Kenyan Mukimo Recipe

The fun thing about the Kenyan Mukimo recipe is that we use readily available ingredients. Wherever you are, you can find maize/corn, Irish potatoes, peas, and green leaves.

Of course, you can always play around with it to make it your own since it’s versatile. This is a sensational Kenyan meal from the Agikuyu community. It’s one of the most common main course meals today in almost all Kenyan households.

Mukimo is a great side dish alternative when you don’t want ugali, chapati, or rice. Irish potatoes are readily available in central Kenya, so it’s no wonder Mukimo is a go-to.

It stands out as another quick recipe, as it takes about 45 minutes to prepare. If you like quick recipes, you can have your delicious Mukimo with a few alterations.

What is Mukimo?

The name comes from the Kikuyu dialect, as earlier mentioned. It comes from the word ‘kima‘, which means mash or mix in Kikuyu. One thing, though, is that it’s a highly nutritious and healthy choice that is also easy to make. It primarily features a mash of vegetables and corn.

Of course, you can have the other different versions today because we all make it to suit our family’s taste buds’ needs. This is another dish of cultural importance; whenever you visit Kenya, especially central Kenya, you will have it served.

There are three versions of Mukimo.

• The first is where you mash the potatoes, pumpkin leaves and corn
• The second version is where you use potatoes, peas, corn and pumpkin leaves
• The third is where you take the githeri, which usually has a higher ratio of beans, and then add the potatoes to make it even better.

I must say that the first and second versions are the most common.

Which vegetables work best for this recipe?

In most cases, people will use either spinach or pumpkin leaves. I love Mukimo made with pumpkin leaves, though. Nevertheless, you can use any vegetable from the pumpkin leaves family, including a common veggie called ‘Kahurura’ in Kikuyu.

How to cook the Kenyan Mukimo

Ingredients

• 1kg Irish potatoes
• 2 cups of maize kernel
• Kahurura/ Pumpkin leaves
• Green Peas (optional)
• Onions (optional)

Method

Prepare your veggies

You will peel the potatoes and wash them clean before setting them aside. Then, dice the potatoes and prepare them for cooking.

I love fresh maize, not canned. So, remove the soft and milky kernels from the cob.

Clean the leaves and chop them to prepare them for cooking.

Cook your maize

The maize may take longer to cook than the potatoes, so you want to cook the peas and maize together. I’m assuming you’re using the softest maize available. Take your time to cook the maize and peas until they are nicely tender.

This should take not more than 20 minutes to be ready. When ready, you can drain the excess water and then set them aside.

Note that traditionally, we didn’t add peas to Mukimo; this is just an alteration. However, I like mine with the pea flavour.

Also, cook the potatoes and leaves.

I like to start cooking the leaves aside; then, when the potatoes are almost ready, I add them. But this is just because I like to blend the pumpkin leaves on the side to make it mash up.

Start by cooking the leaves in another pot. When ready, blend them in a food processor or blender. Set this aside to wait for the potatoes.

Set the potatoes in another pot to cook for about 15 minutes. Remember to add your chopped onions inside for flavour. If you have spring onions, the better. At 10 minutes, add the cooked kahurura leaves, maize and peas to the potatoes.

Alternative 2

Just mix in the potatoes and the leaves to cook together. This is the traditional way anyway, as it makes the potatoes take the flavours. When it’s about to be fully cooked, add the cooked kernels to finish the process.

Mash everything.

You can mash them in the same pot or set them in a different bowl. A potato masher is great for this.

So start mashing the ingredients until they have a smoother consistency. At this point, you can add your seasoning of choice. Often, we use salt, and that’s it. You are ready to serve when you finally eliminate all the chunks.

Serve it

This is usually a side dish, so you can serve it with your favourite fried beef, chicken or pork. I also like a vegetable stirfry dish with this Mukimo dish.

If you have a spicy tongue, don’t hesitate to eat it alongside this meal.

FAQs

What can I eat Mukimo with?

The fantastic thing about this meal is that it’s versatile and nutritious and works just like your ugali or rice. So, if you have spicy proteins, don’t shy away; better yet, eat it with the popular Kenyan dish Nyama Choma.

Whether you have stews, soups, salads,  grills or roasts will work; in this case, the protein and veggies work just fine.

What will I do to the leftovers?

The best thing about this meal is that you will have it just as delicious the next day. I have found that the traditional way of making it for the morning after makes it even better. I have listed the steps to follow below.

• You need to chop onions and then have your clean pot ready.
• Add a little olive oil and then the chopped onions to brown before adding the Mukimo.
• Toss it around to heat up perfectly.
• Remember you don’t want to burn it, so you will add some water. Also, cook under low heat.

I can’t get the fresh veggies. Can I use canned ones?

Yes, you can. If you cannot access the fresh veggies, go for the canned options. However, drain the excess water and even, if possible, rinse them once. It may not taste the same, but it will be as good.

I only have the kachumbari salad. Will it work as a side dish?

Yes, it does. It’s firm, and the salad will make it even better. It’s a full meal and filling, but the kachumbari gives it a better and richer flavour.

Cooking tips

• You don’t want it to be watery mushy, so remember to drain off excess water. We love it a little firmer, with almost the same texture as the Kenyan Ugali.
• Always remember to serve it warm-hot with your favourite side dish.
• I like adding onions for the extra flavour, but the spring onions are the best. This I’ll add when boiling the potatoes. This is not the traditional method, but I like the richness. If you want, you can skip it and use it to fry it just a little the next day.