African Recipes: Top 20 Popular Food (Cuisine’s) Recipes From Kenya, Along With Their Ingredients

Kenya’s alluring nature and brave marathon runners are its most well-known attractions.
Travelers and animal lovers alike go to this continent to experience its amazing flora and mark off one of the most popular items on bucket lists: going on a safari.

A lesser-known fact about this East African nation is that, despite being a little off the Western culinary radar, its cuisine is one of the top 10 food destinations in Africa.
Travelers now have yet another compelling reason to add Kenya to their list of essential African destinations as a result of Kenyan cuisine.

An ingredient list for 20 of Kenya’s most well-known recipes
The delectable 20 top Kenyan food dishes below will transport you to the East of Africa through food! These classic recipes, which combine Asian, Arabic, and ethnic flavors, are all delicious, comforting, and you’re sure to adore them all.
Kenyan cuisine is extraordinarily tasty, wholesome, and healthful, as anyone who has eaten it can attest.
There are a lot of delicious foods in this Swahili-speaking nation, but I’ve narrowed it down to the top 20 for now in order to keep this article concise.

Certainly! Here are Kenya’s top 20 food recipes with the ingredients, measurements, and estimated cooking times:

1. Ugali and Sukuma Wiki:
Ingredients:
– 2 cups maize flour (cornmeal)
– 4 cups water
– Sukuma wiki (collard greens)
– Cooking oil
– Salt

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

2. Nyama Choma (Grilled Meat):
Ingredients:
– 2 pounds of beef, goat, or chicken meat
– 1 teaspoon salt
– 1 teaspoon black pepper
– Juice of 1 lemon
– 4 cloves garlic, minced
– Cooking oil

Cooking Time: 40-60 minutes

3. Chapati:
Ingredients:
– 2 cups wheat flour
– 1 cup water
– 1/2 teaspoon salt
– 2 tablespoons cooking oil

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

4. Pilau Rice:
Ingredients:
– 2 cups basmati rice
– 1 pound of beef, chicken, or vegetables
– 2 onions, finely chopped
– 4 cloves garlic, minced
– 2 tablespoons pilau masala (a blend of spices)
– 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
– 4 cups water

Cooking Time: 1 hour

5. Kenyan-style Biriyani:
Ingredients:
– 2 cups basmati rice
– 1 pound chicken, beef, or vegetables
– 2 onions, finely chopped
– 4 cloves garlic, minced
– 1-inch piece of ginger, grated
– 2 tomatoes, chopped
– 1/2 cup yogurt
– 2 tablespoons biriyani masala (a blend of spices)
– 4 tablespoons ghee (clarified butter)
– 4 cups water

Cooking Time: 1 hour

6. Githeri:
Ingredients:
– 2 cups maize kernels
– 1 cup of beans
– 2 onions, chopped
– 4 tomatoes, chopped
– 4 cloves garlic, minced
– Salt to taste
– 2 tablespoons cooking oil

Cooking Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

7. Sukuma Wiki and Matoke:
Ingredients:
– Sukuma wiki (collard greens)
– Matoke (green bananas)
– 2 onions, chopped
– 4 tomatoes, chopped
– 4 cloves garlic, minced
– 2 tablespoons cooking oil
– Salt to taste

Cooking Time: 1 hour

8. Matoke Stew:
Ingredients:
– Matoke (green bananas)
– 1 pound beef or chicken
– 2 onions, chopped
– 4 tomatoes, chopped
– 4 cloves garlic, minced
– 1-inch piece of ginger, grated
– 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
– Salt and black pepper to taste

Cooking Time: 1 hour

9. Kenyan-style Beef Stew:
Ingredients:
– 2 pounds beef, cubed
– 2 onions, chopped
– 4 tomatoes, chopped
– 2 potatoes, peeled and diced
– 2 carrots, peeled and diced
– 4 cloves garlic, minced
– 1-inch piece of ginger, grated
– 4 cups beef stock
– 2 tablespoons cooking oil
– Salt and black pepper to taste

