Danish vitumbua - Danish aebleskiver

 

This post is in appreciation to the anonymous reader who commented on the vitumbua pans. Thank you for posting on aebleskiver pan, I can now put my pan to more use.I visited the website which also has recipes and decided to try cooking the danish vitumbua using my pan following the video's instructions. And I really enjoyed making and eating them. The recipe was easy to follow and cook quickly. Spent around 30-45 minutes maximum. I made half of the recipe added vanilla and cardamom and I ended regretting doing so...the plate was emptied so quickly!!! The aebleskiver were scrumptious ate mine with warm apricot preserve. The aebleskiver were soft, imagine eating a delicious pancake or crepe but in a ball shape. Perfect finger food. Delicious!!!

This is half of the original recipe. It makes approximately 28 aebliskiver using my small holed pan.
Basic ingredients:
2 eggs
1 cup of milk
1 ½ cup of self raising flour

My additions:
1-2 teaspoons of vanilla
1 teaspoon of cardamom
2 tablespoons of sugar

Procedure I still advice you watch the video.
1.In a medium bowl beat the eggs and milk. Add the vanilla, cardamom, sugar add the flour to a slightly heavy pancake- crepe like consistency. Let rest for 15-20 minutes. For simplicity pour the mixture in a small jug.
2.Heat your aeblisker pan or vitumbua pan.
3.Put ½ teaspoon of oil in each hole then pour some of the mixture in the holes. Make sure it doesnt over fill.
4. This is the tricky part: After a few minutes using a wooden skewer lift up the top of each aebliskiver, and turn approximately 1/3 rd on it's self(looks like a hood).Then after a minute using the skewer lift from one side try to turn to the other side. This allows the batter to expand. Then after 1 minutes holding the top, lift the aebliskiver and turn it over; this allows the ball shape to form. Keep rotating the ball till it's fried and becomes golden brown.
Once ready remove from heat and repeat until all the mixture finishes.

Serve with jam. (As I added sugar to mine you can have them without adding anything).

Cheers to the danes!!! Mange Tak!

Mchicha na Njegere wa Nazi - Spinach with peas in coconut cream

 

Mchicha(spinach) is one of the most widely eaten vegetable in Tanzania. In the coastal areas it is cooked with coconut milk and in the interior of Tanzania it is cooked with peanuts and in areas near Kigoma they use palm oil (Mawese).

Mine is a modern simplified recipe, I use frozen spinach, peas and I like blending the vegetables when I use coconut powder but traditionally the onions and bell pepper are sliced thinly, tomato is peeled and diced.The spinach is bought fresh from the market then cleaned and finely chopped. You put the spinach in your cooking pot and add the vegetables with 1 cup of water and cover. After 10-15 minutes the spinach will shrivel and the vegetables will soften then you add heavy (full thickness) coconut milk, curry powder and salt and let cook for another 15 minutes uncovered. Your dish is ready to be eaten with Ugali, rice or chapati and fried fish or meat.

Makes 6 Generous servings
Ingredients:
2-10oz frozen chopped spinach (Birds eye brand)
1 packet of coconut powder (equivalent to 1 whole coconut)
1 carrot,
1 medium onion
1 tomato chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 jalapeno/ chili pepper
1-2 teaspoon curry powder(to your liking)
1 ¼ cups water
salt
1 cup of frozen green peas.

Directions
1.Take a wide rimmed pan put the frozen spinach add ¼ cup of water on medium (5 mark) heat. Let the spinach thaw first on the stove top then increase the heat to medium high (7 mark) for 10 minutes. Some of the water should evaporate.
2.In the meantime blend the onion, carrot,tomato, jalapeno, bell pepper, coconut powder, 1 cup of water and tomato paste. Pour this mixture to the spinach, stir and add the curry powder and salt. Add the green peas cook covered for 10 minutes then simmer uncover for 10 min. Once the peas are soft and most of the fluid has evaporated the mchicha is ready.

Chuma cha kuchomea Vitumbua - Vitumbua pans

A Mama ntilie street vendor's Kitumbua pan in Tanzania. Image source

It isn't easy to find a good pan once your away from East Africa. Most of the people I know brought their pans with them from back home. While in Tanzania you would have bought your pan at the local market. When you shop for a pan there are 3 factors you take into consideration; the Pan's size, number of holes and casting. If you are a food vendor or own a commercial restaurant a pan with greater than 7 holes would be ideal. Of all the qualities an iron cast pan is highly sought because they hold in the heat well and create uniformly cooked vitumbua. I use a small appam pan given to me by my mum but can be bought from Indian speciality shops or you can always ask an Indian own grocery shop attendant,they can direct you where to find one. Another option is to try out the Danish aebleskiver pans, which also does a wonderful job and comes in different sizes. In comparison the Norpro brand pan makes smaller vitumbua while the Lodge brand makes the ideal sized kitumbua. You can find them online at amazon.com.

Hope I have answered a mystery reader's query. And if you've missed my vitumbua recipe post, you can get it here.
Nakutakieni siku njema!- Wish you all a great day!!

Pilau kavu - Plain pilaf

 

Pilau literally means rice gruel.Pilau is also known as pilaf it is eaten widely in India and Arabia.Most of the Pilau recipes usually incorporate meat or fish with nuts and saffron.Pilau Kavu is also commonly known as the poor man’s Pilau.As long the Swahili wife has an onion, a tomato, spices and rice in her pantry her family doesn’t sleep hungry. And if she has a papaya or mango tree in her shamba (field) or backyard they will have that with Pilau.

Makes 6 -8 servings
Ingredients:
3 cups of basmati rice
2 medium size onions
5 Tbs. of vege oil
2 finely chopped tomatoes or 2 teaspoons of tomato paste
1 tsp. garlic paste
1 tsp. ginger paste
Salt
4 ½ cups of HOT water.
Optional:
½ bell pepper
½ cup raisins

Pilau spices in powder form
½ tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. coriander
¼ tsp. cardamom
½ tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. turmeric
1 tsp. cumin

Directions
1.Wash and soak the rice. Keep it aside.
2.Put the oil in a large pot, add the onions fry till lightly brown. Then add the garlic ginger mixture, spices and green pepper. Once the onions take a deeper shade of brown add the tomatoes, stir frequently till the tomatoes tender. You may need to add few tablespoons of water to help the tomatoes to soften completely should look like paste.
3.Preheat the oven to 350F.
4.Add the hot water, salt and then rice to the pot. Bring to boil and then turn down heat to simmer, cover and leave for 15 minutes. Add raisins, cover the pot and put in oven for 10 minutes after the 5th minute gently stir the pilau and put it back in the oven.

Serve warm with spinach, fried fish or meat and Kachumbari(Salad).

Eid Mubarak!!

The blessed Month of Ramadan has officially ended. And the mosques and homes are filled with believers well wishing each other. As a tradition after the 30 days of fasting on Eid day the Breakfast is usually special. People cook alot of sweet treats which can be consumed then or when friends, neighbours and family visit.

We made a few things for Eid breakfast. Served with Chai.
Mkate wa kumimina - recipe will be coming soon.
Cake - coloured for the fun it!!
cinnamon rolls
visheti- recipe will be coming soon.
Laduu- recipe will be coming soon.
Date crescents
Nangatai
Meat cutlets
Sambusa