Daawat Rice & Pasta
Green Gram Makhani
My green gram makhani served with some Indian style roti’s makes the perfect comfort meal for a cool night. The word “makhani” refers to “with butter” and the addition of butter in this dish gives it that perfect smooth finish whilst the double cream makes a rich curry base. I use a smoking method in this recipe using hot coat and butter to give it a smoky taste and take the dish to a whole new flavour level.
Chilli Chicken Wings
Not a fan of chicken wings? Get out of here! No, but seriously, how can you not like chicken wings? Especially these spicy but sweet perfect wings in a soy based sauce served with steamed rice. Yummy yummy in my tummy!
Banana Berry Rice Pudding (Baby Food)
Sometimes we just run out of ideas when it comes to cooking baby food. And it surely doesn’t have to be boring. This Banana Berry Rice Pudding is one of those recipes that my little one loves so much. And she has also featured in this recipe, which makes this recipe very close to my heart.
Classic Spaghetti & Meatballs
Everyone need’s a classic spaghetti & meatballs recipe to add to their weekly dinners. This comfort food is pretty much everyone’s favourite. The meatballs are a simple but flavourful mixture of ground meat (80% meat, 20% fat) and aromatics, browned in a skillet, cooked in a tomato sauce and served on spaghetti. Just perfect!
15 Minute Avocado Spaghetti
A creamy and thick flavourful avocado sauce mixed into the perfectly cooked spaghetti. Sound like a deal? This 15 minute Avocado Spaghetti is a dish that will be making it to your dinner table every week.
Chilli Paneer Spaghetti
Chilli paneer on its own is so delicious, so why not pair it up with Spaghetti to make a yummy Chilli Paneer Spaghetti. Paneer is a type of firm cheese (cottage cheese) that takes on the flavour of the gravy/sauce very well and that’s why it works really well for this dish.
Lemon Butter Fish on Parsley Rice
This lemon butter fish is a so easy to make and requires only a handful of ingredients, and the result is a flaky fried fish swimming in a pool of a buttery tangy sauce and served with a fragrant parsley rice.
Sausage Curry with Toasted Coconut Rice
Quick dinners is sometimes all we want after a long day at work. This sausage curry with toasted coconut rice is quick but packs a whole lot of flavours. The toasted coconut in the rice also gives it a whole new dimension of flavours as opposed to regular coconut rice.
Asian Inspired Pork Rice
This Asian inspired pork rice is great for quick dinners and is so full of flavour. Hearty and delicious! It can also be made using chicken instead of pork or if you are vegetarian, substitute for some soaked soya chunks for that meatiness.
Vegan Spaghetti Bolognese
Vegan food doesn’t mean boring food. This Vegan Spaghetti Bolognese is packed full of flavour and gives the dish some meatiness from the mushrooms. So quick to make and so yummy!
Asian Style Sticky Chicken Wings on Sweet Corn Rice
Flavourful Asian style sticky chicken wings coated in a ketchup based sauce, cooked perfectly in the oven and basted for that extra depth of flavour and then served on a sweet corn rice. This is the perfect recipe for a quick dinner!
Classic Lamb Stew
Lamb stew with mashed potatoes or steamed rice, isn’t that a classic combination? My recipe is the most basic lamb stew recipe that is a must have in every household. It is easy to make and so fragrant.
Restaurant Style Chicken Tikka Masala
If there is one dish on every Indian restaurant menu, it has to be the chicken tikka masala. This dish consists of perfectly grilled chicken cubes marinated in a flavourful mix of yoghurt and spices mixed into a beautifully cooked curry sauce consisting of a tomato base. Give the dish even more flavour by grilling the chicken over an open flame on a jiko to give it that yummy barbecue taste and aroma. Enjoy this dish with a side of steamed or jeera rice.
Spiced Coconut Chicken on Yellow Rice
We Kenyan’s love to use coconut in most of our recipes. Now you can include it in your grilled chicken too. The coconut cream mellows down the spice in this recipe and blend creates an absolutely amazing marinade for this chicken. Serve this spiced coconut chicken on a bed of yellow rice for a complete meal.
Easy Fish curry
Craving a curry and craving some fish? This Fish Curry recipe is sure to get everyone to the dinner table early! Serve it with your favourite steamed Basmati Rice and enjoy a super tantalising meal.
