Tag: Vegetarian

Categories
Moroccan food

Moroccan Chickpeas Tajine

Moroccan Vegetarian Chickpea Taginemoroccan vegetarian chickpea tajine recipe

Moroccan dishes do not need necessarily need any meat to be delicious. Many typical Moroccan recipes can be completely vegetarian. One of the favorite Moroccan vegetarian dishes is a tajine with as a main ingredient chickpeas. This Moroccan chickpeas recipe is one of the easiest to make and has a delicious authentic Moroccan taste.

Ingredients for vegetarian Tajine with Chickpeas

  • 400 gram canned Chickpeas
  • 1 toe of garlic
  • 1 large onion
  • 3 large tomatoes
  • 3 tbs. Olive Oil
  • parsley leaves
  • 1/8 tsp. cayenne powder
  • ¼ tsp. paprika powder
  • ¼ tsp. Cumin
  • salt and pepper

How to prepare Moroccan Chickpeas Tagine

  • step 1) soak the chickpeas in hot water and remove the skin
  • step 2) grate the onion and fry it slightly (1-2 minutes) in a deep pan (or tajine) using 2 tablespoon olive oil before mixing it with 1/8 teaspoon cayenne powder, ¼ teaspoon paprika powder and ¼ teaspoon cumin.
  • Step 3) add the 3 tomatoes cut in small cubes, a sniff of salt and pepper, a couple of cut parsley leaves and eventually also the skinned chickpeas.
  • Step 4) let it is simmer for 30-35 minutes on a low fire with the lid closed.
  • Step 5) serve with either couscous or Turkish bread. BisaHa!

Tip: the next day leftovers will taste even better!

Categories
Ethiopian food

Injera recipe

Injera or “the Ethiopian pancake”

Injera, is an Ethiopian flatbread, also known as the “Ethiopian pancake”,  which is served with almost all traditional recipes and dishes from Ethiopia. It is considered the number one staple food of ethiopian Injera recipe traditional food from EthiopiaEthiopia and is used to both serve the delicious Ethiopian dishes on as well as the cutlery to pick up the Ethiopian stews. Next to Ethiopia is this food also very popular in Eritrea and Somalia and some other East African countries. One can buy premade Injera in the freezers of some stores, but the best taste you will get by making this delicious Ethiopian food yourself.  Injera is traditionally made from teff flour which is a finely ground flour made from the grains of Teff, a tiny species of grains which grows in the Ethiopian Highlands. However very fine millet flour, which might be easier to get in your local may also be used to make this delicious Ethiopian pancake, the Injera flatbread. When making Injera take into account that the best results for a homemade injera is to let the dough ferment for at least a day or two. If you can’t wait this long you can add warm water instead of cold to fasten up the process.

Ingredients for Ethiopian Injera

  • 500g  of teff flour (or very fine Millet flour)
  • 1 small packet of dry yeast
  • Water
  • Utensil: A very large frying pan or griddle

How to cook your own Ethiopian Injera

Here is the recipe for a traditional ethiopian Injera pancake in 10 very easy steps:

1st Step: Mix the yeast together with 2 tbs of hot water in a glass

2nd Step: Put  375 gram of the flour in a bowl and the glass of water and yeast to it.

3rd Step: Add 500ml of cold water to the flour and mix the dough until very smooth

4th Step: Let the dough rest for at least one day ( or in case of hot water: 3hrs)

(the following day)

5th step: Pour the remaining flour (125 gram) in another bowl.

6th step: Boil 150ml of water and pour over the flour. Mix and let it stand 5 minutes.

7th step: Now mix the dough of the previous day (which has fermented) together with 165ml of cold water with the dough of today.

8th step: Let it rest for about one hour

9th step: Heat a nonstick griddle or large frying pan and pour a ladle of batter to form a very thin layer in the pan or on the griddle.

10th step: Cover the pan or griddle when the first bubbles start to appear and cook for about 5 minutes.

Now your Injera is ready and you can serve your delicious Ethiopian, Eritrean or Somalian food on your own homemade Injera.

መልካም ምግብ (melkam megeb) or Bonne Appetit

Categories
Ghanaian Food plantain

Tatale – Ghanaian Plantain Cake

The Recipe for Plantain cake from Ghana (Tatale)

Tatale is a delicious Ghanaian plantain cake made from very ripe plantains. Plantain, also know as cooking banana is a very common ghana tatale plantain cakeingredient in Western Africa. In Ghana they use plantain in many different ways, but one of the favourite ghanaian foods is Tatale. This delicious snack from ghana has a really easy recipe and is therefore also easy for you to make at home to taste the rich flavours of West Africa.

