The following dish is yet another popular food in the Kenyan and Tanzanian coast. It is mainly eaten for breakfast as an accompaniment to either chapati (a type of flat bread), or mahamri (a type of coconut and cardamom doughnut). It is both nutritious and delicious. This legume is protein-packed. It is a very simple dish that is easy to prepare. Here's how to do it:
INGREDIENTS: -1 Lb of canned chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans or pigeon peas, drained (you can also use these legumes in dry form sold in a packet). -3 tablespoons of vegetable oil (I use canola). -1 small onion, finely diced. -1 teaspoon of minced garlic. -1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder (can be found in Indian grocery stores or online). -1 teaspoon curry powder (can be found in International aisle of the grocery store or Indian grocery store). -1/2 teaspoon garam masala (can be found in international aisle of grocery store). -1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper. -1/4 teaspoon salt (I use Kosher). -13.5 OZ canned heavy coconut milk.
***If you opt to buy the chickpeas/pigeon peas in a pack as opposed to canned, completely submerge them in water and soak them overnight. The following day, rinse out that water you used to soak them in and put in fresh water and add a pinch of salt then boil the beans for about 20-30mins until they are soft and give when pressed between your fingers. Do not let them get mushy. Drain the water and proceed to the next steps.***
INSTRUCTIONS: -In a medium sized pot, add the cooking oil and let it heat for a few minutes on medium heat. Add the onions and saute until golden brown. Stir constantly. -Add the garlic and let it cook until they slightly turn brown. -Add the turmeric first and let it cook for a few minutes. Then add the curry powder, garam masala, cayenne pepper and salt.Stir. -Add the chickpeas into the pan and stir until they are completely coated in the spice/onion mixture. -Gradually add the coconut milk and stir. -Cover the pot and let it simmer on medium heat for 15-20mins. -Taste for salt and if it is to your liking, serve hot. Enjoy!
I ate mine with some mahamris (pictured below). Yum!!
This recipe is one that is very popular in Kenya and Tanzania, especially amongst the people who live in the coastal towns of both these countries. It will make an appearance during various celebrations especially during Eid, a Muslim religious celebration. In our house, these were a staple during Christmas, weddings, birthdays you name it. A Mahamri is basically a type of doughnut whose star ingredients include coconut milk and cardamom. They are not overly sweet, and are a great accompaniment to spiced chai (tea cooked with aromatic spices), pigeon peas cooked in coconut curry, or even any kind of meat dish. I learnt this recipe from one of our oldest family friends-Mama Asha-while I was still in Kenya. I am happy to share it here with you.
SERVING SIZE: 16 Mahamris
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:
-Rolling pin.
-Mixing Bowl.
-Strainer (for frying).
-Deep frying pan (I used a "wok").
-Sifter.
-Baking sheet
*Cling foil and a food-storage bag (if you decide to store the dough for later)*
INGREDIENTS:
-3 cups all-purpose flour that has been sifted to get rid of lumps (NOT self-raising flour). -3/4 teaspoon of rapid-rise yeast. -8 tablespoons of granulated sugar. If you like your food sweet, you can add up to 10 tablespoons-1/2 cup of sugar. -1 teaspoon of finely ground cardamom. -1 cup heavy coconut milk for kneading the dough (I use a 13.5Oz can of heavy coconut milk).
-2 cups vegetable oil for frying the mahamris (I use Canola).
METHOD:
-In your mixing bowl, combine your dry ingredients-flour, yeast, sugar and cardamom.
-Slowly add the coconut milk a little at a time, as you knead the dough (you can use your mixer to do this, just add the hook attachment).
-If you're using your hands to knead the dough, make sure they're clean and rotate the mixing bowl each time you add some coconut milk and knead. This will ensure proper distribution of the milk in the dough.
-keep kneading for 15 mins. The dough should be soft, but not sticky. After 15 mins of kneading, use a knife to cut through the dough. If you see small holes in the cut of the dough, your dough is ready for the next step.
-Lightly grease a container (that has a lid) with some cooking oil, form your dough into a ball, place it in the container and cover it. Let the dough proof (rise) for at least 3-4 hrs. I let mine sit (covered) on the counter and proof overnight, then I cooked them the following morning. The dough should double in size.
****If you would like to reserve the kneaded dough to cook at a future time, at this point, wrap the ball of dough in cling foil right after you have finished kneading it (do not let it proof!). Place the wrapped ball of dough into a food-storage bag, and place it in the refrigerator. This dough will keep for up to two weeks. When you are ready to cook your mahamris within these two weeks, pull the dough out of the freezer and let it defrost in your refrigerator a day prior to cooking them. On the actual day you intend to cook them, remove the dough from the refrigirator, remove the cling foil from the dough and let the dough sit on the counter, covered, for at least 3 hrs in order to proof. When the dough feels softened, then proceed to the following steps.*****
-Deflate the risen dough by gently pushing it down with your hand. Divide the dough into 4 equal balls. Flatten each ball and use your rolling pin to form a disc of about 7 inches in diameter and 1/4 inch thickness.
