Chevra or Chevdo (Snack)

                                                          

I was in an all girls' boarding school during my high school years. We had what was called "terms" (the Kenyan equivalent to Semesters). We had two visiting days each term. Visiting day was the only day your family came to visit you for the afternoon. Other than that, you saw your family only when schools closed at the end of the term. So knowing how lackluster school meals were, parents would try and bring their daughters non-perishable snacks and treats every visiting day. Cooked foods were not allowed (school rules) though we managed to sneak in quite a few chapatis and mandazis in our day =). Besides packs of cookies and the obvious gallons of juice, chevra was a much requested snack for parents to bring.

I'm sure by now you are wondering what this strange sounding dish is? It's actually just a snack. It has it's origins in India. It consists of a variable mixture of spicy, dried ingredients, which may include fried lentils, peanuts, vegetable oil, chickpeas, flaked rice or rice crispies, curry leaves and sometimes even crumbled cornflakes! This is all flavored with salt and a blend of spices. As a standalone snack, it is usually consumed with the hands. In the US, its known as "Punjabi mix" or "hot mix". In the United Kingdom and Ireland, it is known as "Bombay mix". In Eastern African countries with large populations of families of Indian descent, especially Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, it is known as "chevra" or "chevdo" and is prepared with some sugar sprinkled in. This snack is spicy, sweet and crunchy. Those who know me know that I have a low threshold for spicy foods. However, when it comes to this...I would be shoving handfuls down my mouth and tearing up all at the same time-happily! It is SO good y'all! So good that I braved the heat just to have some. And I survived!

When I look back, I do not remember any family celebration where this snack would not be served.Whenever there was any kind of celebration at my house in Kenya, there would always be some chevra. Since I'm a flavor ambassador, I'll share the recipe with you. It's OK, thank me later. Here's what you'll need...

INGREDIENTS:
-3 tablespoons vegetable oil (any kind with no smell).
-1/2 green chili, seeded and finely chopped ( I used a jalapeño pepper).
-1/8 teaspoon of hing (also called "asafoetida". Can be found at any Indian grocery store or online).
1/4 teaspoon turmeric.
-1/4 teaspoon dry mango powder ( also called "amchur" powder. Found at any Indian grocery store, or online).
-1/2 teaspoon red chili powder (adjust amount according to your taste).
-1/2 teaspoon salt (adjust amount according to your taste).
-1 tablespoon granulated sugar.
-10 fresh curry leaves. 
-3 tablespoons golden raisins.
-1 cup roasted peanuts, skins removed.
-1/2 cup split yellow lentils, roasted.
-4 cups rice crispy cereal (unfrosted).
-1/2 cup plain corn flakes.
-3/4 cup shoe-string potato sticks. 

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INSTRUCTIONS:
-The night before you cook your chevra, place your split yellow lentils in a large bowl and run some tap water through it several times. Add enough water to come 3/4 of the way above the lentils in the bowl. Cover the bowl with foil and let it soak overnight. The next morning, drain out the water and rinse the lentils in clean tap water once more. You'll notice that the lentils have noticeably plumped up. Drain the lentils in a colander and dry roast them in a large frying pan over medium heat for about 25-30 minutes (stirring frequently) or until you smell the aroma of the roasted lentils and they appear to have a light golden brown color. Alternatively,you can roast the drained lentils in a 400 degree Fahrenheight oven for 25-30 minutes (keep turning the lentils every 10 minutes until they have a golden brown color). Set aside.
-In a large non-stick frying pan, heat oil on medium heat.

-Add the green chillies, curry leaves and hing powder. Stir.                                             
-Cook until the curry leaves appear dry and look dark green (about 1 minute).

                                                        

-Add the roasted split peas, raisins and peanuts. Stir.
-Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for an additional 30 seconds.
-Add the salt, sugar, turmeric, chili powder and stir. Allow to cook for about 1 minute.
-Add the potato strings, rice crispies and cornflakes and carefully stir. Take care not to break the shoestring potatoes.
-Turn the heat off and continue to gently stir.
-Add the dry mango powder. Stir.

-Allow it to cool.                                                       

Now, take a handful, tilt your head back 45 degrees, shove some chevra in and Consume with relish =) . Enjoy!                                                                                            
                                                                            
DISCLAIMER: Stella's Meza shall not be held responsible for the flavor explosion that's about to take place in your mouth. Beware and proceed with complete surrender.

