Kenya Food Types and How to Prepare Them

Are you looking for Kenya Food, Food in Kenya, Kenya Food Recipes, Restaurants and Food of Kenya? On this site we will give you detailed information about foods and beverages of Kenya.

Foods & Drinks

The multicultural heritage of Kenya is the basis for a wide range of gourmet foods.

Traditional African dishes are supplemented by English and Indian fare. Kenya offers an assortment of quality beef and seafood dishes, supplemented by an array of tropical fruits and vegetables.

Portions tend to be generous, and elaborate buffets are common at hotels and lodges. Even the more expensive restaurants are reasonable.

The majority of quality restaurants are located in Nairobi and Mombasa. Outside of these metropolitan areas you may be limited to hotel or lodge meals.

Fortunately at the better accommodations the food is often exceptional. One restaurant of note is the Carnivore in Nairobi. A popular tourist location, the Carnivore features a large barbecue pit with meats available from zebra to warthog.

For those reluctant to try the local game, vegetarian meals are also available. Indian restaurants in the larger towns are also known for serving excellent dishes.

For those interested in the local beverages, sodas and beer are widely available. It’s difficult to miss the saturation of advertisements for Coca Cola on brightly painted buildings.

Be prepared to ask for a cold drink, as the sodas are typically served warm. Fresh fruit juices are readily available, with passion fruit being commonly served at breakfast. Two lagers are offered in most locations, Tusker and White Cap.

Premium and Export versions are also available. Even at the remote lodges, prices are usually reasonable, and often cheaper than bottled water. Rural bars also serve the local beers known as muratina.

Drink these at your own risk. Kenya is not known for its wine and liqours, and prices can be high on those imported due to import tariffs. Coffee and chai (tea) are excellent thanks to the ideal growing climate.

Most coffee lovers are familiar with the quality of Kenyan coffees, one the country’s major exports. Ironically instant coffee is served in many hotels.

Potatoes and rice eaten with chicken or beef are staples at most meals. A typical festive meal includes large amounts of nyama choma, roasted meat. Vegetarians should be able to get by since fruit and vegetables are abundant at the quality hotels. Indian restaurants usually serve vegatable based meals as well.

Bananas, pineapples, and papaya are available year round, and citrus fruits seasonally.

In some of the agricultural areas its not unsual to see corn being roasted along the roadways for sale. Snacks may include mandaazi, a sweet deep fried dough cake, and egg-bread, a wheatflour pancake wrapped around fried eggs and minced meat.

List of Top Kenya Traditional Dishes

Kenya has it's own indigenous menus. Different Communities have different menus unique to their livelihood. eg.

Ugali and Fish

Ugali is made up of ground maize flour and water. It takes the form of a cake after it has been cooked. Simpy cook the floor in boiled water until it hardens. This is a favourite meal not just for the Luos in Nyanza Province but for all Kenyans. Fish is popular in Nyanza because of it's proximity to Lake Victoria and at the coast because of the Indian Ocean.

Mukimo

This is a mashed version of the Githeri. It is usually made up of maize and beans mashed with potatoes or cooked bananas.

Mursik

This is a popular drink made of fermented milk and charcoal popular among the Kalenjins of Kenya.

Ingoho

The Luhya's of Western Kenya are said to love this meal that is basically chicken. Luhya's are sure to cook for you Ingoho if you are considered an important visitor.

Wali

At the cost, Wali (Rice) is a popular meal. It is mostly cooked with coconut milk. Coconuts are readily available at the cost.

Nyama Choma

This is roast meat. Very popular in Kenya. Beef is the cheaper meat in Kenya compared to Chicken or Fish.

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Kenya Food Types and How to Prepare them

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Githeri

This is a mixture of boiled maize and beans. This is a popular dish among the Kikuyu community mainly found in Central Province.

