About this Dish
Kenya's ancient one-pot meal — maize and beans boiled together, sometimes with vegetables and meat added. One of the oldest continuously eaten dishes in Kenya, githeri sustained communities through drought and hardship. Became briefly internationally famous in 2017 when a Kenyan man was photographed eating githeri from a bag while waiting to vote — and became a national hero.
IngredientsServes 4
🌽Dried maize (hominy corn), 2 cups
🫘Dried red kidney beans, 1 cup
🧅Large onion, 1 roughly chopped
🍅Ripe tomatoes, 3 medium diced
🫑Green pepper, 1 diced
🥬Fresh spinach or kale, 2 large handfuls roughly chopped
🧄Garlic cloves, 3 minced
🫙Vegetable oil, 2 tablespoons
🧂Salt, to taste
💧Water, enough to cover generously
Method
1
The night before, place the dried maize and kidney beans in a large bowl, cover with plenty of cold water and leave to soak overnight — this is important as it dramatically cuts down cooking time and makes both easier to digest.2
Drain and rinse the soaked maize and beans, then place them together in a large heavy pot. Cover with fresh water by at least 5cm, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 1.5 to 2 hours until both the maize and beans are completely tender and soft. Top up with water as needed and add a generous pinch of salt halfway through cooking.3
Once the maize and beans are fully cooked, drain and set aside. In the same pot, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat and fry the onion for about 5 minutes until soft and golden.4
Add the garlic and green pepper to the pot and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring so nothing catches. Then add the diced tomatoes and cook down for 5–8 minutes until they break into a thick, fragrant sauce.5
Tip the cooked maize and beans back into the pot and stir everything together well. Season generously with salt, then add a small splash of water if it looks dry, cover and let it all simmer together on low heat for 10 minutes so the flavours meld.6
Stir in the chopped spinach or kale, replace the lid and cook for a further 3–5 minutes until the greens are just wilted but still bright. Taste and adjust the salt.7
Serve hot in a bowl or, in true githeri spirit, straight from a paper bag if you happen to be standing in a voting queue and are about to become a national icon.User Reviews
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