Favorite Food: Maharagwe -- Kenyan Curry

Jambo, my friends!

The truth is I have never been to Kenya, so I have no idea if this recipe is any more Kenyan than French Fries are French. But I don't really care. My love for it is secure no matter where it is from or what it is called, it is so good.

This is, really, my "mac 'n cheese," comfort food. It is really easy to make; vegan; cheap; and for being so simple in the spice department, it is uncannily addictive.

I think it almost takes longer to cook the rice that accompanies than to make the dish.

I apologize that my food photos are not incredible.* It's a point-and-shoot, I have a bit of a superiority complex over food photography (so mainstream), and I'm in a rush to get this up for a friend. But at least you will be able to see if yours looks remotely as it should!

Recipe for Maharagwe (Kenyan Curry)

2 Tblsp. oil (I use olive or coconut)
1-2 onions, chopped (I use 2)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. turmeric
1/2+ tsp. cayenne pepper
1 28-oz. can of diced tomatoes, OR 3-4 fresh tomatoes, chopped
2 15-oz. cans of dark, low-sodium kidney beans, drained & rinsed
2 15-oz. cans of lite coconut milk (I have a strong preference for the lite; if you have strong feelings otherwise, try it your way but don't complain to me if it's too rich :) )
Salt to taste

1.) Heat oil in a deep skillet. Saute the onion past 'golden' to the point where the edges almost look like they are burning. 
2.) Add minced garlic and stir for about 30-60 seconds.
3.) Add tomatoes, turmeric and cayenne, stir to combine everything. [Be careful to not let the cayenne saute without the tomatoes for more than a few seconds or you may get the pepper in the air and effectively pepper-spray yourself. I've done it more than once!]
4.) Add kidney beans; stir. 
5.) Once the mixture is boiling, pour in the cans of coconut milk, stir, and turn off the heat.
6.) Test and add as much salt as you'd like. If you need more cayenne, you can add this, too.

Serve hot over rice -- the best is a sushi-style, sticky, pearl or short-grain rice.

I know that nothing about this recipe or the photos is all that glamorous or "grabbing" -- but I'm serious, it is my favorite food. And you can serve it at a party without breaking the bank and it's a protein-packed pleaser for vegans, vegetarians, and educated carnivores alike. Enjoy!

* Full disclosure: I just zapped this in the microwave from days ago, and the rice was mixed in so that is why it's all yellow and incorporated, rather than the curry sitting atop the rice as I usually serve it the first night. But 3 days later with a quick zap in the microwave and it tastes maybe even better than the first night.