Apart from ugali, Githeri is also one of the main staple foods in Kenya. It is a mixture of maize and beans. There are variations of this mixture that may include adding peas, groundnuts, potatoes More>>

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Irio Vegetarian 

Mash the Peas and the potatoes to a smooth consistency, adding a little fluid if desired. Fry the onions until brown; add to the other vegetables and fry together on a low heat.More>>

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Omena Fish Stew

Wash the fish in cold water. Place in a pan and simmer gently in 4 cups of water until the water is nearly evaporated. Drop the tomatoes into boiling water, take them out and peel. Chop the tomatoes. In a frying pan heat the oil.More>>

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Sukuma Wiki Recipe

Green vegetables are important to the African diet. In Kenya,collard greens are both cheap and popular.

The dish sukuma wiki literally translates to "stretch the week." In Africa the following recipe would also be made with cassava leaves or potato leaves if collard greens were not available.More>>

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Kenya Chicken Stew 

Fry the Chicken pieces with chopped Onion and a tablespoon of gravy browning. Simmer for 15 minutes with a pint of water. Then add the chopped cabbage, the carrot and the mixed spice. More>>

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Kachumbari

This is a mixture of chopped tomatoes, onions, pepper, parsley and in some cases Avocado. It is mostly served with Nyama Choma.

Kachumbari is a fresh tomato and onion salad dish that is popular in the cuisines of the African Great Lakes region. It is an uncooked salad dish consisting of chopped tomatoes, onions, and chili peppers

Kachumbari is a dish of fresh onions, tomato and chilies, that is found in the East African countries like Kenya. More>>

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Kenya Corn 

This easy fried corn is made with fresh corn kernels, butter, optional sugar, and seasonings. A little bacon grease can be added for more flavor. Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan.

Add the Onion and garlic and saute them until golden. Add the corn. Combine the cornstarch with 1 cup of the coconut milk, stirring well, then add it to the mixture along with the tomato,pimentos, curry, salt and pepper.More>>

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Kenya Chapatti

Sift the flour and the salt into a mixing bowl. Add some water to make a fairly stiff dough, moistening your hands frequently to ease off the bowl. Shape dough into a ball, cover the bowl with a damp cloth and let it stand for at least ½ hour.More

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Kenyan-Style Collard Greens with Lemon

Stack the greens a few at a time and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch wide strips. Bring a large pot of water to the boil, add the collard greens and cook 10 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Squeeze out the excess moisture.More

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Kenya Ngege Recipe

Place a fresh Ngege on a cutting board (at a 45 degree angle) . Take a large kitchen knife and scrape off the scales. Cut the fish's belly and remove all the contents. Rinse thoroughly in warm water.More

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Kenyan Chicken Tikka 

This is a very interesting dish, in that it shows the Indian influence on Kenyan cuisine. The name 'tikka' is a bit of a Misnomer as this is a British invention, with a cream-based sauce. But as most Africans (apart from the Tutsi) are lactose intolerant proper 'tikka' doesn't really work in Africa. More

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Kenya biriani recipe

Sprinkle with the reserved onions about 30 minutes. Do not let it become dry. Biriani can be served at table in the casserole if it is decorative one, or else you will have to remove the meat and the vegetables keeping the layers as cooked and serve on a big platter.More

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Kenya Fish in Masala Recipe

.Add the grinded spices and methi. Add the pieces of fish and leave on very low heat. Cover and cook till soft. Add a little water if necessary.More

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 Mutura and Mahu Recipe

 It is composed of large intestines stuffed with leftover pieces of meat seasoned to taste. This dish is similar to the Polish Kielbasa.More

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Minced Meat Dish

Minced meat is meat finely chopped by a meat grinder or a chopping knife. A common type of ground meat is ground beef, but many other meats are prepared ground in a similar fashion, including pork, lamb, and poultry. More

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Kenya oysters Mombasa recipe

 Some of the Kenya food recipes use exotic Kenyan and Indian spices that were imported by kenya colonialists and one of them is the Oysters Mombasa.

