doughnuts in East Africa especially in Tanzania and the coastal part of Kenya.Instead of being deep fried, they are made in a special vitumbua griddle/pan. Its similar to the aebleskiver pan or appe pan or paniyaram pan. Vitumbua is a common Tanzanian street food and found during Ramadhan in Mombasa. Its usually served with hot tea as breakfast. Beneath the crust the interior is light and fluffy, melt in the mouth texture. Most of the East African Coast cuisine has been influenced by Indian, Yemeni and Omani culture so perhaps vitumbua too may have been brought here by one of the settlers. The Bread Bakers theme for February is Griddle Breads hosted by Ansh of Spiceroots .  Thank you Ansh for such a wonderful theme.  As soon as I read griddle bread, I knew I had to post the recipe of Vitumbua and share a bit of the East African cuisine ...

A filling satisfying snack    Packing is all done, finally cleared out the fridge and after breakfast we will be leaving for the airport. Really excited. There's much talk about the new terminal at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport.Also will get to pass through the new terminal at the Jomo Kenyatta Airport after it got burnt and is now renovated.Who wouldn't be excited to go to India? I know of many Indians born and brought up in Kenya who really don't have such a strong feeling for India. There are times when the crowds and noise get to me. However after a good night's sleep, that is all over and I am ready for another exciting adventure. Shopping, eating out, movies, spending time with family and getting pampered.    As I had mentioned before, the cuisine in the coastal region of Kenya has a strong Indian, Arabic and local influence. One such dish is Mombasa Mix. People coming from upcountry don't want to leave Mombasa without having the famous egg kim...

nutritious and filling    Much of the African cuisine is not fully discovered as yet by the rest of the world. Though Kenya falls in the Savannah region, many parts of the country grow a rich variety of fruits and vegetables that provide the people of the area with their basic requirements of carbohydrates, proteins and minerals. Colonization by the British Empire and the influx of Indians and Arabs has added variety to the basic dishes prepared in many parts of Kenya. The coast is well known for using coconut milk in most of their dishes, the highlands use lots of potatoes and areas around Lake Victoria use a lot of fish and cassava. Over the years traditional methods and recipes have given way to new versions and more palatable ones for the younger generation. One such dish prepared mostly by the Kikuyus, called Irio has over the years developed its own version, depending on the region and culture.Traditonal irio is prepared by mixing cooked red beans, maize and mashed potat...

full of carbs   Cassava in coconut milk is a famous Kenyan coastal dish and very easy to prepare. Tui varo mogo, mogo na nazi, are some of the common names used. Mogo is cassava and nazi is coconut. In the Gujarati language tui is coconut milk. Kenyan coastal dishes over the years have acquired both Arabic and Indian influence. Cassava is widely used at the coast as a main dish because it is widely grown at the coast, is cheap and full of carbohydrates.   This dish does not need many ingredients. The cassava has to be fresh and not stringy. As I have mentioned previously I really don't know how to choose good cassava. I totally depend on Julius our house help to do that for me. Most say that the cassava harvested during the rainy season is not good. Cassava from different parts of the world is different so follow your instincts. Normally, if your cut off the tip the inside should appear milky white.   Cassava cooked in coconut milk is like a meal on its own. Some have it ...

this is my version    Egg chapatti is a very famous street food of Mombasa. Come evening and many streets are lined with the jikos (sigris) and egg chapattis are made on huge tawas along with all sorts of barbarques. The most famous egg chapattis are the ones stuffed with minced meat and eggs and the other is eggs with onions, coriander and chopped chillis. The chapattis are served with cabbage or lettuce salad, hot chilli sauce and tamarind chutney. Hardly an visitor to Mombasa leaves without having sampled the chicken tikka, mishkaki, kebabs and egg chappatis. Most of these eatries are very basic, nothing fancy about them but the food is what attracts the patrons. The most famous one for years has been Abbasi. Since then many more have opened up. Everyone has his or her favourite haunt. A soft dough is not rolled out with a rolling pin. The deft fingers of these expert chefs, firstly spread out the dough and then they flip it on the table till it becomes thin. Some just spre...