Kitchen Korner: Coconut Bean Stew

Coconut bean stew with coriander/cilantro leaves and a clove floating around; #garnishfail

You will need;

1 cup boiled fresh beans or 1 can beans drained (any type of beans will do)

1 cup coconut milk or ½ cup coconut cream

1 small onion chopped

1 fresh ripe tomato chopped (tomato paste or canned plum tomatoes can be used if preferred)

A few Coriander/Cilantro leaves

3 garlic cloves crushed

1/2 teaspoon Ginger powder

3 cloves

1/2  teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon thyme

Vegetable oil about 2 tablespoons

Salt to taste

Directions

1. Pour the vegetable oil into the pot, add chopped onions and sauté for a few minutes, add the spices (cloves, ginger, turmeric, thyme, salt) let them cook for a few seconds add in the garlic cloves and chopped tomatoes cook for a minute or so while stirring until the tomato is cooked
2. Pour in the beans and mix the contents of the pot well, pour in the coconut milk; if using coconut cream mix it with some water first before pouring in. Let the bean stew simmer for about 4-5 minutes on medium heat until it thickens add in the coriander leaves and then turn off the heat and let it cook heatless for 2-3 minutes and it’s done.

Serve with any accompaniment of your choice. Among Kenyans and the larger East African community by extension bean stew with or without coconut milk is commonly served with either Chapatis (the East African version) or plain white rice. Other accompaniments include but are not limited to sweet potatoes, green bananas, mahamri/mahambri, bread, ugali (a cornmeal based stiff porridge) and a host of other accompaniments.

Any seasoning of your choice can be used and other vegetables like carrots can also be added to this stew.

Kitchen Korner is a feature on the blog that showcases food prepared using ingredients that can also be used on the hair; double food hair products I like to call them. Today’s major double food hair ingredient was coconut milk/cream. Other ingredients that can be found in hair products or used in homemade recipes are onions, garlic, cloves, thyme and ginger. Vegetable oil can also be used as a pre poo or mixed into deep conditioners.