Maize and beans by any other name still tastes delicious

Maize and beans.   Say that to any Kenyan and you are bound to launch them into a maze of nostalgia.  The names are wide and varied for this simple dish.

For some, the meal reminds them of boarding school.  Often called ‘murram’ because it was somewhat similar in color to the red dusty roads that many would walk to get to school (that, and it had a healthy mix of weevils in it), it ranged from a very tasty meal to basic sustenance. Others names are derived from tribal names –Githeri(Kikuyu) and Nyoyo (Luo). Whatever it is called, it is popular, tasty and nutritious.

Maize has a larger kernel than corn and is white (as opposed to corn’s yellow) and is used with beans.  People eat this with tea for breakfast, as a quick meal (over rice or with chapati) and as a side dish with chicken or beef or goat.

Recipe
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 medium red bell peppers, finely chopped
4 large tomatoes, chopped
1 cup cooked black-eyed peas/dengu
2 cups corn/maize
1 teaspoon paprika
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1 Saute onion & peppers in oil until until limp. Add tomatoes and simmer for 5 more minutes.
2 Meanwhile combine beans, corn/maize and spices. Stir in with the onions then cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Adding a little water if necessary. Serve over rice.

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