Cooking Time: 1 hour 30 minutesFashion Bloggers

10. Irio:
Ingredients:
– 2 cups green peas
– 2 cups potatoes, peeled and diced
– 1 cup corn kernels
– 2 onions, chopped
– 4 tomatoes, chopped
– 2 tablespoons cooking oil
– Salt to taste

Cooking Time: 45 minutes

11. Kenyan-style Fried Fish:
Ingredients:

– 4 fresh fish (tilapia or Nile perch)
– Juice of 2 lemons
– 4 cloves garlic, minced
– 1-inch piece of ginger, grated
– 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
– Cooking oil for frying
– Salt and black pepper to taste

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

12. Mahamri:
Ingredients:
– 4 cups all-purpose flour
– 1 cup coconut milk
– 1/4 cup sugar
– 2 teaspoons yeast
– 1 teaspoon cardamom powder
– Vegetable oil for frying

Cooking Time: 1 hour

13. Samosas:
Ingredients:
– 2 cups all-purpose flour
– 1 pound ground beef or chicken
– 2 onions, chopped
– 2 potatoes, peeled and diced
– 4 cloves garlic, minced
– 1-inch piece of ginger, grated
– 1/2 cup green peas
– 2 tablespoons curry powder
– Vegetable oil for frying
– Salt to taste

Cooking Time: 1 hour

14. Kenyan-style Roasted Corn:
Ingredients:
– Fresh corn on the cob
– Butter
– Juice of 1 lemon
– Salt and chili powder to taste

Cooking Time: 20-30 minutes

15. Kenyan-style Vegetable Curry:
Ingredients:
– Assorted vegetables (carrots, peas, potatoes, bell peppers)
– 2 onions, chopped
– 4 cloves garlic, minced
– 1-inch piece of ginger, grated
– 2 tablespoons curry powder
– 1 cup coconut milk
– 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
– Salt to taste

Cooking Time: 40 minutes

16. Kenyan-style Coconut Beans:
Ingredients:
– 2 cups kidney beans
– 2 onions, chopped
– 4 cloves garlic, minced
– 1-inch piece of ginger, grated
– 1 cup coconut milk
– 2 tablespoons curry powder
– 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
– Salt to taste

Cooking Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

17. Beef or Chicken Pilau:
Ingredients:
– 2 cups basmati rice
– 1 pound beef or chicken
– 2 onions, chopped
– 4 cloves garlic, minced
– 1-inch piece of ginger, grated
– 2 tomatoes, chopped
– 2 tablespoons pilau masala
– 4 tablespoons ghee (clarified butter)
– 4 cups water
– Salt to taste

Cooking Time: 1 hour

18. Kenyan-style Bhajia:
Ingredients:
– 4 potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
– 1 cup chickpea flour (besan)
– 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
– 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
– 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
– Salt to taste
– Vegetable oil for frying

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

19. Ugandan Rolex:
Ingredients:
– 4 eggs
– 1 onion, chopped
– 2 tomatoes, chopped
– 1 bell pepper, chopped
– 1 cup cabbage, shredded
– Salt to taste
– Cooking oil
– Chapati (flatbread)

Cooking Time: 20 minutes

20. Kenyan-style Beef Sukuma Wiki:
Ingredients:
– 2 pounds beef, chopped
– Sukuma wiki (collard greens)
– 2 onions, chopped
– 4 tomatoes, chopped
– 4 cloves garlic, minced
– 2 tablespoons cooking oil
– Salt and black pepper to taste

Cooking Time: 1 hour

Please note that the cooking times provided are approximate and may vary depending on the heat source and individual cooking methods.

These Kenyan meals are among the most distinctive and fascinating culinary discoveries in Eastern Africa because they combine savory native dishes with the heat and spice of diverse Asian influences.

The rawness, freshness, and charm of Kenya’s highlands and beaches, a place famous for its wonder and beauty, have naturally helped define this traditional cuisine over thousands of years.
These 20 must-try Kenyan dishes are proof that African cuisine can bring some absolutely scrumptious combinations to the table when combined with more recent Asian influences.

Content courtesy of Mama Ntilie & NFH