Rice and Sukuma Wiki Bhajia
Bhajia’s are a very common snack when expecting guests. This recipe is a slight twist to the normal bhajia’s. These rice and sukuma wiki bhajia’s make great use of left over rice and go perfectly well with just ketchup for a dipping sauce.
Kidney Bean Rice
Simple, perfectly spiced and absolutely delicious! This Kidney Bean Rice will make your day that much tastier.
Kuku Paka (Kenyan Chicken in Coconut Curry Sauce)
This dish is so simple and sometimes referred to as kuku na nazi. This kuku paka recipe is a favourite amongst the family. It originates from the East African Coast with influence from the Indian cuisine.
Chicken & Egg Fried Rice
Who doesn’t like a chicken and egg fried rice? That flavour of the wok along with a dish of chicken schezwan or kung pao chicken is to die for.
Easy Chicken Biryani
Chicken Biryani is a beautifully flavoured rice dish that is often layered with a spiced chicken/mutton/beef/vegetarian gravy and rice that is infused with whole spices. Traditionally, a chicken biryani involves a lot of steps including marinating the meat, frying the vegetables for layering, loads of coriander and mint leaves, fried eggs, saffron milk etc. My version is a simplified recipe that gives you those exquisite flavours.
Serve with some plain yoghurt and lemon pickle or kachumbari.
Barbecue Pork Fried Rice
Who doesn’t like a barbecue? That char flavour on the meat is just heavenly. However, sometimes you just don’t have the energy to fire up the jiko and that’s when my recipe comes in handy. This barbecue pork fried rice was a favourite at my dinner table. The pork was so good that my husband ate a lot of the barbecue pork by itself. If you like, feel free to pull the meat apart, add some more barbecue sauce and enjoy it in a sandwich.
Rice Pudla (Savoury Indian Pancakes)
Indian pancakes are a staple in almost every Indian household. This is because of how quick they are to make, use up all the left over rice and often use ingredients that are already available in the pantry. This recipe of Rice Pudla or Savoury Indian Pancakes is exactly the definition above.
Pasta Sandwich
Left over pasta makes for the best pasta sandwich. This is one of the quickest lunch ideas and is great with a lot of different toppings. I used some left over pasta in tomato sauce and added fresh vegetables to liven it up a little. Personalize this sandwich with your preferred toppings and let me know how you liked it.
Garlic Bread Pasta
Who doesn’t love a warm buttery garlic bread along with some pasta? Now, you can combine the two and have a beautiful snack called garlic bread pasta to enjoy alongside Sunday movie time with the family.
Lamb Kofta (Meatball) Curry
This lamb kofta curry is one that won’t take hours to cook and guess what, it doesn’t require you to brown the kofta (meatballs) either. Enjoy this fragrant dish with a side of steamed basmati or jeera rice or some hot chapati’s.
Sweet Pepper Chicken
Red bell peppers are often sweet and give a great crunch to any dish whilst giving it a wonderful color. The peppers in this Sweet Pepper Chicken pair with the mildly spiced chicken cubes to create a delicious supper. Serve on a bed of steamed Basmati or chow down with some hot chapati’s!
Chicken Koroga
“Koroga” is a Swahili word that means “stir” and is very popular amongst Kenyans during the weekends. It is often done under “Banda’s” which mean “huts” and one is provided with a jiko (clay stove), large sufurias (pots), vegetables or meats and a range of spices along with any extra condiments. My chicken koroga is a home made version of the same that is cooked with a range of aromatic spices and good cuts of chicken. You can also add some yoghurt or cream to the gravy to make it richer. Serve the chicken koroga with hot chapatis or jeera rice.
Banana Pie Rolls
We’ve all heard of apple pies and love them too. This is a twist on the classic using bananas to make Banana Pie Rolls. Yummy Banana Pie filling rolled in a thin rice pancake and fried to a crisp golden brown. Top it with ice cream and a sprinkling of icing sugar and eat away! This recipe is also great for when you have a bunch of bananas lying in the kitchen about to get spoilt. What more do you need?!
Bacon & Avocado Pasta Salad
A simple pasta salad loaded with bacon and avocado mixed with an easy and light salad dressing. A sprinkling of thyme on the salad brings out the freshness in the bacon & avocado pasta salad. This salad is all you need after a week of heavy eating junk. It is to die for!
