Great African Cooking Tips

by Felister Nzuve
(Nunguni-Makueni (Kenya))

Ever wondered how you cook, quite frankly unpalatable, slimy foods? It's because you didn't listen while your mum was cooking. Well here are a few tips to get you going…

1. Rinsing onions in warm water will aid to prevent sliminess, weaken smell and retain their crispiness.

2. Water drained from foods e.g. veggies, irio or potatoes shouldn't be thrown out as it contains valuable nutrients. Drained water should be used in mashing or in sauces and stews.

3.To condition a frying pan to which food sticks, rub it thoroughly, first with dry salt, then with oil. Don't use the salt for cooking.

4.Pressure-cooking saves fuel, time and money but some flavor can be lost because the food does not cook long enough to develop its full flavor. This applies to legumes and meat specifically.

5.Mushrooms and groundnuts are very good flavor enhancers and they don’t need to be used in large quantities. A number of flavoring agents can be used to boost bland dishes.

6.Milk may be fresh, sour or powdered. Curdled milk need not be thrown away; it can be used in some vegetable dishes, porridge or baked products. If the milk has soured, its acid flavor can be counteracted by adding ½ tbsp bicarbonate soda to each cup of sour milk.

7.The cooking time of dried legumes can be shortened by first soaking them in cold water for 8-12 hours, in warm water 3-4 hours, or in hot water for 1-3 hours. The soaking water can sometimes be used but overnight soaking water should be thrown out since it usually has a bad odour and can affect the flavor of you food.

8.Fat is a source of energy and also enhances the flavor of foods. But also it should be used sparingly as it can make food greasy & unpalatable. Margarine, vegetable fat, oil, butter, ghee, groundnut and simsim pastes can all be used to cook. Fats are good at absorbing and retaining flavors which means it shouldn’t be stored near strongly flavored food.

9.Salt is a flavor enhancer and each person is used to a certain level. It is best added to dishes at the beginning of cooking time, except for meat as it tends to toughen if added to early. However, too much salt results to high blood pressure so take a small amount.

10.Always have some cooking acid handy e.g. vinegar, lemon, juice, tartaric acid or citric acid. These act as flavor enhancers in both sweet and savory dishes and prevent certain fruits and veggies e.g. avocados, bananas, pears going brown.

That's it folks! Enjoy a happy simple meal today!