Kenya Food Recipes

Here's my best selection of Kenya food recipes. Original Swahili recipes which guarantee a great meal. Also have a look at my appetizer and dessert recipes.

Fish in coconut milk curry (mtuzi wa samaki)

Ingredients for 4-6 servings:

- 3 pounds (1 1/2 kilograms) fish filets
- 3 tablespoons oil
- 6 cloves garlic
- 1 bell pepper
- 1 onion
- 1 1/2 cup coconut milk
- 3 tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons tamarind paste or lemon juice
- 3 teaspoons garam masala or curry powder
- salt and pepper to taste

Cut the fish in serving portions and chop the onion, bell pepper, garlic and tomatoes in small pieces. Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large pot. Sear the fish fillets shortly and put them on a separate plate. Do not cook through. Reduce the heat to minimum and add the pepper and onion. Sauté until the onion is semitransparent. Add the garlic, and sauté for two more minutes. Add the tomatoes and bring to a boil. Add the rest of the ingredients, bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add the fish filets. Cover the pot and simmer until the fish is cooked through, which should take up to 10 minutes. Serve with rice, boiled potatoes, chapatti, or boiled cassava.

Garlic-roasted lamb or goat meat
(Mbuzi wa kitungu sumu na viazi tamu)

Ingredients (for 6 servings):

- 3 pounds (1 1/5 kilograms) lamb or goat meat
- 4 large sweet potatoes
- 6 turnips
- 8 cloves garlic
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, or 2 teaspoons dried
- 2 teaspoons olive or maize oil
- salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 330 deg. F (160 deg. C). Slice the garlic cloves in half, lengthwise. Peel the potatoes and cut them into 1 inch (3 cm) dices. Use a sharp knife to trim the fat from the lamb or goat meat. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Make slits of 1 inch (3 cm) deep all over the meat. Push a few rosemary leaves or a garlic half into each of the slits, using all of the rosemary and most of the garlic. Take a large pan and add the oil, turnips, potatoes and the rest of the garlic. Put it in the oven and let it coat well. Move everything to the side of the pan and put the meat in the middle. Roast everything for 1 1/5 to 2 hours. Turn the vegetables a couple of times. Then put the vegetables and potatoes on a dish and keep them warm. Put the meat on a second dish, cover it with foil let it stand for 5 minutes. Then slice the meat and serve everything.

Watermelon salad with celery-nut dressing
(from the Samburu tribe)

Ingredients (for 6 servings):

- 3 cups watermelon balls, chilled
- 1 1/3 cup celery
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 4 ounces (120 grams) softened cream cheese
- some fresh lettuce leaves
- 1/2 cup roasted cashew nuts
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise

Combine the mayonnaise and the cheese and beat it until it’s fluffy and smooth. Whip the cream and add this, as well as the celery. Put the lettuce leaves on a dish and arrange the watermelon on it. Then top with the cheese and celery dressing. Chop the cashew nuts and garnish the dish with them.

I hope you enjoy these Kenya food recipes just as much as I did collecting them!

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