-Quarter each disc (cut it into 4 equal pieces).
-Place these pieces of dough on a lightly floured baking sheet and cover with a clean cloth. Place the baking sheet on the counter and let the pieces further proof (rise) for 15 mins.
***Pour the vegetable oil into your frying pan and heat it on medium heat.***
-Test your oil for readiness by dropping a small piece of dough into the oil. If the dough stays at the bottom for at least 8 seconds then raises to the surface, your oil is at perfect temperature and you're ready to start frying. If the piece of dough rises up too fast after dropping it in, then your oil is too hot. This will result in a mahamri that looks cooked on the outside, but is still doughy in the center-YUCK (reduce the temperature of your stove)!
-Drop in four mahamris at a time into the hot oil. Drop the mahamris away from you to avoid getting burnt by the hot oil.
-Use your strainer to splash oil over the top of the mahamris in order to help them puff up. As soon as you see the bottom side of the mahamris have turned light brown and the top part has puffed up, it is time to turn them over using your strainer.
-Keep turning the mahamris until they are all a nice golden brown on all sides. Once you achieve a color similar to the ones in the picture below, it is time to remove them from the hot oil and place them in a container lined with paper towels (to absorb any excess oil). Repeat this process until all the dough pieces have been fried.
-Allow them to cool for a few minutes and enjoy!!
***I had mine with a plate of mbaazi (chickpeas in coconut curry sauce) for breakfast, with a hot cup of masala chai (spiced tea)-DEVINE! ***
If the name doesn't already suggest deliciousness to you, your taste buds must not be functioning right. Don't mind me, my name is Stella and I am a chocoholic-unashamedly so :). When you first cut into this cake, it weeps-in chocolate. Yes, out of the center of this cake, erupts warm, ooey, gooey, shiny chocolate. Now, what's not to love about that?!? The cake is meant to be eaten warm, and is best served with some ice-cream. The warmth from the cake melts the ice-cream and bathes the cake in this vanilla goodness that as it drizzles down, combines with the molten chocolate to create a swirl of all things sacred in the world of flavor. The cake is super moist and almost melts in your mouth. To say that this cake is a chocolate-lover's dream would be an understatement! Why go to a fancy-pants restaurant and pay big bucks for this when you can prepare it at home and wow your family and guests? Don't say I never shared anything with you-here's the recipe..
SERVING SIZE: 4
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:
-4 ramekins (small bowls in which you'll bake your cake).
-Baking sheet.
-Whisk.
-Pastry brush.
-Small strainer.
INGREDIENTS:
- Granulated sugar, for the ramekins.
-1 1/4 sticks unsalted butter.
-1/2 bag (6-ounces) of semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used Ghiardelli brand. You can find this in the baking aisle of the grocery store).
-1/4 cup confectioner's sugar (powdered sugar) for dusting the completed cake.
-Ice-cream (I prefer vanilla ice-cream for this cake).
INSTRUCTIONS:
***Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. ***
-Melt 1/4 stick of butter in a small saucepan over low heat. -Use your pastry brush to paint the inside of the 4 ramekins with butter. Coat the inside of each ramekin with granulated sugar and set aside. (Sprinkle the granulated sugar in the ramekin and roll the ramekin around as you hold it, and this will help to evenly distribute the sugar. Pour the excess sugar into the next ramekin and repeat the process until they are all coated). -Put the remaining 1 stick of butter and chocolate chips in a large mixing bowl. Sit the bowl on a small saucepan 1/4 way filled with boiling water (about 1 inch of water). Be sure that the bowl is not touching the water or your chocolate will burn. Gently stir the butter and the chocolate together until melted and the mixture is smooth. Turn off the heat and set the melted chocolate/butter aside.
-Combine the eggs, egg-yolks, vanilla, and powdered sugar in a mixing bowl (his can also be done with a cake mixing machine). Beat the egg mixture with a whisk until it doubles in size, and gets very thick and very pale.
-Slowly introduce the chocolate and butter mixture into the eggs by gently whisking the melted chocolate and butter into the egg mixture. This is called "tampering" (see image below). Do this a little at a time and whisk vigorously, or you will end up with scrambled chocolate eggs-YUCK!
-Gently stir in the flour until there are no white streaks visible. Do not over mix or you will end up with brownies instead of a molten chocolate cake.
-Pour the batter into the prepared ramekins (3/4 way up the ramekins to leave room for the cake to rise).
-Arrange the ramekins on a baking sheet and be sure to leave some space between the ramekins (see image below). Bake in the preheated oven for 14 to 15 minutes. Remove the cakes from the oven and let rest for 3 to 4 minutes.
-Use a butter knife or an offset spatula to loosen the edges of the cake away from the ramekin by gently circling the edges of the cake. Be careful or you might puncture the cake and cause the molten chocolate to leak. -Take your serving plate and cover the top of the ramekin, then gently invert (turn the cake upside-down on the serving plate and gently lift the ramekin to release the cake). -Dust the top of the cake with powdered sugar and place a scoop of ice-cream over the top of the cake and enjoy!!!
