Food stories, recipes and how-to’s of 10 heavenly Luhya dishes designed by tradition to not only last long, but pack in nutrients for the long haul such as in these unprecedented times of the coronavirus lockdown.
The 10 Luhya traditional foods at a glance
- Muduya
- Chiswa chinyomu
- Kivambara
- Sun dried traditional vegetables
- Uvuoni
- Bubwoba
- Enyama esike
- Sifuluko
- Kamakhalange
- Kamasikhisikhi
Before we dive into the culinary world of simple nutritious, homemade Luhya traditional foods to last you through the coronavirus lockdown, allow me to let out a secret. Please do dish number three and number one together. Mix them up and cook likhubi, cowpeas leaves, with it. Not only is this combination a lovely substitute for cream or milk when doing likhubi, it’s a slice of home. Oooh, this is just sweetness reloaded.
10/10
Muduya
Muduya is a rich protein sauce made from beans and munyu mushelekha. The beans can be prepared by roasting and removing its husks and then stored ready for cooking on short notice. Muduya or shitienyi (Isukha) is an acquired taste but is a welcome food to have during the lockdown.
9/10
Chiswa chinyomu
Chiswa chinyomu is dried termites. Do you remember our article on how to harvest chiswa chisiisi and chiswa chikhupaka? Well, what may have missed in our instructions to best enjoy chiswa is to fry them in cooking oil and save them future use? Well this coronavirus lockdown is that future use.
Chiswa chinyomu can be used to punctuate a normal meal of ugali and sukuma. In addition, small portions of chiswa chinyomu can be neatly served on the side for the family to enjoy as a snack. All in all, chiswa are a nutrient rich food that are an excellent source of proteins, fat, zinc and iron. Termites are also an excellent source of n-3 fatty acids.
My grandmother kukhu Nakhatama occasionally pounded chiswa chinyomu in a mortar. She then fried onions and tomatoes in a pan. Added the chiswa paste frying it to satisfaction. She then added milk, stirred it well and allowed to cook for like 5 minutes and served it with ugali and traditional vegetables.
8/10
Kivambara
Kivambara is this dried fish sold in open air markets all over. Shivambala is an Isukha word that is similar to the Bukusu word khukhwibamba which means to sit with legs apart. Thus obambla (Dholuo) isn’t just normal fish as it is split open along its longitudinal axis to open it up. It is then sun dried or smoked to preserve it
When buying this fish, you have to turn both sides to establish if its tilapia, nile perch or any other type of fish. A thing to note when preparing kivambara is to ensure that you cook it fully to the point when the meat almost falls off the bone. To achieve this culinary heaven, make munyu mushelekha your friend. Cooked this way, kivambara yields a thick milky soup that children can enjoy with a meal of ugali. Bunulu njire!
7/10
Dried traditional vegetables
My people know how to preserve food. Vegetables like cowpeas leaves (likhubi) and namasaka (managu) can be kept good for even a year. During the rainy season as it is at the time of publishing this post, my people will pluck the veges from the farms, remove all stocks then dry them. The dried veges are then stored in cool dry places in aerated baskets known as shimwero (Lubukusu and most houses of mulembe) or kihinda (Lulogooli).
When a rainy day comes by, our mums would pick a handful or whatever amounts of the dried traditional vegetables they are comfortable with and soak in water for at least 30 mins. The veges will unfold and separate from any dirt or soil that could have remained. To cook this vegetables like a star, girl, you better make munyu musherekha your friend.
6/10
Uvuoni
Ovuoni are sardine fish. Uvuoni is a delicacy mostly enjoyed during droughts and dry months. Omena can be bought from all open air markets. The best omena shines and gleams in the sun like its been sprayed with silver dust.
Omena must be carefully selected before cooking. They must also be soaked in warm water for like 10 minutes before being cooked. Some people boil them for upto 10 mintues before frying them with onions and tomatoes. After frying them, you can add munyu mushelekha or plain water or some cream and allow to cook for another 10 minutes then serve with ugali.
5/10
Bubwoba
Bubwoba is a premium meal over here. Unlike when growing up in the 90’s today one rarely comes across dried bubwoba. When you do, it costs a dime. The last time I checked, a gorogoro of dry wild bubwoba was going for between 1000-1500 ksh at the Kakamega municipal market.
Just like the dried traditional vegetables, dry bubwoba has to have any foreign impurities present removed before cooking. To do this, the bubwoba is then soaked in warm water for at least an hour before cooking.
Given its cost and scarcity, bubwoba can be reserved to be served on those days you need to lift the spirit of your home when the coronavirus lock down wears your family down. If it happens that a special day in your life such as a birthdays falls when we are still on lockdown, try some dry bubwoba and bring some cheer during the dark times.
4/10
Enyama esike
Enyama esike is dried meat. Meat was usually salted then smoked and kept in broken pots by the fireplace. When the lady of the home has a serving of smoked meat somewhere, she rests easy that she could even host the president on short notice. All she will need is some munyu kwa lukhaye and she’s good to go. Therefore, just like bubwoba, enyama esike can be reserved for special occasions during the coronavirus lockdown.
3/10
Sifuluko
Sifuluko is a groundnut paste that is much loved among the Masaba people who include our brothers the Bukusu. For its heavenly taste when added to traditional vegetables, in matoke dish or katogo, sifuluko is quite a simple relish to make. Simply roast some groundnuts and then, pound them to a paste.
2/10
Kamakhalange/ Zimbare
I’d term kamakhalange or tsimbale/ zimbare in Lulogooli as our traditional cereal. When eating dried kamakhalange, one soaks it in water and adds sugar to their taste. During the coronavirus lockdown, kamakhalange is a must have snack for those households with teenagers. It’s an especially heavy snack packed with energy.
1/10
Kamasikhisikhi
Kamasikhisikhi is a special meal made from simsim paste. The queen of dishes, kamasikhisikhi, is prepared exactly the same way sifuluko is prepared. The only difference is that kamasikhisikhi has a special place as a special meal served during the khutiukha ceremony.
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