Apple Rings Stuffed With Sweet Rice
The idea of apple rings stuffed with sweet rice and coated in a crumble mix came to me while watching cooking videos on Facebook one early morning. The video showed how to make cheese burger bites using onion rings which were then breaded and deep fried. I used a similar concept which led to this delicious dessert which I call the modern sister of an apple crumble.
Leek & Mushroom Pastry
Whether it is home made pastry or store bought, the crisp and flakiness of the layers just go with anything with cheese. To make my leek & mushroom pastry a whole meal, I decided to add some of my favourite ingredients into the mix. I had to have mushrooms, leeks and rice, not to forget, a whole lot of cheese. I braided the pastry and brushed it with an egg wash to give it that beautiful golden design.
Hawaiian Rice
It’s funny how adding pineapple to any rice gives it a Hawaiian feel to it, however, this Hawaiian Rice is not only about adding pineapple. It’s got coconut milk giving it that sense of the coastal atmosphere, a crunch from the cashew nuts, freshness from the grated carrots, saltiness from the bacon and aroma from the different spices. This dish is a great twist to ordinary fried rice.
Greek Pasta Bake (Pastitsio)
A Greek Pasta Bake also known as Pastitsio is the perfect marriage of flavours. My recipe consists of a layering of perfectly cooked pasta seasoned with herbs, lamb mince in a delicious tomato sauce, béchamel sauce and melted cheese. This dish is a great crowd pleaser and can be made in advance and refrigerated to bake the following day or for the weekend.
Tuna Fish & Brown Rice Cakes
Home-made fish cakes are so much better than store-bought. For one, they contain less artificial ingredients and secondly, home made are just more healthier using fresh ingredients and whole grain options. These Tuna Fish & Brown Rice Cakes are bold and richly flavoured. They are not just your typical fish cakes.
Crispy Kenyan Maru Bhajia’s
Maru Bhajia’s are an extremely popular snack in East Africa, especially in Kenya. Bhajia’s can generally be made with a wide range of vegetables including onions, fenugreek leaves, aubergines etc and even with fish. My version includes the use of rice to make them super crispy. I serve the bhajia’s with a tomato chutney and it often also served with “khatu” which is a sweet and sour tamarind sauce. If you’d like to omit the rice, mix all the ingredients with the sliced potatoes without using any water and fry.
Coconut & Green Beans Chicken Rice
This is the definition of comfort food. You just can’t go wrong with chicken, coconut, green beans and rice in one dish. This dish is so simple to make and beats any take out in the world. Healthy, nutritious and packed with flavour!
Churros With Chocolate Dipping Sauce
Try these Spanish-style “doughnuts” that are piped and fried to get a crispy outside and a soft but chewy inside that is delicious with a thick chocolate sauce. The use of rice my churros with chocolate dipping sauce recipe gives the churros its chewy interior which I find is not very easy to obtain when making the churros without the rice. My recipe may not be authentic, but it sure as hell is finger licking!
Chicken Tikka Masala Spaghetti
Chicken Tikka Masala means a lot of yummy flavours, from spicy to slightly tangy, and combining it with some spaghetti gives you the best Indian-fusion called Chicken Tikka Masala Spaghetti. The chicken tikka recipe I have used below is a cheats recipe that I like to use when I have no time to marinate the chicken and when I am too lazy to get the barbecue going.
Chicken & Rice Pot Pie
Who doesn’t love a filling and flavourful pot pie? This is one dish that I first cooked for my husband, who at that time was just my boyfriend, and my father-in-law. My Chicken & Rice Pot Pie is a combination of chicken and vegetables mixed with a rich and creamy sauce and layered with a pastry that is baked to a nice golden and flaky crust. This version also has rice in it however, feel free to leave out the rice if you’re not keen on a very heavy meal.
Barbecue Chicken & Rice Wraps
After a long day of work, who likes to spend a lot of time in the kitchen? No one? I thought so! My Barbecue Chicken & Rice Wraps are great when made ahead. I prepare mexican rice on a Sunday along with grilled barbecue chicken. For dinner the following day, I heat up the wraps, rice and chicken, layer it with some coriander leaves, squeeze some lemon and I have dinner ready for my Husband and myself.
Avocado & Basil Linguine
In the last few years, we Kenyans have really started liking Avocado and eating it with almost every food we make. So this Avocado & Basil Linguine is a must! It’s so simple to make and although it may look boring, it is delicious! The basil leaves along with the avocado give the spaghetti a rich green colour and the cherry tomatoes just complete this dish.
