Chapatis & Sukuma Wiki

One of my favorite food memories is chapatis and sukuma wiki...

I remember so many times, in the heat of the desert day, when ever we were in Lodwar, we would go out for chapatis, sukuma wiki, and a kubwa coca cola baridi sana (large coke cold very). It is some of the simplest food, shared all across Kenya, yet it is one of the most delicious meals I've ever had. It represents home and happiness to me. How I dearly miss my home in Turkana. So in a nastolgic mood, I was compelled to make this meal for dinner tonight.

This is my (and my mom's) take on the Kenyan meal of chapatis and sukuma wiki. Sukuma wiki is usually flavored with Royco Mchuzi mix, which as far as we can tell is bullion cubes mixed with other spices, so we did the same. Bullion cubes, corriander, cumin, and turmeric, tastes perfect. Sukuma wiki also needs to be made with what is known in America as collard greens, in Swahili, obviously, sukuma wiki.

As for chapatis, they are originally a whole wheat flat bread made in India. However, over the course of time, and with the advent of the spice trade in the middle ages, Kenya, being a coastal country, came into contact with such spice trading sea-farers. And so Kenyan cuisine reflects alot of Indian, and even Middle Eastern influences. And over time, Kenyan's adopted the chapati to be their national flat bread, served all over the country. The recipe I have here is one of the many, many, many, variations of the chapati recipe. Every region, family, tribe might make chapatis in a slightly different manner. I use a dough for mine, where I have met a man from a different tribe who claimed that he and his family prefered chapatis made from a batter. Well either way, I have never been disappointed by a chapati in Kenya.

Chapatis

Sift together in a bowl:

1 ½ cups whole wheat flour
1 ½ cups white flour
1 tsp salt

Cut in to make a crumbly mixture:

½ cup shortening

Add to make a dough (add the water gradually, you don’t want a soggy mess):

1 cup water

Allow dough to rest for 20 min, covered with plastic wrap. Then divide dough into 12 equal portions, and roll into snake coils.

Allow dough to rest covered for another 20 min. Roll snake coils out into flat rounds, be sure to use additional flour so dough does not stick to surface or rolling pin.

Heat a cast iron skillet till hot. Dry fry each chapati till cooked. You are looking for brown & black spots to appear, however you don't want to burn it not do you want to dry it out to a crisp. This should be a nice and pliable flat bread.

Brush each chapati with butter, place in a dish and cover with foil. Wrap dish with a clean dish towel to keep warm. Serve chapatis warm. In the event that you have left overs, you can store the chapatis in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. When you reheat them, you can either put the bag of chapatis in the microwave (with the bag open to vent), or you can heat them in your oven or toaster oven.

Sukuma Wiki

Fry in a large pan:

1 large onion, sliced thin
3 Tbl shortening

Add and fry for 2 minute or so:

3 plum tomatoes, chopped
3 bullion cubes
2 Tbl cumin
2 Tbl coriander
1 Tbl turmeric

Add:

2 large bunches of collard greens, chopped into strips

Stir, and then add:

1 cup water

Simmer and cook uncovered until the greens are tender.