I had thought long and hard about this starting this blog. I have so many unfinished posts that I either feel are not good enough to publish or I just run out of ideas to write more.
I think I will start by talking about my childhood memories. I believe that the present circumstances and the nature of a person is shaped up by their past. What they are today is a result of their past. When I think about the times of my childhood, it all seems like a dream to me, its like it happened to someone else or like a forgotten film watched long time ago with only flashes of memories now and again which always end up filling my heart with warmth.
I had a very simple childhood compared to the kids nowadays. Born and brought up in a small town in Northwest Kenya called Kitale. A beautiful tiny little town with only a couple of streets with shops. We were surrounded by lots of land that were filled with maize plantations. We had lots of farms around Kitale and had maize plantation growing everywhere, even in our backyard……. well it wasn’t a backyard as we have these days, it was a no-mans-land where amongst the bushes we would find lots of maize (corn on the cob) and other wild plants growing. I remember walking and playing hide and seek or catch in the bushes – with only open sandals, not even boots – with friends and siblings and picking out corn which later would roast in an open fire. Life was very adventurous, very carefree with not a worry in the world. Lots of pollen floated in the air and no one complained of suffering from hay fever, in fact I didn’t know hay fever existed until I moved country and came to the UK.
Without any electronic devices and television only couple of hours a day, we had plenty of time for outdoor unsupervised play. Playing outdoors making tracks on the ground for the fizzy bottle lids to glide along, with marbles, pebbles and climbing trees were some of the games we used to enjoy.
Kitale rests in between of Mt Elgon and Cherengani Hills and is at a high altitude therefore I was brought up surrounded by very fresh clean air and eating very organic food.
Today bringing back those memories of the fields I feel like sharing a very simply yet very tasty recipe made from fresh corn kernels that I used to love(but unfortunately I had to use the tinned sweetcorn as fresh corn on in season yet)
MAKAI MASALA serves 4
Prep time 10-30min (depending whether on fresh corn or tinned/frozen)
Ingredients:
To be ground in lumpy paste
1 medium sized onion
1 Half an inch sized piece ginger
3 Fresh green chillies
3 tblsp Whole cumin
1/2 cup Fresh coriander
1/2 Freshly squeezed lemon
Dry Ingredients:
Salt to taste. (If using fresh corn then will need more than when using from tin or frozen)
1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
1/2 tsp Cumin powder
1/2 tsp Chilli Powder (or to taste)
1 tsp Black Pepper Powder
1 tblsp Grated fresh coconut or Coconut Powder
3 Fresh corn on the cob kernels (can use frozen or tinned if not in season)
– here I have used 2 tins of sweet corn
3-4 tbsp Oil
Method
Boil the corn on the cob in a pressure cooker with salt – you can also cook it in the microwave oven in full power for 3 minute each
Here I have used tinned sweetcorn
Take all the corn kernels off using a sharp knife
In a heavy bottomed pan heat the oil
Add the paste to the oil and let it cook in medium heat for 5-7 minutes until it turns slightly golden brown and lets out the sweet aroma of the cumin
Add all the dry ingredients
Lastly add the corn kernels and cover
Let it cook on low heat for 15 minutes so that all the spices get infused with the corn
Serve hot with either soft chapatis or pitta bread.
I love eating it on its own with salad on the side
