Top right: Final outcome (Serving suggestion).
I like to experiment with different foods and enjoy the outcome. Well, sometimes the outcome is not as enjoyable, and that’s when I tell myself to stick to writing. Anyway, I saw some okra the other day on the vegetable stand and I could not resist buying them. They reminded me of a creole recipe I tried last year.
Okras or Gumbo are a common recipe in West Africa, India and America. It has varying recipes depending on the region. Today I learned from a Coastal friend their Swahili name- Mabenda.
So, I decided to make my Kenyan rendition. The more the merrier right?
What you will need
1/2 Kg Okras chopped.
1/4 Kg Chicken cut into pieces.
2 medium sized tomatoes diced.
1 medium onion diced.
1 bunch coriander chopped.
1 medium sized capsicum (Green pepper) chopped
2 tablespoons cooking oil.
2 Cloves of garlic (Crushed)
1 spring rosemary (Remove and chop the needles)
1 tablespoon of Chicken flavored Mchuzimix
1 teaspoonful of salt to taste.
Method
- Put the chicken together with the chopped rosemary in a saucepan. Add a cup of water and bring to the boil.
- Once the water is dried, add the cooking oil, garlic and onions. Let them brown a little.
- Add the chopped capsicum and stir fry together with the other ingredients. This helps get the flavor into the food.
- Add the tomatoes and mix with a wooden spoon. Cover to let the tomatoes soften.
- Add the okra to the mixture.
- Dissolve the mchuzi mix in 1 cup warm water and add to the meal.
- Add coriander together with the salt.
- Cover and allow to simmer for 10 minutes.
- Serve with boiled rice or spaghetti.
The final product looked like the top right photo. The left photo is a borrowed image of a professional chef’s work. What I thought of the food, maybe a little hot pepper would be a good addition. So there goes my amateur culinary skills.