Ingredients for Ghanaian Tatale

  • 4 very ripe plantains (turning black on the outside)
  • 2 Onions
  • Ginger powder
  • 1 red pepper (select the one you can handle)
  • Maisflour (or other type of flour if not available)
  • Peanut oil
  • salt

How to cook Tatale from Ghana

  1. Mash the plantains into a soft consistency with a masher or hand mixer
  2. Cut the pepper and onions into very tiny parts
  3. Add the pepper and onions together with a sniff of ginger and salt (according to taste) into the mix
  4. Add around 3 cups of maisflour and mix all very well into a well bound texture
  5. Let the mix stand for about 30 minutes
  6. Fill a pot with peanut oil so it comes up around 2 inch from the bottom on the fire.
  7. When the oil is hot enough you can use a big spoon to make round scoops from the mix and fry these scoops on both sides until they turn golden brown.
  8. Let them leak out on plate with kitchen paper before serving them as delicious snacks or as a side dish to your African meal
Categories
Kenyan food

Githeri

Kenyan Githeri Recipe

Githeri is a traditional kenyan dish of which the name derives from the Kikuyu people of Kenya. It is however eaten all over Kenya and is also know as Mutheri among some Kenyans. This typical kenyan stapple food consists mainly of beans and mais, but can be served with some extras.  It is a very simple and basic dish to prepare, but it has the delicious flavours of Kenya. In most African families Githeri is eaten without any supplements. However it can also served with either chapati or rice which are both also very common throughout Kenya.

traditional githeri kikuyu kenyan food

Ingredients for Githeri/Mutheri

This version of the Githeri recipe has a little bit of extra’s (meat) to give the dish even more flavour. However one can leave out the meat to make a delicious vegetarian dish. Kenyan Githeri contains the following ingredients:

  • 500 gram/1 pound of beef
  • 400 gram of beans (brown or white beans)  if bought fresh soak them overnight
  • 400 grams of fresh corn kernels
  • 2 tbs of peanut oil
  • 1 onion
  • 2 tomatoes
  • 2 potatoes
  • 1 fresh chili (add only if you can handle spicy food)
  • 1 tablespoon of tomato paste
  • cumin powder
  • chili powder
  • tumeric powder
  • garlic powder
  • salt and peper
  • 1 lemon

How to prepare Githeri from Kenya

step 1: if you bought fresh beans and mais you will have to boil them first until tender. Make sure to save the water which you boilt your mais and beans in to save flavours. if you bought both from a can there is no need to boil the mais and beans.

step 2: Cut the beef into small cubes and boil them in water with a bit of salt, peper, tumeric and cumin powder. Make sure the beef is really tender and soft.

step 3: chop the vegetables into small cubes (onions, tomatoes, potatoes and chili)

step 4: boil the potatoes cubes for a short period

step 5: heat 2 tbs of peanut oil in the pan and fry the onions slightly before adding the tomate paste and a bit of garlic powder. Now add the tomatoes and cook them with some of the water from the boiled beans (or from the can of beans) on low heat until the tomatoes get really soft. now add the chili and add some of the other spices according to taste. also add the tender beef cubes and mix them well in.

step 6: add the boiled potatoes, beans and mais and mix them well in. add some of the stock from the beef to just cover the beans. now simmer the pan on a very low fire while stiring it slightly. add some extra salt and peper if needed.

Step 7: After simmering it on the fire for a bit it is ready to serve. half a lemon or two so your guests can squize the lemon juice according to taste to their delicious Githeri meal to intensify the taste.

 

Categories
Cassava

Fried Cassava

Fried Cassava recipe

step 1: Buy two Cassava roots in your local store.

step 2: make sure to peel and wash them good before use.

step 3: Cut the cassava roots in half and cut long thick sticks out of them in the shape of thick french fries.

step 4: Now brush the sticks with peanut oil or any other oil and sprinkle with a bit of salt and peper.

step 5: heat up some peanut oil in a big pan and fry the cassave sticks until they are soft and colorful.

step 6: now they are ready to be served as quick fastfood or as a side dish to any of the african food mentioned on this website.

african fried cassava recipe food of africa

 

Categories
Zimbabwean food

Sadza

Sadza from Zimbabwe

Sadza is the shona word to describe a thickened porridge prepared from any grain and therefore similar to the Ugali of Eastern Africa and Fufu of West Africa.  The most commonly used ingredient for sadza is white maize meal, but if not available you can also use any other farina or corn meal. However most Ethnic food stores (African, Asian or Caribbean) will sell white maize Mealie-Meal.  Sadza is a stapplefood in Zimbabwe and can be accompanied withsadza zimbabwe food how to make zimbabwean sadza cook both meat stews or just vegetables. The Shona people of Zimbabwe traditionaly do not eat meat daily and therefore the accompanying of Sadza with a meat stew is considered a real treat. Tradtional families might just serve sadza with one of the local vegetables. If you happen to visit a zimbabwean family and you will get served a delicious meal including meat you should consider yourself luckely since this is a sign of respect and importance of the guest. Because of the wide use of Sadza in most zimbabwean dishes, the word is even used to describe the meal itself and in combination with other Shona words it can mean either Lunch or dinner. The best way to enjoy Sadza is visiting a traditional zimbabwean family. However it’s also nice to try to cook this African dish yourself. Traditionally, sadza is cooked in a clay or cast iron pot on an open fire, but its also easy to make in your own house on a normal stove. Follow the easy instructions in this recipe carefully to make this delicious zimbabwean staple food and check out other recipes for zimbabwean stews to serve with Sadza.

