Swahili Recipes: Vimumunya vya Chumvi (Pumpkin & Coconut Milk)

Vimumunya vya Chumvi (Pumpkin & Coconut Milk)
“Vimumunya” is a Swahili word that connotes the way this dish is eaten. It is a pumpkin meal that is common among communities in the coastal region, particularly among the Mijikenda community. It is served as a main course among the Mijikenda and as a dessert among the Bajuni community.

Ingredients
Pumpkin, raw (739 g)
– 1 tsp. (6 g) salt iodized
– 1 1/8 cups (253 g) coconut milk
– 1 cup (223 g) water

Preparation 5 minutes | Cooking 25 minutes | Serves 4
• Peel the pumpkin and cut it into chunks.
• Put pumpkin into a pot, add all the water, and start
cooking.
• Add salt and bring to boil for 15 minutes.
• Add coconut milk and boil for 5 minutes.
• Remove from heat.
• Serve.

The foundation of this dish is coconut milk, to ensure that the layers of thinner and thicker coconut milk combine, shake the can of canned coconut milk before opening it.
Coconut milk is thinned with water to make the dessert less thick.
The best pumpkin for this dessert is pumpkin Kabocha squash since it most closely resembles the pumpkins found in Kenya. Slice the flesh into bite-sized pieces after cutting open, then remove the seeds.
You can leave the skin on for a beautiful splash of green color or remove it if you like because it is edible when cooked.

Content courtesy of Kenya Food Recipes, Mama Ntilie & NFH
A Recipe Book of Common Mixed Dishes With Nutrient Values, As Prepared By Communities