Simple One Pot Githeri - Kenyan Corn & Beans

On a recent trip to Kenya we were treated to a delicious side dish of stewed corn and beans in a tomato based gravy. Since coming home to Canada, I have discovered that there are a number of variations on this simple and versatile dish. I have created my one pot githeri recipe to be as close to the one we experienced in Kenya but this dish is the perfect vessel for using up any beans and vegetables you have in your fridge or freezer!

Nutritious and satiating
One pot and ready in 25 minutes or less
Versatile and delicious!

What Is Githeri?

Mayuri Patel has some more information about the variations of githeri across Kenya in the blog post for their authentic githeri recipe. They explain that this dish is pronounced "guh theory" and at its core it is a combination of beans and maize (traditionally white corn).

Depending on the area, githeri can go by different names and include some different ingredients. The type of beans used can change. Often kidney beans and pinto beans are used but the version we had in Kenya used pinto beans and yellow beans. I haven't been able to find yellow beans since being home so I have used navy beans which are similar in size and colour.

In some variations extra vegetables are added to bulk up the stew. I have decided to keep mine very simple and as similar as possible to how we experienced it in Kenya. To make this recipe more of a complete main dish however:

• Feel free to change the type of beans used (even lentils can be added).
• Add in chopped bell pepper, carrot, or potatoes.
• Stir greens into the stew just before serving (spinach or any sturdy leafy greens).

Ingredients For This One Pot Githeri Recipe

As mentioned above, you can be creative with the ingredients for githeri but I have used:

• Pinto beans
• Navy beans
• Sweet corn instead of the traditional white corn
• Crushed tomatoes and tomato paste
• Onion, garlic, mild curry powder, ground cumin, and smoked paprika for some heat
• And my homemade vegetable broth

This one pot githeri recipe is the perfect vehicle for using up what you have in your fridge and freezer. The seasonings I have used will help you create a delicious flavour profile regardless of the types of beans and vegetables you want to toss in.

Many authentic githeri recipes start with dried beans and maize so the cooking time is much longer. I love cooking my beans from scratch and storing them in my freezer for simple meals. Using either frozen beans or canned beans will make this one pot githeri recipe very quick and convenient.

Method

This one pot githeri recipe is quick and simple to make.

• Sauté onion and garlic in a dash of oil.
• Add tomato paste, curry powder, cumin, and smoked paprika.
• Next, add crushed tomatoes and cook for 3 minutes.
• Add the beans, corn, and vegetable broth. Bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes until the gravy has reduced and thickened.

That's it! So quick and so simple. Here are some tips for when to add extra vegetables:

• Bell pepper and carrots can be added after the onion and garlic have sautéed for a minute or two.
• Small diced raw potatoes could be added in with the beans, corn, and broth. Add extra broth as needed to cover all of the ingredients and cook the stew long enough for the potatoes to get soft.
• Stir greens into the stew at the end of the cooking time and remove the stew from the heat once the greens have wilted and tenderized.

How To Serve Githeri

Githeri is often served with ugali (a dense porridge made from maize flour or cornmeal) and chapati (a delicious flatbread). I had the opportunity to learn how to make both ugali and chapati from a Kenyan chef while we were on our trip!

Ugali is typically served with sautéed greens (sukuma wiki) or a stew like this githeri. Traditionally, the dense cornmeal was formed into a natural spoon with the hands and used to scoop up other foods. I find that ugali can be enjoyed similar to how you would enjoy rice. You could serve this githeri with ugali on the side and the ugali can soak up some of the gravy and serve as a carbohydrate rich accompaniment.

Chapati is a simple and delicious flatbread that you can use to scoop up your githeri. My 2 ingredient roti recipe is always one of the most popular recipes on this blog. I like to say that my chapati recipe is now the more glamorous sister recipe to my roti! It's still quick and simple to make but it is packed with more flavour and the addition of oil to the dough makes it incredibly soft, layered, and luxurious.

Even without making another Kenyan dish to serve on the side of your githeri, you could enjoy it with another grain, more vegetables, or greens.

Cost For This One Pot Githeri Recipe

There are two cost saving kitchen hacks that I love and that I preach about all the time.

1. Homemade vegetable broth from frozen vegetable scraps
2. And cooking beans from scratch

Both of these cost savers come into play with this one pot githeri recipe. This recipe serves 4 as a side dish and costs us approximately $3.25 Canadian. If I use store-bought broth and canned beans our cost increases to $5.70.

Either way, this is dish is quite thrifty. You can imagine from this example though, that the savings really do add up. I love that I can simply collect all the ends and peels of the vegetables I use in my kitchen, toss them in a pot with water, and boil them for 30 minutes to get a delicious broth from them. Similarly, bags of dried beans are considerably more cost effective than canned beans and I can cook a large batch and freeze the beans for convenient meals.

Let me know in the comments below if you try this quick and simple one pot githeri recipe! I want to hear if you serve it alongside my other Kenyan dishes or if you use this recipe as inspiration to create a version of your own!

Print