Githeri has never tasted this good

Githeri. What picture has just come to mind? Probably not a flattering one, especially if you went to boarding school. I do not know about you, but by the time I completed high school, I could not stand githeri, thanks to how it was prepared.

However, I have since learnt that with the proper ingredients, githeri can be quite a tasty dish.

If you do not know, githeri is basically a mixture of maize and beans. The maize could be soft or hard, depending on your preference. I recommend one part maize, two parts beans. The choice of beans will determine the taste you get. I prefer the red kidney variety.

Some people mix canned maize and beans, but if you ask me, to get the best out of githeri, boil the beans and maize together. If you do not have time to do the boiling, most supermarkets sell ready-made githeri.

When the githeri is ready, drain the water and rinse with cold water since the water from boiled beans is not fit for consumption.

Here is a simple recipe which will hopefully make you enjoy your githeri more.
Ingredients:

1/2kg Boiled githeri

1 Onion (chopped)

3-4 Cloves garlic (chopped)

Ginger (small piece) chopped

1-2 tbsp curry powder (depends on taste)

2 Tomatoes (small dices/blended)

Small bunch dhania

1 Carrot
1/2 Red pepper

1/2 Green pepper

1/2 Yellow pepper

1 Stalk celery (optional)

You may add other vegetables; just make sure that you chop them into small pieces that will look appealing to the eye. When cooking, add the various vegetables gradually to prevent overcooking.

Method:

1. Fry the onion and ginger in a little oil till it starts to brown, while constantly stirring to prevent burning

2. Add the garlic, then curry powder/garam masala, and stir. Allow to cook for about two minutes with the heat on low to prevent burning

3. Add tomatoes, carrots and celery, (this is optional) and stir, then cover. I recommend blending the tomatoes together with the dhania.

4. Allow the tomatoes to cook about two minutes, then add a little water if necessary to prevent drying up or sticking to the pan. Add the githeri, stir and cook for two minutes. Finally add the peppers, stir, and leave covered for a further two minutes.

The food is ready when the peppers are slightly crunchy. You may add a little water to make a stew. Also note that it should only take about 6-7 minutes from the time you add the tomatoes/carrots to the time you turn off the heat.

Serve hot and garnish with chopped dhania. I prefer to add the dhania at the very end when I have turned off the fire, but you may choose to let it cook for a few minutes.

You may also use boiled muthokoi with this recipe.