Ingredients for Sadza

The only neccesairy ingredient for Sadza is white maize meal (if not available any other farina or corn meal will do)

How to make Sadza

This recipe is for Sadza as a side dish for about five people. If you have less or more eaters adjust the quantities below to your own calculations, however you can never have more then enough Sadza.

  • First Step:  Boil 1 gallon (4 liters) of water.
  • Second step: put five cups of white maize meal in a sauce pan and add cold water to soak the meal.
  • Third step: After the white maize meal is completely soaked one should add a little more water to stir the mixture with a thick stick (or a big wooden spoon).
  • Fourth step: Put the fire of the sauce pan on medium heat and while stirring  the mixture add the boiling water slowely and keep stirring in a constant way. Make sure the mixture doesn’t stick to the pan.
  • fifth step: during the heating the maize meal will become smoother and becomes like a smooth porridge. let it boil while constantly stiring the mixture
  • sixth step: Now let it boil for 5 minutes and add more maize meal flower.

How to eat the Sadza

Sadza is finger food. However the first time around you may wish to use a spoon until you have had a chance to observe an experienced person eat with their hands – it is quite and art! Wash your hand well in a bowl of clean water. Using your right hand (Shona: rudyi -lit. ‘the one used to eat’) partition a small chunk of sadza and mold it into a little round or oval ball of sadza called “musuwa we sadza” in your palm. Be careful not to burn yourself. Dip (Sh: tonha) it in the soup (Sh: muto) and bite off and eat a sizable chunk. Re-mold the remainder of your sadza in your palm and continue the process. Use your fingers to pick up and eat chunks of chicken or beef. Enjoy!

Sadza is normally shared by several people all eating from the same plate and bowl sitting in a circle on the floor. This environment provides amble opportunity to learn sharing as one has to pace themselves accordingly while eating with others. It is particularly interesting to watch children of different ages eat from the same servings. The older children, who may be capable of eating very quickly and consume most of food at the expense of younger slower kids. They will either pace themselves at the rate of younger children or consume a fair portion but leave enough food for the younger children to finish at their own pace – a tremendous way to instill sharing and responsibility.

 

Categories
Zimbabwean food

Peanut butter Rice

Ingredients for Zimbabwean Peanut butter Rice

2cups long grain rice or brown rice

3 cups water

Salt to taste

1 tbsp cooking oil

3 to 4 tbsp peanut butter

The quick recipe for peanut butter rice from zimbabwe

  1. Put rice in a pot and add water
  2. Add salt and oil and cook as normal till all the water is finished
  3. Fluff the rice with a fork.
  4. Add peanut butter and mix with a spoon. The rice should be a bit sticky in appearance
  5. Add more peanut butter according to your taste as needed
Categories
Kenyan food

chapati

The recipe for kenyan Chapati

recipe for kenyan chapati east africaChapati is an original indian stapple food which is also really popular in east-africa (Kenya, Tanzania etc.) and is part of many african dishes. Many kenyan or other african stews can be eaten with this delicious flatbread.

Ingredients for the best chapati from Kenya

  • 3 cups white flour, plus a bit extra to dust the counter top
  • 0.5 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup luke-warm water
  • vegetable oil

How to make your own kenyan chapati

  1. Combine the flour, salt and 2tbsp oil in a large bowl

(You can add 0.5 tsp of sugar if you want to sweeten it a bit)

  1. Add water slowly over time and mix with your hands until well combined

If the dough is too wet or too dry, add a bit more water or flour as needed.

  1. Knead for 10 minutes ( the dough should not stick to the bowl, otherwise add a bit more flour)
  2. Leave the dough to rest for 1hr, covered with a damp cloth
  3. Preheat a large frying pan/ skillet and brush the surface with 1 tablespoon of oil
  4. Divide the dough into 10 equal balls.
  5. Dust work surface with flour and flatten the balls slightly between the palms of your hands , then place one onto a floured board and roll into large flat and round very thin sheets
  6. Lay the rolled sheet on the griddle or pan and cook for about 30-60 seconds or until the surface is bubbling.
  7. Turn it over with tongs and cook the other side for 30 seconds or until brown spots appear.
  8. Repeat with the remaining balls flouring the board when necessary
  9. Stack the cooked chapatis on a warm plate and cover with a plate or foil to keep them warm