It's easy to imagine jazz-age European elites eating oysters like this in Mombasa's hotels and restaurants. To this day, Kenyan oysters are featured on the menus of restaurants and resorts, mostly frequented by tourists, along the Kenyan coast. More

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Kenya pilau rice with beef stew recipe

How to Make Rice Pilau. Colorful pilau rice is the perfect base to any Asian curry or beef carbonade. Prepare the ingredients. Cooking rice correctly is a culinary trick worth learning, and all you need to do is give it a little thought, plus minimal interference. So here are our tips for how to More>

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• Kenya Mtuzi wa Samaki Recipe

East African fish dish that can be served over rice, ugali, boiled potatoes, boiled cassava or chapatti . Heat the oil over medium-high flame in a large skillet or pot. Season the fish with salt and pepper. Sear the fish fillets on both sides and remove . More>>

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Kenya Chicken and Nectarine Salad

Chicken and Nectarine Salad Recipe is probably the simplest but tastiest chicken starter recipe. You can prepare this before any "mega" meal. More>>

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Kenya Grape Tomato Salad Recipe

Grape tomatoes are gently tossed with olive oil and oregano for a colorful and light summer salad, perfect for picnics. This grape tomato and feta salad is light, zesty and perfect next to roasted chicken. Heck, it's perfect right out of the container with a few crackers on the side.More

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• Kenyan Curried Cabbage Recipe

This is an unusual twist to the traditional coleslaw recipe. Cabbage is mixed with curry and other spices for a vegetarian and vegan salad.  Pour in heavy cream and allow 1 to 2 minutes for it to reduce. Add salt and stir in shredded carrots and continue cooking until the carrots are heated through. Do not overcook.More>>

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•  Biskuti ya nazi 

Those who love dessert recipes will agree with me that Biskuti ya Nazi is one the best dessert recipes in Kenya. I have tasted and enjoyed it and I wish to teach. In a place like Mombasa and Dar es Salaam in Tаnzania Biskuti ya nazi is highy regarded as the best food to serve your guest. More

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• Coupe Mount Kenya Dessert Recipe

How to cook Coupé Mount Kenya, a classic recipe from Kenya. This is a traditional Kenyan recipe for a classic dessert of an ice cream made from a blend of, More>>>>

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• plantain in coconut milk

Combine all ingredients, except the coconut milk, in a heavy saucepan and stir. Pour in 1 cup of coconut milk and simmer over low heat until the plantains absorbed the milk and are very tender.

It takes a while for them to get soft; give them about the same time you would need for cooking potatoes. You can add more coconut milk if you desire. Serve hot and try with fish or curries.More>>

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Kenya Mahamri Dessert Recipe

Mahamris are also known as mandazi. Mahamris are a speciality at the Kenyan coast. Coastal women prepare them for breakfast or even as an accompaniment for meals like beef stew. Mahamris are an alternative to bread.More>>>

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• Kenya Meat Samosa Recipe

Minced meat is the main ingredient folded inside these wonderful deep fried samosas. Traditionally samosas are a vegetarian dish, but samosas with meat fillings are becoming more popular. Here are the recipes for chicken and beef samosa. more>>

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• Kuku Na Nazi Appetizers ( Chicken with Coconut Milk)

Kuku na Nazi (chicken with coconut Milk) is one of the best food enjoyed by both Kenyan citizens and visitors to Kenya.This simple dish, sometimes called kuku na nazi, is a fabulous coconut curry from the East African coast. It is a perfect illustration of how African, Arab and Indian, More

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• Vegetable Samosa Recipe

That’s the beauty – you can make Samosas in so many different ways. Each cook adding their own different signatures to a time honored basic Samosa Recipe

Samosas are cheap and easy to make. Whether you make meat Samosas or vegetable Samosas, make your own pastry or buy the pastry ready-made, Samosas are always appetizing. Served with tea, they form the basis of the perfect snack.More

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•  Kenya Dengu Appetizer

The good thing with this appetizer, is its price. Its the cheapest you can make for you family compared to other Kenyan food appetizers., More>>

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• Kenya Kunde Recipe

Heat oil over medium flame in a saucepan. Add Onion and sauté lightly till translucent. Add tomatoes and simmer about 5 minutes to cook down.

Add remaining ingredients and stir to mix well. Lightly mash the peas]] with a fork.. Simmer about 10 minutes over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally.. Add more water as needed to get a stew-like consistency,  More>>

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Other Food Types from East Africa

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