We were so excited at the idea of cooking Kenyan food. But once we started Googling recipes we realised there wasn’t a hugely adventurous selection for veggies!
For my meal, I decided to get a little creative. I made a rich stew called Kunde, which is a tomato and bean based with peanut butter! And I made baked potato, or Irio cakes, which I stuffed to add more flavour.
Here’s what I made: tomato, black bean, kale and homemade peanut butter stew, with baked potato and sweetcorn cakes, stuffed with spicy tumeric coconut carrot.
Here’s how I did it:
Recipe: Kunde (stew)
I adapted this recipe I found online. Serves 4.
Ingredients:
- 400g tomatoes
- Tbsp tomato puree
- 1 cup dried black beans OR 1 tin cooked beans
- 1 large white onion, diced
- 60g unsalted peanuts
- 2-3 Bay leaves
- Generous handful fresh kale
Start by cooking the beans. I put mine in a pressure cooker for 30 mins. If you don’t have one, you’ll need to soak them overnight and cook as per packet instructions. Or, save yourself a job and use a tin.
Prepare the tomatoes: gently score a X pattern on the skin of the bottom of the tomatoes, about 2 inches across. Cover in boiling water, leave for a couple of mins, then drain and cover in cold water. This loosens the skin. Peel the tomatoes when they’re cool enough to handle. Roughly chop.
Fry the onion in 1-2 tbsp oil. While the onion is cooking, roast the peanuts at 200 degrees Celcius for 10-12 minutes until they’re a dark golden brown. Leave to cool, then blend for about 5 minutes until they turn into a paste. Or, cheat and use 2 generous tbsp natural peanut butter. But making this yourself gives a really rich flavour!
Once the onions are translucent, add the tomatoes, tomato paste and bay leaves. Add 1 cup of water and season well. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring often to allow the tomatoes to break down. Keep adding more water as necessary to make it saucy. Add the beans and peanut paste/butter and cook for another 10 minutes, stirring often. Finally, chuck in the kale and cook for 5 more minutes.
Recipe: spicy stuffed potato and sweetcorn cakes
I adapted this recipe here. Serves 4 as a main, or 6 as a starter.
Ingredients:
- 1 large baking potato
- 1 x 300g tin sweetcorn
- 2 spring onions, finely sliced
- 1 medium carrot,grated
- Polenta, for rolling
- 1 large shallot, diced
- 1 chilli, finely diced
- 2 tbsp dessicated coconut
- 1 tsp tumeric
Prick then bake your potato in the oven for about an hour until its soft, or microwave for ~ 10 mins. Wait until it’s cool, then peel off the skin.
Mix the potato with the drained sweetcorn and spring onion. Season well, mash together.
Fry the shallot in 1 tbsp oil for about 5 minutes. Add the carrot, chilli and tumeric. Continue frying for a further 6-8 mins. Add the coconut and fry for a couple more minutes. Remove from the heat.
Cover a plate with Polenta. Wet your hands and take a palm full of potato, flattening it. Stuff a tbsp of the carrot mix into the middle, then fold the sides around until it is a sealed ball. Flatten into a burger shape and then place on the Polenta, bringing it up the sides then flipping it over to ensure even coverage.
Repeat until you have 4-6 cakes. Bake in the oven at 180 degrees Celcius for 35-40 minutes, turning halfway through.
Serve with your delicious stew! Happy vegan eats 🙂
Justine x
Green Globe Grub 