KENYAN GITHERI AND MAIZE MEAL TACOS

April 25, 2013

KENYAN GITHERI AND MAIZE MEAL TACOS

Maize meal tacos and githeri was really a good combo. For the first time I felt very glad about what I have tried in this recipe. Just like that I tried to prepare the tortillas with maize meal which is used to prepare "UGALI" a local Kenyan dish. "Masa harina"- Mexican pre cooked white corn flour and the maize meal are almost the same in texture and smell except one thing that binding the maize meal was bit difficult than the pre cooked corn meal. At last my experiments were fruitful.

Above all Kenyan githeri was a great combination with avocado and mango salsa. "Githeri" is prepared with red beans, carrot,maize and potatoes in Kenya like a stew often served with piping hot ugali. I have added sukuma leaves with githeri and prepared it like a thick filling.

Ingredients:

Maize meal Tortillas:

Maize meal-1 cup

All purpose flour- 1 cup

Warm water- 1/2 cup

Salt to taste

Method:

Place the maize meal and APF in a bowl.

Add salt to the flour and mix uniformly. Slowly add the warm water by sprinkling and prepare a smooth dough. Allow it to rest for 30 minutes.

Make uniform sized balls and place it in between 2 pieces of clingfilm sheets. As the dough is bit sticky and the tortillas has to be prepared like a thin sheet, using a cling film would easen the process.

Roll the ball with the rolling pin on the cling film sheet gently and press the dough.

Shape the tortillas with a round lid.

Cook the tortillas under medium fire.

Press the tortillas with a kitchen towel gently to puff it up. Cook until the tortillas turn slightly brown on both the sides by frequently turning.

Place the tortillas in a kitchen towel to keep it warm and avoid getting dried up and be moist.

Note: Maize meal tortillas gets hardened very quickly, so try to keep it most or cook the tortillas when you are about to serve the food.

Githeri:

Red beans- 2 cups

Carrots-2(diced)

Potatoes- 1 cup(diced)

Sukuma leaves- 1 bunch(washed and finely chopped)

Ginger- garlic paste- 1 tspn

Onion- 1 (finely chopped)

Thick tomato paste- 1 tbspn

Turmeric powder- 1tspn

Garam masala- 1tspn

Oil-1 tbspn

Salt to taste

Cilantro leaves to garnish

Method:

Heat the pan and add the oil. Add the ginger- garlic paste followed by the onions. When the onions turn brown add the carrots and potatoes. Add salt and cook them. When done add the cooked red beans.

Mix well and add the chopped sukuma leaves to the beans and add all the spices. Add the tomato paste, give a stir and lower the flame. Cook for another 3 minutes. Garnish with cilantro leaves.

sukuma wiki leaaves

To garnish:

Avocado- 1 (sliced)

Cilantro leaves

Mango salsa:

Ripe mango- 1 (finely chopped)

Onion- 1 tbspn(finely chopped)

Tomatoes- 2(finely chopped)

Lemon juice- 1/2 tspn

Cilantro leaves- 1 tspn(finely chopped)

Salt to taste

Mix all the ingredients uniformly to serve with githeri.

Tacos:

To prepare the tacos, take the tortillas and place it in your palm. Add little of the githeri mixture in the center of the tortilla followed by a slice of avocado.