NO MACHINE HOMEMADE FRESH PASTA DOUGH

Isn't it great when you can make your food without having to worry about buying equipment that you might not be able to afford. Or use equipment that you may not know how to operate. Or the equipment just decides that it will not work when you need it to.  I love it when a recipe that I try comes out great.Today I decided to make homemade Pasta that is so simple you will wonder why you have not been making fresh Pasta to enjoy with your family. With fresh homemade Pasta you can add any herbs that you like just to add flavour to it.

NYAMA CHOMA STEW

Hey Lovelies,

If you know about Kenya, you know that Nyama Choma (grilled beef) is literally one of our obsessions. Nyama Choma is what brings everyone home, home being anywhere people gather together to have a meal. Which is almost every weekend. Kenyans love to celebrate, we will come together for the simplest excuse like 'i adopted a cat, let's choma nyama! (i adopted a cat, let's grill some beef!)' Traditionally our grilled beef is eaten with Ugali and Kachumbari (onion tomato salad). The beef is grilled in chunks like a pound then served whole and then you get to chop it up yourselves as you eat with your hands or it can be chopped up for you. I decided to make stew from this delicious Kenyan Traditional meal.Since the Nyama choma is already grilled, you do not have to cook for long, you just need to get soup from the beef. Grilled beef is absolutely delicious especially if it is marinated in spices, herbs and some seeds. I had my Nyama Choma Stew with Ugali and greens, a total hit with the family! Definitely a dish that will feature more regularly in our mealtimes. What is your favorite grilled dish?

DHANIA CHAPATI

Hey Lovelies,
It's already mid week! Can you believe that? Chapati is a favorite dish in many homes and ours is no exception. We eat this delicious flat bread on weekends and it never gets too repetitive because I always look forward to Sundays. Sundays is our unofficial Chapati Day! If you want to make chapati eating a new experience every single time, why not add other ingredients while cooking it? There are so many ways that you can make your chapati it's crazy how versatile chapati can be. Did you know you can even add spinach to your chapati? Now that I will try albeit with a little bit of a side eye. It sounds healthy though.So anyway my chapati today I will be adding Dhania (Cilantro/Coriander). I love the fresh aroma that Cilantro adds to chapatis. This herb is just too delicious, it gives food that ala carte feel with its vibrant green color and taste. Cilantro makes the chapatis softer and more tastier. I had fun making these Cilantro Chapatis and could not wait to eat them! We had the dhania chapatis with Yellow Beans stew and boy did we chop them down, fast. I kid you not, only three were left, whoever got up first the next morning got the chance to indulge in them with Tea. That's how good they were!

PULKHA (INDIAN FLAT BREAD)

My dabling into Indian cuisine continues with today's Recipe. I made Pulkha or Roti which is also known as (chapati). Pulkha is a flatbread originating from the Indian subcontinent, made from stoneground wholemeal flour, traditionally known as Atta. This flat bread is consumed in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Maldives, Malaysia, Bangladesh and even parts of Africa. It is unleavened bread that has variations like chapati, Makki di roti, Tandoori roti, or Roti canai. Various types of Pulkha/Roti are integral to South Asian cuisine. Pulkha is cooked on a stove top on open flame without oil. Though you can add oil while kneading. This is a tricky flat bread to make though not so complicated. The secret lies in kneading the dough perfectly so that it is not too hard or too sticky.The other important aspect for getting the perfect Pulkha is rolling out the dough. It should be even all round, no lumps, and not thick or too thin. As much as you need to be careful on the kneading and rolling, it is so fun and satisfying when you see the Pulkha puff up infront of your eyes. It's like magic, or just something cool. I am looking forward to more variations of this Indian Flat bread. So let's start the cooking...

INDIAN CHICKEN CURRY (MURGH KARI)

A curry is a thick creamy sauce, add to that Chicken and lots of spices, and you are in food ecstasy. Lately I have had a love affair with Chicken Curry. I can't see to stop eating this delicious Indian Cuisine. Not long ago I made this simple Chicken Curry and it's been on my mind to make it again. There are so many variations to making Chicken Curry so I started searching for the best. I settled on this one and it's my favorite, unless another one beats it. The mix of spices gives the Chicken Curry that authentic Indian flavor and taste. It's hot yet tantalizing at the same time.If you want it less hot - which I would not recommend, keep it original - measure less of the spices. Left overs are even better the next day. This curry will give you a comforting warm satisfaction that will have you cooking every now and then. Serve it over a bowl of white plain Rice or go authentic and add Naan with a side of Raita.

HEALTHY WHOLEWHEAT CHAPATI

In my quest to try and live healthy, I want to try out wholewheat foods. And since Chapati (flat bread) is one of my very favorite dishes to eat, I thought this time I would make Wholewheat Chapatis. Chapati making is a skill that needs lots of practice just like any other cooking technique. But I have discovered that the secret to making soft Chapatis is in using hot water. Hot water somehow softens the Flour before you begin kneading it. I must admit as a kid I never really liked 'brown Chapati' as we used to call wholewheat Chapatis, but as I grew up I guess I acquired a taste for them. They somehow became delicious. Maybe it was the way they were being cooked growing up. Wholewheat flour is kind of a challenge to work with when it comes to cooking Chapati.All the times I have cooked Wholewheat Chapati I have added white All Purpose Flour. I must try cooking the Chapati with all Wheat Flour and see whether they will hold. The ratio I use is usually 2 Cups Wholewheat Flour to 3/4 Cup White All Purpose Flour. This helps to bind the Flour while kneading and even cooking so that the Chapatis do not break apart. The other secret of making soft Chapatis is to knead with cooking oil as you finish. All I can say is that the Chapatis turned out soft and delicious. Try them out and let me know your experience with Wholewheat Chapatis.

