Bowl of Githeri Stew
(click to enlarge)

Githeri


East Africa, Kenya   -   Githeri, Mutheri (Gikuyu); Isyo (Kamba); Nyoyo (Luo)
Makes:
Effort:
Sched:
DoAhead:  		 2-1/2 #
**
45 min
Most		 In central Kenya, Githeri is a nutritious but minimalist stew of whole beans and whole corn kernels. It has spread to other parts of Kenya with some elaboration (see Comments).

3
1-1/2
8
5
2
1/2
-------
1/2
2
1
1/2
-------
2
3/4
c
c
oz
oz
cl
c
---
T
t
t
t
---
T
c
Beans, Cooked (1)  
Corn, Cooked (2)
Tomatoes
Onion
Garlic
Cilantro Leaves
-- Seasonings
Curry Powder (3)
Paprika
Salt
Pepper
-----------
Olive Oil
Water
IF using Dried Beans   -   (8 hrs soak + cooling time)
  1. Soak 1 cup KIDNEY BEANS and 1 t salt (yes, salt) in 2 cups water for 8 hours or overnight.
  2. In a sauce pan, with Water to cover well, bring Kidney Beans to a boil uncovered, then cover and simmer until tender but still intact. This can be as short as 45 minutes or well over an hour depending on age of the beans.
PREP   -   (30 min)
  1. Drain BEANS and CORN KERNELS. Mix.
  2. Scald TOMATOES one minute in boiling water. Quench in cold water and peel. Chop medium.
  3. Quarter ONION lengthwise and cut thin crosswise.
  4. Crush GARLIC and chop fine.
  5. Chop CILANTRO medium. Measure is moderately packed.
  6. Mix all Seasoning items.
RUN   -   (30 min)
  1. In a spacious sauté pan or similar, heat Oil and fry Onions until starting to color. Add Garlic and fry stirring until it begins to color.
  2. Stir in Seasoning Mix for 30 seconds, then stir in Tomatoes and fry stirring until they soften.
  3. Stir in Water and Bean mix. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer 10 minutes to blend flavors.
  4. Stir in Cilantro and serve hot.
NOTES:

  1. Beans:

      I prefer Large Red Kidney Beans, but other beans can be used. Either 1 cup of Dried Beans or 2 14 oz cans of Canned Beans will yield 3 cups cooked. For smaller dried beans you will need 1-1/4 cups for the same volume. As always, make sure dried beans are fresh, or they may not cook tender.

  2. Corn:

      One 14 ounce can of Canned Corn will work fine. Frozen can be used as well, but is generally considered not as good as canned. If you use fresh cut from the cob corn, you will have to cook it until just done. This can be done after adding Water by delaying adding the beans until the Corn is cooked.

  3. East African Curry Powder:

      You can easily make a very tasty Curry Powder by our recipe East African Curry Powder. You could also use a Madras style powder (Ship or Sun brand), but I recommend the above mix in this recipe.

  4. Comments:

      Some recipes from the coastal region use Coconut Milk rather than Water. Some cooks include a Stock Cube. In its native region, this stew is made simply by combining dried beans with dried corn and slow cooking until done, then served with salt. It was, and is, the mainstay lunch in boarding schools, versions noted for deficiency of flavor, and called kagoto (ballast) by the students. The very poor make it with more corn than beans. It is interesting that, unless you use Black Eyed Peas, nothing in this recipe is native to Africa.
  5. U.S. measure: t=teaspoon, T=Tablespoon, c=cup, qt=quart, oz=ounce, #=pound, cl=clove in=inch, ar=as required tt=to taste
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