← Nouns Cooking · West & East African

Ingredients

• 1 kg floury potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 150 g frozen peas
• 150 g sweetcorn (frozen or tinned)
• 2 handfuls spinach or pumpkin leaves, chopped
• 3 tbsp Vegetable oil
• 2 Onion, thinly sliced
• 30 g Butter (optional)
• 1 tsp salt, or to taste
• ¼ tsp Black pepper

Method

1. Put the potatoes in a pot of salted water, bring to the boil and cook for 15 min.
2. Add the peas and sweetcorn and cook for 3 min, then add the spinach for 2 min, until the potatoes are completely tender.
3. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat and fry the onions for 10–12 min, stirring, until deep golden and sweet.
4. Drain the vegetables well, keeping a little cooking water. Mash with the butter, if using, salt and pepper until fairly smooth, with some peas and corn left whole. Add a splash of the water if it seems stiff.
5. Pile into a dish, top with the fried onions and serve with nyama choma or a beef stew.

Tips

• Butter makes it richer but no longer vegan or dairy-free; a spoon of the onion oil works well instead.
• Mukimo, a close cousin, adds more greens (and sometimes beans) for a deeper green colour.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Eat Well Abi Mayuri's Jikoni