10 Delicious Kenyan Dishes to Try on Your Next Visit

| Monday | 6th March, 2023

Summary:

When you think of Kenya, you might think of lions roaming around the plains or enormous hippos swimming in lakes. Indeed, Kenya is one of the world`s top safari destinations. However, if you have done Kenya airways booking and planning to visit this country, you just must partake in some of the country`s renowned street food. There are several meals that every foodie visiting the country must eat. Authentic Kenyan cuisine has a flavour profile of its own.  Tourists love eating the delicious meals that the locals prepare in Kenya. You can count on every one of your taste buds being fully satisfied by the native cuisine in Kenya. Having said that, let us take a closer look at the food you need to try in Kenya.

                                                               

                                                        Image Resource: en.wikipedia.org

 

• Irio: Irio, originally from the Kikuyu group of people from Central Kenya, is a household favourite throughout the country. Prepared with a healthy blend of potatoes, corn, peas, and sometimes spinach, or beans, it is a step up from regular mashed potatoes. Irio goes well with stews and barbecued fish and meat, but it is also delicious on its own.

 

• Matoke: Matoke, a green banana used in Ugandan cookery, is a popular dish throughout East Africa. Green bananas, tomatoes, onion, garlic, and fragrant spices are cooked together in a big pot until the bananas soften and a thick gravy sauce is created for traditional Kenyan matoke stew. It goes well with roasted meat and is eaten with rice, ugali, or chapati.

 

• Ugali: Ugali is a starchy, spongy side dish that is often made using white or yellow cornmeal, salt, and boiling water. It is often served family style, with a plate placed in the centre of the table. To consume it, take off a piece, roll it into a ball, and then use your finger to hollow out the centre. You may use it to sop up sauces from your favourite stews, soups, grilled meats and seafood. Using your hands to eat adds a whole new dimension to the flavour of the meal you are enjoying.

 

                                                    Image Resource: en.wikipedia.org

 

• Sukama Wiki: If you like eating healthy vegetables, sukama wiki is a must-try. Made with kale or other leafy greens, garlic, onions, tomatoes, and spices like turmeric, cayenne pepper, and paprika, this side dish is earthy and aromatic. The combination with nyama choma or ugali is heavenly; it is nutritious and bursting with flavour.

 

• Nyama Choma: Nyama choma, often regarded as Kenya`s national dish, is a grilled beef dish. Goat is the preferred meat, although chicken and fish are also common alternatives. The meat is topped with salt and gradually prepared over hot embers. The flesh is so tender that it will almost melt on your tongue. Nyama choma tastes great as it is, but it is much better when paired with chapati, rice and kachumbari.

 

• Githeri: Githeri is a one-pot stew made with red beans, potatoes, onion, meat, and maize in a thick tomato and beef sauce seasoned with curry powder, paprika, and chilli. It is equally at home as an appetizer or as part of a main course with chapati or rice.

 

                                                        Image Resource: en.wikipedia.org

 

• Mutura: Mutura is a traditional Kenyan snack made by stuffing the intestines of an animal (often a goat or lamb) with a combination of meat, herbs, onions, spices, and sometimes even animal blood. It is then boiled and grilled over burning coals, giving it a smoky flavour. It is not for everyone, but those who like the flavour of beef could enjoy it.

 

• Nyama: Nyama, or Kenyan stewed beef, is a dish that varies in flavour from family to family and restaurant to restaurant. Beef is cooked with onions, tomatoes, and carrots, and additional vegetables such as potatoes, peas, and plantains may be added. Spices are added, and the whole thing is allowed to simmer until the flavours combine and the sauce thickens. It is best enjoyed with some chapati and a side of Sukama wiki.

 

• Kuku Paka: Curry with chicken is called kuku paka in Kenya. A classic example of the Indian influence on Kenyan cuisine, it is widely consumed throughout the coast. Charcoal-grilled chicken is cooked along with coconut milk, tomato, onion, herbs and other spices, giving the dish a fragrant and somewhat hot kick.
  
  
• Mandazi: Mandazi, a traditional Kenyan dessert, is similar to doughnuts, however, it is fried similarly to a samosa and flavoured with coconut and aromatic cardamom. Try a few for breakfast with your morning brew, or take one as a sweet snack on the move and make it like a local.