Tilapia Curry, Ugali and Sukuma Wiki

                                                                                 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

   

                                                                                   
Ugali (Pronounced "ooh-ga-lee") is a staple starch component of many African meals, especially in Southern and East Africa. It is generally made from maize/corn flour and water using a wooden spoon/paddle with a wide base. The texture of ugali is thicker than that of mashed potatoes or polenta. When ugali is cooked with another starch (e.g millet flour or cassava/yuca flour) it is usually given a specific regional name. This is a dish that can be enjoyed with any type of stew and you won't need to eat anything else for hours as it's quite filling. Tilapia on the other hand, is an easily available and reasonably priced fish in most of East Africa, especially in populations around the great Lake Victoria. For these reasons, it is a very popular source of protein in East Africa. There are numerous ways to cook this fish, and today I'll share my family recipe.

***The recipe for the Sukuma Wiki (sautéed greens) is in my "Pilau" video***

Serving Size: This meal feeds 3-6 people sufficiently.

Ingredients For The Fish Curry:
-3 whole tilapia fish, gutted, scales removed and thoroughly cleaned inside and out OR 2 lbs. tilapia fillets. Note that if you use whole tilapia for this recipe (the traditional way), the final dish will have bones. The fillet will be boneless. If you're not used to eating fish with bones, or if you're feeding this meal to kids,  I suggest that you use the fillet instead. I opted to remove the head and tail of the fish (personal preference). Otherwise, just cut each whole fish into three parts (head, abdomen, tail).
-1 Tspn garlic paste.
-2 tbspns cilantro (coriander leaves).
-1 carrot, peeled and cut into rounds.
-3 tomatoes, diced OR half of a 13.5 Oz. can of peeled, diced tomatoes.
-1/4 teaspoon tomato paste.
-1/2 of a medium onion, diced.
-1/2 teaspoon Garam Masala.
-3 teaspoons Royco Mchuzi Mix (see link in description box on where to buy this).
-1/2 teaspoon Curry powder.
-1/2 teaspoon Mixed Spices (cinnamon, coriander, cloves, bay leaves, nutmeg, cardamom, ginger). See video on how to create this at home or scroll down to the bottom of this page.
-2 teaspoons Salt.
-3/4 teaspoon Cinnamon powder.
-Canola oil.
-1-2 cups water for cooking the fish (depending on how much sauce you'd like in your dish).
                                                                                    

Instructions For Cooking The Fish Curry:
-In a wide frying or sauté pan that has a lid, on medium heat, add 3 tablespoons of canola oil, add the onions and sauté till light golden brown.
-Add the garlic paste to the sautéed onions and stir well. Let it cook for 2 minutes. Be careful not to let the garlic burn.
-Add the tomatoes to the onions/garlic and stir.
-Add 1/4 teaspoon tomato paste and stir. Cover and let it simmer for 5 mins.
-Add the cinnamon powder and stir.
-Add 1/2 teaspoon mixed spices.Stir.
-Add the curry powder. Stir.
-Add the garam masala. Stir.
-Add the Royco Mchuzi Mix. Stir. The ingredients in the pan will thicken. Add  about 1/4 cup of water into the pan and stir.
-Add the cilantro (coriander leaves) and stir.
-Divide the onion/tomato/spice mixture into two. Leave 1/2 of it in the pan, and place the other 1/2 in a separate bowl. Set the bowl aside.
-Add the carrots to the pan with the onions/tomatoes/spices and stir.
-Add the salt and stir (after you've added in all your spices).
-Add 1 cup water to the pan and stir.
-Place the fish in the pan over the sauce. Make sure to leave space between the pieces of fish.
-Spoon the reserved onion/tomato/spice mixture over the pieces of fish in the pan. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan and let it simmer for 20-25 minutes until the fish is flaky and well cooked and the sauce in the pan has reduced.

When serving your fish, first pour the sauce onto a platter, gently place the fish pieces on the platter and garnish the fish pieces with the cooked carrots that were in the pan (see picture for reference).
                                                                          
                                 
Ingredients for the Ugali:
-Approximately 2 2/3 cups White cornmeal/ maize flour. I got mine in the International aisle in the Hispanic food section (see the brand I used in the video).
-3-4 cups boiling water.
                                                                               
                                                                                      

Instructions for cooking the ugali:
-In a heavy-bottomed medium sized pan on medium heat, bring the water to a boil as you see in the video.
-Sprinkle 1/3 cup of the corn flour over the surface of the boiling water.
-Add 1 cup of corn flour into the boiling water (in 1/3 cup increments) and use a wooden paddle/cooking spoon to stir the flour into the water and break up the lumps that will form.
-Keep adding the corn flour in 1/3 cup increments into the pot and stir as you do so to break down the lumps. The more flour you add to the pot, the faster the ugali will bubble. The faster it bubbles, the more vigorously you need to stir. Be careful when doing this as the ugali tends to spit and could scald you.
**Please see the video to see how to properly stir ugali as you cook it**
-The ugali is done when you poke it with your clean index finger and it does not feel wet or sticky. Another indicator that the ugali is done is that it will pull away from the sides of the pan.
-Once the ugali is done, invert it onto a clean plate. You can serve it as is, or you can shape it using a serving spoon.
-If you'd like to shape it, run some water over the back of a plastic serving spoon and gently smooth out the edges of the cooked ugali that's on the plate. Rotate the plate as you do this and this should give you a dome-shaped ugali.
                                                                           

-To serve ugali, slice a wedge with a butter knife and place the slice on a small side plate or on an individual dinner plate where the fish and vegetables will be served. It's all up to personal preference. See video on how to eat this dish.