HOW TO COOK THE PERFECT UGALI

How's the weekend coming along? Today I will show you how to make Ugali. Ugali  is a dish made of maize flour (cornmeal), millet flour, or Sorghum flour (sometimes mixed with cassava flour) cooked in boiling liquid (water or Milk) to a stiff or firm but smooth mass. It is the most common staple starch featured in the local cuisines of the African Great Lakes region and Southern Africa. When ugali is made from another starch, it is usually given a specific regional name especially from that community.  For instance in the luhya community in Kenya Ugali is known as Obhusuma. In Kenya Ugali (Cornmeal) is a staple dish that features in Kenyan homes. In our house we literally eat Ugali every other day, three days cannot pass without us eating this meal. Since there are so many Stews and Soups that you can eat with Ugali, eating it two days in a row will not bother you since each day you eat it with something different.To make the perfect Ugali, all you need to have is patience and knowing when to stop adding flour so that the Ugali is not crumbly or has flour lumps when done cooking. You also have to add enough Flour so that the Ugali does not remain at the porridge like consistency when you are through. Just like everything else, practice makes perfect. The only way you can perfect making Ugali is to keep at it until you are flawless at it.  The best way to eat Ugali is to pinch a small bit off with your fingers, roll it into a small ball, use your thumb to make a small indent /depression in the middle for scooping up some stew.I made some Ugali Fries that you can try. Omena is one of the stews that you can eat your Ugali with. These tomato Eggs or onion Eggs also go great with Ugali, just add Sukuma Wiki (Collard Greens) and you have a yummy Ugali meal. Now, let's begin cooking! I'm social too on Facebook, Youtube, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest

GOAT MEAT PILAU (PILAU MBUZI)

Pilaf or Pilau as we call it in Kenyan is a truly Authentic Swahili Dish that made its way from the Coastal lines in Kenya where the best cooks of this delicacy are found. Pilau, the word itself comes from the Persian word pilaw, pilav or pilaf. It is Rice that has a mixture of various spices like Cardamon, Garlic, Ginger, Cinnamon, Cumin and even Cloves. When cooking Pilau, the authentic way is to cook with the dried whole spices, after pounding or grinding them. You can even cook the Spices whole in your Rice and the flavor will be classic and unforgettable. If you want to avoid the hustle of grinding or even having whole Spices in your Rice, you can buy Ground Spices which are usually mixed in a single package. Pilau or Pilaf Rice is usually cooked on it's own or you can make a one pot dish of Pilaf Rice with Meat, Chicken, Goat, Mutton, Pork or choose to go Vegetarian and cook with Mushrooms, Potatoes, Peas and Carrots and even Pepper.It is a versatile Dish that can be made as simple or as complex as the ingredients you choose to incorporate in the Rice Dish. I love mildly spicy food, most times the only time I add Chili to anything is when I am eating French Fries, basically Junk food. Pilau is a spicy dish that can be made as hot as one desires by adding Chili or Pepper to the Rice Dish. Since Spices used in the Pilau Rice Dish are hot, adding Chili or Pepper to your dish will definitely give it that extra hot kick. For today's Pilaf/ Pilau Recipe I chose to cook with Goat Meat. Goat Meat is usually soft and will not require too much time to cook through. All those wonderful Spices will pull you in like a magnet which you won't be able to resist. He're my version of the Delicious Goat Pilaf Rice. Enjoy

SOFT CHAPATI RECIPE

Chapati, also known as Roti, Shabaati, Safati, or Roshi in the Maldives, is a versatile unleavened flatbread enjoyed across Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh, and Nepal. This traditional Indian flatbread can be made in various ways, including Paneer Chapati, Radish or Mullandi Chapati, and Vegetable Stuffed Chapati. Despite its popularity, many people find making Chapati intimidating. However, I'm here to assure you that making Chapati is as easy as any other culinary endeavor. In this article, I'll walk you through the process of making the perfect, soft, and delicious Chapati that you can enjoy with tea or pair with your favorite vegetables or meats.

WELCOME TO NAIROBI KITCHEN + WATERMELON LOOKALIKE BREAD

hELLO fOoD NeRdS!

Welcome to my li'l kitchen where I have fun preparing food from home. Nothing says welcome than a hot homemade food prepared with lotsa love and care. Nothing makes me happier than preparing a meal where I can share with friends and family. I love when I can make something out of crazy, simple and even seemingly complicated ingredients. Cooking is kind of like my therapy, it gets me excited and looking forward to doing something different and special each day. So welcome to my nerdy food kitchen and lets enjoy cooking and discovering together. Growing up I always loved watching mom cook. Food just fascinated me and I loved the way ingredients were combined to bring something delicious. I couldn't wait to grow up and also cook since the kitchen was out of bounds for my little hands. I guess I was the kid who didn't mind being sent for errands for foodstuff if it meant that I would stay in the kitchen as mom or anyone else was cooking. As I got older cooking just made sense and it came so easy for me. I hoped for the day I would have my own kitchen where I could experiment with recipes. Still waiting for my own kitchen but I'm glad I am old enough to be left in the kitchen alone 😉😅😆. Cooking is just amazing! So welcome to this little "kitchen" space of mine and let us discover food, recipes and more! Be a Kitchen Nerd with me😍😍😙😋😜.