Githeri (One-pot Beans)
8 minutes
to prep
30 minutes
to cook
2 servings
About this Recipe
Githeri is a traditional Kenyan dish typically consisting of raw maize and kidney beans, served hot or cold as a main meal. Growing up in a large family, this dish was regularly served. At home, Mum always made githeri fancy, adding goodies such as potato, plantain, carrots, peas, chickpeas, cabbage, avocado, herbs, and spices. At my grandmother’s, githeri was served mainly as a breakfast or brunch dish with tea or porridge. We also ate it almost daily at boarding school, where we called it murram or murro – a type of clay – because of its brownish color. This recipe is a slight twist on a dish that Mum raised us on. I would therefore like to dedicate this recipe to my late Mum, Clementine Wilunda Wesaala, who taught me everything I know about food.
Photo and Recipe Courtesy of Winnie Wesaala
Ingredients
- 2 14 ounce cans red kidney beans (drained and rinsed)
- 14 ounce can chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
- 1 cup frozen sweetcorn
- 1 cup frozen green peas
- 4 medium potatoes (diced)
- 1 large tomato (chopped)
- 2 tablespoons oil of choice
- 1 large red onion (chopped)
- 3 cloves garlic (chopped)
- 2 inches ginger (chopped)
- 1 teaspoon mild curry powder
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- (Optional) ¼ teaspoon chili flakes
- 1 heaped tablespoon tomato paste
- 8 ounces (1 cup) coconut milk
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
For garnish:
- 2 stalks spring onions (chopped)
- Handful of fresh coriander
For serving:
- Avocado
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a pot over medium heat.
- Cook the onion in the oil until transparent, then add the garlic and ginger and stir for around 1 minute.
- Add the curry powder and sweet paprika and stir constantly to prevent burning.
- Add the tomato and tomato paste and stir gently.
- Add the coconut milk and about ½ cup of water and gently bring to a boil.
- Add the potatoes and cook until soft, but not mushy.
- Pour in the beans, sweetcorn, green peas, and chickpeas and mix gently.
- Add salt and pepper and cover the pot. Allow to cook on a low heat for around 15 minutes.
- Garnish with coriander and spring onions.
- Serve with avocado on the side.
