Githeri with potatoes
Githeri is a traditional meal among the central people of Kenya. It's commonly a mixture of maize and beans boiled together or separately then mixed. It can be eaten as is after seasoning with some salt though many people prefer making a stew or curry to enjoy as a complete meal. Commonly served with veggies on the side or an avocado.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp cooking oil
- 2 onions diced
- 1 cup (230g) carrots peeled & cubed
- 1 bunch cilantro (dania) chopped steams & leaves separately
- 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
- 3 tomatoes pureed
- 1 kg potatoes pealed & cubed
- 1 kg preboiled kidney beans*
- 1 kg preboiled green maize
- 2-3 cups water
- Black pepper & sea salt to taste
Instructions
- In a cooking pot/ sufuria, heat up some cooking oil and add the diced onions and carrots. Let them cook on medium-high heat for about 7-10 minutes. This is a flavour building stage.
- Add in the cilantro (dania) stems at this point together with ginger garlic paste. Allow to cook for a minute till fragrant.
- Add in the pureed tomatoes. Mix well, cover and allow to cook for about 3-5 minutes till you see the oil starting to separate with the tomatoes.
- Uncover to add in the potatoes and stir to combine. Add a cup of water then allow this to simmer (while covered) for about 10-15 minutes or until the potatoes have softened and fork tender. (Incase they are sticking on the bottom of the pan, you can add a dash of water to prevent it).
- Thereafter, add the preboiled beans and green maize to the potatoes and mix them in. Add another 1-2 cups of water (as desired) and mix in. Turn down the heat and let this simmer for 8-12 minutes while covered.
- Finally season with black pepper & sea salt then add in your chopped up fresh cilantro (dania) leaves. Mix them in.
- Turn off the heat and serve it as is or with any side of your choice. Goes really well with an avocado.
Notes
You can use any other type of beans besides the red kidney beans. Other great alternatives are white kidney beans, pinto beans, pigeon peas, lima beans, butter beans, yellow beans, haricot beans among others.
Incase one doesn't have access to green maize, dried maize can also work well.
Note that in this recipe I used the ratio of 1:1 of beans to maize. You can alter the ratio depending on what you want dominant.
You can preboil the maize and beans together as well.
Spices also can be added to this meal depending on ones preference.