I served my fish with ugali and sukuma wiki. If you use this recipe to cook whole fish as opposed to fish fillet, be sure to feel for the bones with your fingers and remove the bones as you eat the fish. If you've never eaten fish this way, I suggest you just use fillets to make this dish. It will still taste the same.
                                                                             

Fish cooked this way can also be served with rice or mashed potatoes. This meal is delicious, filling, cheap and nutritious. Hope you get to give it a try =)

TIP: To make your own Mixed Spices at home, combine the following whole spices (all except the fresh ground nutmeg and the ginger powder) and place them in a medium frying pan over medium heat:
-1 stick cinnamon bark.
-1 tablespoon coriander seeds
-1 teaspoon whole cloves
-3 dry bay leaves
-1 teaspoon green cardamom pods.
-1 whole nutmeg, freshly grated.
-1 teaspoon ginger powder.
Stir these spices around in the pan until you begin smelling the aroma of the spices (about 8 minutes). Dry roasting the whole spices helps heighten the depth of their flavors and releases the oils in them. Let the dry-roasted whole spices cool down completely. At this point, you can use a mortar and pestle to grind them into a powder OR you can use a coffee/spice grinding machine to pulverize the whole spices into powder form. At this point, add the freshly ground nutmeg and the ginger powder to the mix and combine well. Once you have your ground Mixed Spices, store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. This can keep for up to 6 months if properly stored.

Beef and Lamb Meatballs, Mashed Sweet Potatoes & Veggie Curry

                                                                                  

                                                                                                     

                                                                   
A meatball is made from ground meat rolled into a small ball, sometimes along with other ingredients, such as breadcrumbs, minced onion, spices, possibly eggs and herbs. There are many variations of meatballs that include the use of different types of meat. This recipe uses a combination of ground beef and lamb. Meatballs are usually prepared and rolled by hand, and are cooked by frying, baking, steaming, or braising in sauce. In this recipe, I will first sear the meatballs in a cast-iron skillet to seal in the juices, and then i'll braise them in a tomato sauce.

There are many types of meatball recipes used all over the world, including vegetarian and fish alternatives. In this post, I will share my family recipe for meatballs. As side dishes, I cooked some vegetable curry and also some mashed sweet potatoes, cooked in coconut milk. If this meal is not comfort on a plate, I don't know what is. Let's get started, shall we?

EQUIPMENT:

-Large, heavy-bottom pan (a cast iron skillet gives the best results).

-A large mixing bowl.

-A baking sheet covered in aluminum foil.

-A large oven-safe dish.

-2 forks.

-Tablespoon

INGREDIENTS FOR THE MEATBALLS:

-1 lb ground lean, ground beef at room temperature.

-1 lb ground lamb at room temperature.

-3 tablespoons chopped cilantro (coriander leaves).

-1/3 cup breadcrumbs.

-1/4 cup ground almonds.

-1 teaspoon salt.

-1 teaspoon ground cumin.

-1 teaspoon curry powder.

-1-2 teaspoons chili powder (you can add more or less depending on how spicy you like your food).

-1 teaspoon ground cinnamon.

-1 tablespoon ginger/garlic paste.

-1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.

-2 slices of white bread, soaked in 1/4 cup milk, and torn into pieces (acts as a binder).

-1 large egg, slightly beaten (acts as a binder).

-3 tablespoons olive oil (to braise the meatballs).

                                                                                

INSTRUCTIONS FOR PREPARING THE MEATBALLS:

-In a large mixing bowl, combine the two types of ground meat using a fork.

-Add the dry ingredients (breadcrumbs, ground almonds, salt, pepper, cilantro and spices). use your fork to mix in the ingredients (do not overwork your meat, or you'll end up with dense meatballs).

-Add the wet ingredients (soaked bread & egg). Mix with your two forks until just combined.

                                                                                    P

-Apply the 3 tablespoons of olive oil to the skillet and heat it on medium heat.

                                                                                  

-Lightly oil your hands with some cooking oil to prevent the meatballs from sticking to your hands. 

-Using the tablespoon, scoop some meat into the palm of your hand and form round balls.

