MANAGU IN COCONUT MILK

I love traditional Kenyan vegetables. Not only are they healthy but delicious too! "Utasahau nyama" (you will even forget meat) that is how good these traditional vegetables are. I cooked mrenda thats locally a preserve of people living in the western parts of Kenya. Its a vegetable that has texture like Okra or Lady fingers that get that sticky slimy feel when cooked. Most people do not like mrenda because of that stickiness but I love it especially when you add milk and eat after several days. Managu has become one of my favourite traditional vegetables because once you cook, you can eat for several days without getting bored. Have you cooked managu before? What is your favourite way to eat managu?  Loved this recipe yet? watch how I made the managu. 

HOW TO PREPARE MRENDA

I'm so into schooling you guys on some of our Traditional Kenyan Foods that are a constant feature on our dinner tables. Indigenous Leafy Vegetables are one such traditional meals that have been consumed over the centuries in Kenyan Homes. I have always known these vegetables by their Traditional names but today I had to do some research to find out their Botanical or English names if you will. Before we begin on today's recipe here are names of other indigenous Vegetables that we normally consume. Mitto (crotalaria), Saget/saga (spider plant), Seveve/Malenge (pumpkin leaves), Terere (amaranthus), Nderema (bacella alba), Managu/Osuga (black night shade), and today's recipe which includes Kunde (cow pea leaves) and Mrenda (jute).These are some of the indigenous leafy vegetables available in Nairobi. We normally add Sodium Bicarbonate (we call it magadi) during boiling to tenderise the vegetables and retain their bright green color. I used a natural tenderizer (msherekha-local luhya name) that I will later on show you how it is obtained. Each tribe has the name they use to call the Magadi (sodium bicarbonate)Today's recipe is Mrenda (jute), but I will try to make all the above traditional indigenous leafy vegetables as time goes by. Any of the indigenous Leafy Vegetables can be mixed with each other or you can cook each on its own This Mrenda (jute) goes really great with Ugali. So lets begin. Follow me on Youtube, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest