A Taste of East Africa

This weekend we had some wonderful friends visiting. They have been a part of our lives for a long time, and have been incredibly prayerful and supportive about the journey we have taken over the last few months. We are thrilled to have people like them partner with us as we go serve the Lord in Kenya. So we thought it would be fun to treat them to an African dish Friday night.

I (Heather) don't really have any recipes from when I was studying in Kenya, I wish I did, but sadly, I don't. And East African cooking isn't exactly the easiest cuisine to learn a lot about. Anyway, I was in the library looking for a new cookbook to try out, and I came across "Vegetarian Planet" by Didi Emmons. I have been wanting to beef up my vegetarian repertoire (hehe) and so I thought this 560-page cookbook would be fun to look through. So we tried out African Potato Stew on Friday night.

Frankly, the taste isn't very similar to what I spent most of my time eating, but still had a distinct flavor of Kenya about it. So, if you are feeling bold, here you go...

African Potato Stew

2 T oil
2 c chopped onions

1 garlic clove, minced

1 T fresh ginger

2 t poppy seeds

1 t mustard seeds

1 T ground coriander seeds

1/4 t ground cloves

2 russet potatoes, peeled and cubed to 1/2"

1 t salt

1/2 head cauliflower, cut into florets

1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed to 1/2"

4 c thinly sliced collard greens

1/4 c raisins

1 T apple cider vinegar

salt and fresh-ground black pepper

Heat oil in large pot and saute onions and garlic for 5 minutes. Add ginger, poppy and mustard seeds, coriander, and cloves. Cook, stirring, for two minutes. Add the russet potatoes and stir well. Add 4 cups of water, turn the heat to high. Once boiling, add 1 t salt, and reduce heat again. Simmer uncovered for 5 minutes.

Stir in the cauliflower, sweet potato, collard greens, and raisins. Cook 10 minutes, until potatoes are tender. Season stew with vinegar, salt, and pepper. Add water if stew is too dry. Serve hot over rice, couscous, or quinoa. It's also great with extra red pepper or hot sauce.

Serves 4