                                                                                     

                                                                                              

                                                                                            

                                                                                          

-Make sure the balls are smooth with no cracks (doing so will prevent them from falling apart in the skillet).

-Place the finished balls on the prepared baking sheet until they're all done.

-Once you're done rolling up the meatballs, depending on how big your skillet is, place about seven in the skillet at a time (do not overcrowd your pan). Do not move them for at least the first 3 minutes or they'll stick to the pan. Use a fork to turn them around in the skillet.

                                                                                   

-Cook for about 4 minutes on all sides until each meatball is nicely browned (be careful not to burn them).

***In the meantime, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheight*** 

-As you finish browning each batch of meatballs, place them in the oven-safe baking dish in a single layer.

                                                                                       

-Once all the meatballs have been browned and are in the baking dish, cover them with aluminum foil and place them in the center rack of the oven as you prepare the sauce for the meatballs.

INGREDIENTS FOR THE SAUCE:

-1 28 Oz. can of tomato purée, or 6 large tomatoes, puréed in a blender.

-1 small onion, finely diced.

-1 tablespoon dried basil.

-3 tablespoons olive oil.

-1 tablespoon granulated sugar (to reduce the acidity of the sauce).

-1/2 teaspoon salt.

-1 medium sized carrot, peeled (to reduce the acidity of the sauce).

-1 stick whole cinnamon stick.

-1 teaspoon cumin seeds.

-2 whole cloves.

-3 lightly bruised cardamom pods.

                                                                                  

                                                                                           

INSTRUCTIONS FOR MAKING THE SAUCE:

-In a medium saucepan, heat up the olive oil on medium heat.

-Add the whole spices into the hot oil and stir. The point of this is to infuse the oil with the flavors of the whole spices. Once the spices start splattering in the pan, remove the cinnamon stick and cardamom pods from the pan. Leave the cumin seeds in the pan.

-Add the diced onion to the pan and cook until lightly browned.

-Add in the tomatoes and stir.

-Add the basil and sugar, salt and stir. 

-Drop the carrot into the saucepan, cover the pan and bring to a slow boil.

-Once the sauce is bubbling, remove the carrot and pour the sauce over the meatballs. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil, increase the oven temperature to 375 degrees Fahrenheight and bake the meatballs for 1hour 20minutes.  

INGREDIENTS FOR THE SWEET POTATOES:

-6  large sweet potatoes, peeled, washed and cut into three equal parts.

-1/2 teaspoon salt (optional).

-1 13.5 Oz. of heavy coconut milk.

-1 cup water.

                                                                                       

in a medium saucepan, pour in the water and add the clean sweet potatoes. Add the salt and cover. Cook  the potatoes until they are slightly tender. Use a colander to slightly drain the water frm the pan.

                                                                              

-Add the canned coconut milk into the pot. Cover and let potatoes simmer on medium until the potatoes are just fork-tender. 

-Once the potatoes are soft, drain any excess coconut milk from the pan and mash using a potato masher to a consistancy that you like. Cover and set aside.    

                                                                                                 

INGREDIENTS FOR THE VEGETABLE CURRY:

-1 small onion, finely diced.

-3 tablespoons cooking oil (I used Canola oil).

-2 small tomatoes, puréed.

-1 teaspoon ginger/garlic paste.

-1/2  green pepper (green capsicum), diced.

-1/2 red pepper (red capsicum), diced.

-1/2 orange pepper (orange capsicum), diced.

-1 teaspoon curry powder.

-1/2 teaspoon ground coriander.

-1/2 teaspoon garam masala (optional).

-2 teaspoon of "Royco Mchuzi Mix" spice/sauce thickener (*see link in the video to my Amazon online store for this spice).

-1-2 cups of water.

-1/2 cup cut green beans.

-1/2 cup cubed carrots.

-1/2 cup green peas.

-2 tablespoons finely chopped.

-Salt to taste.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR COOKING THE VEGGIE CURRY:

-In a medium saucepan, heat the oil on medium heat.

-Add the onions and cook till light golden brown.

-Add the ginger/garlic paste and stir.

-Add the peppers and stir.

-Add the tomatoes and stir.

.Add the vegetables in and stir.

-Add the spices in and stir.

-If you're using the Royco spice, now is the time to add it in. Stir and let cook for 3 minutes.

-Add the cilantro and stir.

-Add the garam masala in last. Stir.

 -Add the water and stir. Let the curry come to a boil, reduce the heat to medium low. Let it simmer for 20-25 minutes until the carrots are tender.

This. curry is easy to make and is delicious! It can be eaten with pretty much everything from rice, ugali to potatoes.

                                                                                          

This is how my finished meal looked. Can you say delicious and filling?  Yum!!