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Kenyan

Githeri

Vegetarian

A hearty Kenyan stew of maize and beans simmered with onion, tomato and a little pepper and carrot. A cheap, filling everyday dish from the central highlands.

Githeri is a Kenyan stew, ready in about 40 minutes and made with sweet corn and kidney beans (canned). It serves 4 and is rated beginner to cook.

Start cooking
A serving of Githeri
Photo: safaritravelplus / Wikimedia Commons · CC0-1.0
Prep
10 min
Cook
30 min
Total
40 min
Serves
4
Level
Beginner
Calories
362

Ingredients

4 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Fry the onion (opens in a new tab) in the oil until soft and golden, then add the garlic (opens in a new tab).

    Onions frying golden in a pan
    How it looks · Photo: Magda Ehlers on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Add the tomatoes (opens in a new tab), carrot (opens in a new tab), pepper (opens in a new tab) and potato (opens in a new tab), if using, and cook until the tomatoes collapse.

    • 8 min
    • medium heat

  3. Step 3

    Add the corn (opens in a new tab), beans, salt, pepper (opens in a new tab) and water. Cover and simmer until the vegetables are tender and the stew is thick.

    • 15 min
    • medium-low heat
    A curry simmering in a pot
    How it looks · Photo: Bachir Mamud on Pexels

  4. Step 4

    Stir in the cilantro (opens in a new tab) and serve.

    About this dish

    Origin
    Central Kenya, Kenya · Well documentedTraditionally a Kikuyu dish, now eaten across Kenya.More food from Kenya
    Dish
    Lunch · Dinner · Stews & braises · Main courses
    Cooking method
    Stewed, Boiled
    Taste
    savoury, mild, sweet, earthy
    Diet
    Vegan · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients
    All labelsVegan · Plant-based · Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-fat
    Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
    Good for
    Budget-friendly · One-pot · Meal-prep friendly · Everyday · Freezer-friendly
    Cook more with
    Sweet corn · Kidney beans (canned) · Onion · Garlic · Tomato · Carrot
    Techniques
    Boiling · Simmering · Stewing

    Allergens

    None of the 14 major allergens appear in the listed ingredients.

    Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

    Nutrition

    362 kcal per serving

    Calculated

    1 serving ≈ 429 g · recipe makes 4

    Where the energy comes from

    • Protein 15%
    • Carbohydrate 55%
    • Fat 31%
    Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
    NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
    Energy362 kcal84 kcal
    Protein14.2 g3.3 g
    Carbohydrate52.8 g12.3 g
    Net carbohydrate42.2 g9.8 g
    Sugars15.1 g3.5 g
    Added sugars0 g0 g
    Fibre10.7 g2.5 g
    Fat13.1 g3 g
    Saturated fat1.3 g0.3 g
    Trans fat0 g0 g
    Cholesterol0 mg0 mg
    Sodium892 mg208 mg
    Salt equivalent2.2 g0.5 g
    Vitamins & minerals per serving
    Potassium
    916 mg
    Calcium
    102 mg
    Iron
    2.7 mg
    Magnesium
    90 mg
    Vitamin A (RAE)
    —
    Vitamin C
    23 mg
    Vitamin D
    0 µg
    Vitamin B12
    0 µg
    Folate (DFE)
    97 µg

    How these numbers were made

    • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
    • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
    • Optional ingredients are not included: green bell pepper, potato, coriander leaves.
    • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
    • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

    Good to know

    Tips

    • For the traditional version, boil soaked dried maize and beans together for 2–3 hours until tender, then fry as above.

    Common mistakes

    • Adding too much water — githeri should be thick, not soupy.

    Serve with

    • Serve with avocado slices and kachumbari.

    Storage

    • Refrigerate up to 4 days; freeze up to 3 months.

    Reheating

    • Reheat with a splash of water, or fry leftovers until crisp.

    Variations

    • Githeri with beef: Brown cubes of beef with the onion and simmer until tender before adding the maize and beans.

    Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

    Recipe DNA

    How this dish is built

    Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

    What the dish is built around

    Main ingredient

    Used in steps 2, 3

    Reviews & corrections

    Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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