Walk into most up market restaurants in Kenya and you will see servers flying out of the kitchens carrying plates that include dark green vegetables, one of which will most likely be the African nightshade. The African Nightshade is an indigenous vegetable popularly known as ‘managu’ in Kenya. In comparison to kale or collard greens (spinach), managu is a highly nutritious vegetable rich in protein, iron, calcium, folate as well as vitamin A, C and E.

Though there are those that might find it slightly bitter to the taste, managu can be prepared with milk or the cream of milk to take the edge off a little bit. I love it with cream!

So here is what you will need:

2 bunches of managu vegetables

1 red onion

1 tomato

Milk cream/milk (to taste)

1 Knorr cube

Salt (to taste)

Let’s Cook!

Pluck the leaves off the stalks. Yes, this can be quite laborious! Wash the vegetables and make sure to remove all soil/dirt. Boil the vegetable for 30-40 minutes until tender. Drain all the water out. As they drain, dice the onion and tomato.

In a pan, fry the onion in vegetable oil until it is soft. Add the tomato and season with salt and 1 Knorr beef cube. When the tomato has softened, add the managu. After 5 minutes add cream/milk and cook for another 10 minutes.

Serve as an accompaniment to any meal, though it goes down really well with ‘ugali’, a polenta like dish served in East Africa. So next time you go to the market, treat yourself to a bunch, or two, of managu and remember…fried/boiled green vegetables contain more usable iron than raw vegetables.

How would you enjoy your greens?

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16:26:00

I like ‘nduma’. A lot. Boiled, fried, stewed…love it! Not so much for my munchkin. She calls it ‘baby’ food. I know…ridiculous! So today I am staring three arrow roots down in my kitchen…thinking “How to ‘munchkinfy’” nduma…then it hit me!

Nduma is a root tuber, mostly eaten for breakfast or as a snack. For any person watching the amount of carbohydrates they consume, this is the perfect alternative to the potato as it contains less calories.

So as I was looking around the kitchen, I spotted one of munchkins favorite cereals and beamed: D GOTCHA! And this is how it went down…

You will need:

3 arrow roots

3 pieces of Weetabix

2 eggs

Nutmeg

Let’s Cook!

Wash the root tuber, as it usually comes with dirt, and peel off the skin. Wash the peeled ‘nduma’ again and cut into 1 inch thick pieces. It is important to keep the ‘nduma’ in water at all times after peeling to avoid oxidation. Pour the ‘nduma’ into a pan and boil for 30 minutes.

While the arrowroot is boiling, crush the three pieces of Weetabix in a bowl. Whisk the eggs and add a pinch of nutmeg powder.

Once the ‘nduma’ is ready, drain out the water. Heat a pan and add vegetable oil. When the oil is reasonably hot, reduce the heat as we shall be frying in low heat. Piece by piece, pick up the ‘nduma’, dip in the egg first and then in the wheat flake bowl. 

 Tip: Use one hand to soak the egg and the other to cover with flakes. Ensure that the flakes completely cover the ‘nduma’. The egg acts as the ‘glue’ to make sure the flakes stick to the ‘nduma’.

Place the nduma in the pan and let it cook for about 1 minute, then turn it over and repeat for another minute. Take the ‘nduma’ out and place on a serviette to drain out any excess oil.

End Game

Now, because Munchkin loves her cereal with banana, I went in for the ‘kill’ and served her ‘wheatomas’ with slices of banana! She had no idea what hit her and kept giving me quizzical looks, trying to ask me ‘Wash ish ish?’ (What is this?) In between mouthfuls! You really need to try this. You will impress yourself and surprise your loved ones!

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06:01:00

This cold season, I have been trying to get as much vitamin C as I can. For me and my little munchkin. This week began with a scratchy throat and yes, eventually, I got the sniffles. So when making my crepes (thin pancakes), I reached out for oranges and decided to add them to my plate. It is common knowledge that vitamin C is a very important part of breakfast as it gives the liver a robust wake-up call, flushing it out and preparing it for the days work. In order to reduce the sharp citrus taste of the oranges, I opted to caramelize them. 

For the Crepes:

-          2 cups of wheat flour

-          1 egg

-          2 table spoons of sugar

-          1 cup of warm water

-          ½ a cup of milk

-          1 pinch of cinnamon powder

For the caramelized oranges:

-          2 oranges

-          1 cup of water

-          ½ of sugar

Let’s Cook!

In a bowl, pour the flour, warm water, milk, egg and cinnamon. Add sugar and mix until smooth. Heat your frying pan and pour the mix into the pan. Using a table spoon, spread the mixture outward from the center in a circular motion. Once the mixture is spread out thin and evenly, add a little vegetable oil and cook for 30-45 seconds. Flip the crepe over and repeat. Remove the crepe once ready and continue to make more.

For the caramelized oranges, peel and dice the oranges and put them in a small sauce pan. Add the water and sugar then stir and let it simmer for 15 minutes. Continue stirring occasionally. When done pour into a serving pot. The orange juice, or reduction, can also be used as a syrup with the delicious crepes. Serve the crepes with the oranges on the side and you have a healthy, tangy breakfast to start your day! Crepes may also be used as a desert option and we shall explore that option as well.

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05:13:00