Tag: Holidays

Char-grilled Garden Egg Fritters + 4 Years Blogging

~ Sophie ~ 6 Comments

Its a new month and this one has come with a birthday. It is incredible  what has happened over the course of four years! Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would accomplish all these amazing things. It is stuff dreams are made of and sometimes frequently I pinch myself.  I am grateful that all the struggles, failures and hard work bring us to here, in this moment. I would not have it any other way.  I am also grateful for all the amazing people I have met along the way.  I do not know what the future holds but with all that has happened I cant help but be excited for the next four years. With that said, expect a huge surprise (that I am working on day and night) at the end of the month, a brand new feature and much more soon. You can follow me on Instagram for behind the scenes and some random awesome food inspiration.

Now for a celebratory dish, I thought it would be a fun and great idea to  for us to cook up something totally new and exciting. After all that is what AKIU is about. If you are not familiar with garden eggs (ntula), here is a link I found to help you out. They are common in central Uganda and are used to make soups and stews.

We have a roughly 2 by 4 meters garden (sorry I have no concept of space) full of garden eggs. The thing with growing a lot of the same food is that there comes a time when you run out of creative ways to cook it. Now that I have discovered this new twist on garden eggs, I feel like I should cook them all like this so they are easier to eat. This dish is great for garden egg lovers and a fun surprise for the haters.

What you will need:

16 Green garden eggs (ntula)

½ C. Flour

¼ C. Parsley, finely chopped

1 Large egg

½ C. Water

2 Tbsp. Mukene powder

1 Tsp. Ginger

½ Tsp. Cinnamon

Salt

Pepper

Oil for frying

 

Observations:

  1. There are many varieties of garden eggs. I used the green bitter ones. If you do not like the bitter taste, use the white ones.
  2. To avoid cooking eggs that are damaged inside, look carefully for holes on the skin of eggs. Eggs without holes are not damaged.
  3. Char-grilling the garden eggs adds a smoky flavour.
  4. If you do not have mukene powder, use fish sauce.
  5. You can use any herb you have around. I had parsley so I used it.
  6. You may need more or less water depending on your desired consistency of the batter.
  7. If the eggs are overly charred, you can remove some of the charred pieces but leave the flesh.

Method

  1. Wash and half the garden eggs. Char-grill them on a charcoal stove. Remove from fire. Set aside to cool.
  2. In a separate bowl, add flour, ginger, cinnamon, salt, pepper, and mukene powder. Mix well. Next add the parsley, egg and water and mix till a think fine batter forms.
  3. Place a pan of oil on fire and wait for it to get hot
  4. Cut off the stalks and then dip the egg halves in batter.  Deep fry till they are golden brown.
  5. Serve as is or with your favourite soup, stew or dip.

If you try this recipe, share your creations with #AkitchenInUg

🙂

Sophie

Top 12 Desserts to Serve this Easter

~ Sophie ~ Leave a comment

desserts galore

We are all getting into the Easter mood which is just a few days from now. Of all the food to be served, I thought it would be great to highlight desserts we’ve made throughout the years. I hope you get to make some for your loved ones.

  1. Tea Masala Mango-Pear Pie
  2. Charcoal Stove Baked Chocolate Bundt Donut with Mulberries
  3. Red Plum Jam Mini Pies
  4. Sweet Potato Sandwich Cookies
  5. Chocolate Glazed Cassava Balls
  6. Avocado Yoghurt Parfait
  7. Pan-Fried Cookies
  8. Banana Pancakes
  9. Ebwanga: A Local Delicacy
  10. Banana Ice-cream Parfait
  11. Coconut Cinammon Sour Cream Three Layer Cake With  Fresh Mango Syrup
  12. Tea Masala Sweet Potato Rolls

Hope you have a wonderful holiday and weekend.

🙂 Sophie

5 Ingredients: Watermelon Refresher

~ Sophie ~ 4 Comments

Light watermelon refresher that is great for those hot sticky scorching days.

Today is international women’s day and I got these two quotes to share with you.

 “A woman with a voice is by definition a strong woman. But the search to find that voice can be remarkably difficult.” – Melinda Gates

“A woman’s guess is much more accurate than a man’s certainty.” – Rudyard Kipling

As a woman, I believe there is so much that we are capable of even when society says otherwise. But in order for us to be able to do so, we need to unite forces and have each others backs, believe in each other and support each other. It is my hope and prayer this holiday that we all take time to look deep within our souls and search what out purpose is and use it to uplift fellow women and our society. Today, to celebrate the phenomenal women in our lives, I am sharing a  simple yet refreshing watermelon drink made with 5 ingredients that you can easily find. But first, I have an exciting new feature.

I have been thinking long and hard about introducing fun features here on the blog. First off is this new feature called 5 Ingredients... I will feature dishes, drinks, desserts and  recipes with strictly five ingredients. Because as elaborate as cooking can sometimes get, there needs to be dishes that can be made in less time.  I am already excited. Are you ready to join me in this challenge?

What you will need:

Watermelon

Water

Sugar

Lemons

Ice cubes

 

Method

Wash the fruits. Cut the watermelon into cubes. In a blender combine watermelon, water and sugar. Blend till smooth. Using a strainer, strain the juice till the large particles of the seeds are nonexistent.  Squeeze in the lemon juice. Serve with lots of ice cubes.

PS: I did not put any specific measurements because they do vary based on each individuals taste and preference.

Get creative. Happy Women’s day!

 

🙂

Sophie