Kenya is a vast garden rich in culture exuding elegance and charm always teasing of a better tomorrow. There is pride in more than 40 tribes blending together to create a unique history, custom, cuisine and of course art. From the semi-arid Mara boasting of the Big five game, the lush tea fields of Kericho to the sandy beaches of Diani, it’s hard not to fall in love with the landscape. Let me not forget the beautiful mosques in Mombasa and the aesthetic value they add to the island — Masjid AlNoor along Bondeni, Masjid Ummu Kulthum in Kizingo, Light House mosque and the famous Konzi mosque along Digo road plus many more.
My fascination lies in the cuisine. Our tables are graced by scrumptious meals routinely: biryani, pilau, samaki wa kupaka, samosas, matoke, mukimo, mutura -gastronomical delights. It’s self-evident however that the coastal region serves the best foods and snacks. Ask around and you’ll know it’s fact. If you’ve never been to sea level I entice you into coming, pack your bag and come indulge in some culinary tourism.
Kashata, kaimati, kachiri, vitumbua, mahamri + mbaazi, bhajia, viazi karai served with ukwaju/chatni, mkate wa sinia, maharagwe ya nazi and samaki wa kupaka are some of the treats the Mijikenda and Swahili people have to offer. Ambrosia.
Miss Naluende often calls me to confess of her yearning for pilau and viazi karai made in Mombasa. Funny how I always ask the same question to which her answer has never changed.
‘Kwani hakuna pilau na viazi Nairobi?’
‘Si tamu ka za Mombasa.’ She always replies.
It’s quite baffling how replicating the taste puzzles many seasoned cooks yet the ingredients and process is the same. From experience, in most cases pilau served outside the coastal region is bland and lacks the zing despite the color and smell promising heaven.
I set out on a mission to find out why and spent the last couple of days visiting different eateries in Mombasa trying to find out why the taste is so elusive to most cooks. So with each serving I complimented the chef and posed the question, to which I got three distinct answers. The third one is rather funny but apparently very true.
- They learn from the best.
Mombasa is endowed with immense great pilau cooks. Thus it only makes sense the skill is widespread. If you intend on learning to cook pilau, get a good culinarian to learn from. Your imitation should be of quality pilau else you’ll take longer to get the taste right. Remember, your teacher’s pilau will serve as your touchstone for a while, that is until you’re confident enough to start tweaking with the process.
On matters tweaks, I prefer extra cumin and blackpepper in my pilau. Cumin has a rich taste on meat and I love the smell. Extra blackpepper gives it a fiery feel.
2. Years of practice.
How often do you cook pilau? Outside the coastal region pilau is usually reserved for special occasions like anniversaries, birthdays, get togethers and weddings. Coasterians on the other hand eat pilau very often in their households. Down here kids grow up trained in the art and it becomes second nature. They develop a niche for balancing the spices. In the words of Aisha, It takes a lifetime to achieve perfection. So if you’re yet to attain the taste, don’t give up. Keep practising, you’re almost there.
3. Imewakubali.
The literal translation is ‘It has accepeted them’. Figuratively, the term refers to the skill coming easy to them. When one says imenikubali they mean they’re successful in doing something usually with ease. To the coasterians the gods smile upon and it comes naturally to them. The spices sway in their favour. A few tries and the taste yields to their desire. It’s like the marathon to the Kalenjins or handicrafts to the Akamba, other communities practice as well but they are world renown for the skills. How true this is I can’t tell but it’s a skill that has been handed down from generations back it’s a normal to them.
All in all preparing pilau is quite easy. With enough practice, some tips from good cooks and you’ll be able to master the skill. The preparation should take you less than 20 minutes. I’m not a pro but my cooking has definitely gotten better over time. Call me sous chef Matete and let’s get cooking. We’ll be preparing a serving for six people.
Ingredients
- 3 cups pishori rice. (Go for quality rice as it greatly influences the final taste)
- 1/2kg beef
- Vegetable oil
- 2 large chopped red onions
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- 6 Garlic cloves, minced
- Tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon pilau masala
- salt
*Ready made pilau masala is easier to work with however whole spices give a richer taste- pilipili manga/blackpepper, iliki/cardamon, mdalasini/cinnamon, karafuu/cloves, binzari nyembamba/cumin.
Preparation
- Boil the meat until it’s tender and set it aside.
- Add vegetable oil to your sufuria and saute the onions stirring occasionally.
- Add the garlic and ginger paste once the onions turn brown and keep stirring for one minute.
- Add the pilau masala. Stir for one minute.
- Add the tomato paste and meat. Stir and allow to cook for 3 minutes.
- Pour in the rice. Stir and allow it to mix well with the spices.
- Add 6 cups of water, bring to boil over medium heat and leave it covered for 20minutes.
- Regulate the heat to low when the water is about to completely evaporate.
- Serve hot with kachumbari as condiment. Enjoy.
Food aside, come down to Mombasa and experience the heritage it holds. Take a walk in old town and travel back through time surrounded by buildings a century older. Come bask on the sandy beaches, enjoy the sunny weather and the hospitality the people generously offer.