African Chicken & Peanut Stew
Who doesn’t like chicken and who doesn’t like peanut butter? Well, atleast for me, the combination of the two is my favourite. This African Chicken & Peanut Stew, a specialty in West Africa, is packed with flavour. A sprinkle of roasted and roughly chopped peanuts for garnish gives it a crunch. Pair this dish with some steamed Basmati Rice for a complete dinner.
Mexican Bean Rice
Are you craving for Mexican Rice from your favourite taco stand? It’s so simple to re-create at home. On this particular day, I ended up using kidney beans instead of black beans used in an authentic Mexican bean rice because I find black beans often very hard to find in most supermarkets. The taste however, is still so delicious and I top my Mexican rice with some cheese, avocado, sour cream, coriander leaves and some tortilla chips so I can scoop up the rice with a chip and munch on while watching movies.
One Pot Spaghetti
Who doesn’t like a one-pot wonder? Less clean up and less cooking time. This is perfect for you! In this simple recipe that is quite famous around the internet, I brown my meat before I add all the ingredients to the pot. I’ve always liked to create layers of flavour to my dishes and although it’s a one-pot wonder, I wasn’t going to take the easy way and boil my meat along with all the ingredients, so here is my version. Bon appétit!
Pork & Sweet Potato Rice
If you love pork and sweet potatoes, then you’re in luck. A sweet and savoury dish will take your taste buds for a ride. The sweet potatoes are roasted to soften the potatoes and bring out its sweetness along with a little char and the pork is nicely seared and seasoned. This is then reheated with some spinach and left over rice to create a whole meal perfect for lunch/dinner.
Left Over Rice Cutlets
Cutlets made with left over rice give you that perfect crunch on the outside and a soft interior. It’s the easiest healthy starter to make for those unexpected guests and doesn’t take any time at all. Throw in any other vegetables that you like, along with left over rice, mashed potatoes and spices and you’re in for a treat.
Baked Salmon Stuffed With Mushroom Rice
This super quick dish is an easy baked salmon stuffed with a beautifully flavoured rice cooked with mushroom and capers. The salmon cooks very well in the oven to form a crispy skin which is a delight to eat with the soft rice inside.
Soya & Rice
This Soya & Rice with some peas is a delicious alternative to non-vegetarian rice dishes! Give it a try, you never would have thought soya could taste this good.
Beef Pilau
This beef pilau recipe is one that you will get right every single time you make it. The aroma from this dish is inviting and warming, and it is an extremely popular Kenyan dish. Most pilau’s often have the same method of preparing the base, so once you get that right, you have mastered the art of making any type of pilau.
Swahili Fish With Coconut Rice (Mtuzi wa Samaki)
There’s always a confusion on where the Swahili Fish with Coconut Rice originally comes from, Kenya or Zanzibar Island? Wherever it originates from, we Kenyans surely love this dish!
Minestrone Soup
Minestrone soup is a hearty Italian comfort food that is often made with fresh vegetables that are in season with the addition of pasta or rice. It is flavourful and wholesome and also perfect for the cold nights.
Crispy Garlic & Avocado Fried Rice
We Kenyan’s love Avocado. I mean, if we had our way, we would put avocado in every single dish. This recipe is a simple fried rice served with creamy avocado and topped with crispy fried garlic. Trust me, the crispy garlic makes all the difference.
Simple Pasta Salad with Vinaigrette
Pasta salads are simple to prepare and just so satisfying to eat after a whole week of heavy meals. They don’t have to be boring though. Add in your favourite vegetables and whip up this classic salad dressing to go with it. Yummy!
Gluten-free Cupcakes
Celebrate with these delicious gluten-free cupcakes that take only 30 minutes to make. Swirl some vanilla buttercream on top, sprinkle some icing sugar or leave them plain to enjoy with your evening tea.
Crunchy & Chewy Rice Cookies
This recipe will always give you those crunchy and chewy cookies that you hope for. Don’t forget to add the chocolate in too, because who doesn’t like chocolate!
Classic Spaghetti & Meatballs
Classic spaghetti & meatballs with a slight twist. These meatballs are so delicious, they can be eaten as an appetiser on its own, made into a sandwich or even added into a soup. The pork and lamb meat mixed together with flavours from the onion, garlic, parmesan cheese etc. complete this comfort food.