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East African cuisine is a vibrant and diverse mix of flavors, textures, and ingredients that tell the rich history and culture of the region. From the bustling streets of Nairobi to the serene landscapes of Rwanda, food plays a central role in bringing people together and celebrating local traditions. Whether you’re savoring a simple, hearty meal or indulging in a special occasion dish, East African food is bound to tantalize your taste buds. Here are 12 must-try East African dishes that will not only change your culinary perspective but also introduce you to the soul of the region.
UGALI AND SUKUMA WIKI
Ugali is a staple food in East Africa made from cornmeal or cassava flour that is cooked with water to create a thick porridge. It’s typically served with Sukuma Wiki, a delicious and healthy vegetable dish made with collard greens and spices.
NYAMA CHOMA
Nyama means ‘meat’ and choma means ‘roast’, so nyama choma is roasted meat – usually beef (nyama ya ng’ombe), chicken (kuku) or goat (mbuzi).
Goat is not really my bag (I find it too tough and chewy) but I always love the roast chicken, especially in Arusha, Tanzania it just tastes so good. You will find meat joints all over the place, from roadside stalls to upmarket restaurants, like Carnivore in Nairobi (nyama choma is Kenya’s national dish). One of my favourites is a place called Tamasha Joint in Karen (Nairobi). They do great meat and irio (see below) and the wine is cheap!
UGANDAN ROLEX
Ugandan Rolex is a popular street food in Uganda that consists of an omelette rolled up in a Chapati with vegetables and sometimes meat. It’s a filling and delicious meal that can be enjoyed any time of day.
MATOOKE
Matooke is a dish made from mashed plantains that are steamed with spices and often served with meat or vegetable stew. It’s a popular dish in Uganda and Rwanda. Matooke offers a comforting and hearty meal after a long day of exploring Uganda’s wildlife and landscapes. The plantains are typically soft and slightly sweet, providing a delicious balance to savory dishes like grilled meats or rich vegetable stews. Safari guides and chefs often prepare matooke using locally sourced ingredients, making it a true reflection of Uganda’s culinary culture.
PILAU RICE
Pilau Rice is a flavourful rice dish made with spices, vegetables, and meat, usually beef or chicken. It is a staple in East African cuisine and is often served at weddings and other special occasions.
SUKUMA WIKI AND BEANS
Sukuma Wiki and Beans is a popular Kenyan dish that is made with collard greens and beans cooked in a tomato and onion sauce. It is a hearty and nutritious meal that is perfect for any time of day.
AGOTOGO (RWANDA)
A simple and easy Rwandan dish that has similarities to matoke is agotogo, which is stewing with flavor. Made with a base of plantains in a tomato sauce, ingredients like onion, garlic, and olive oil give it a punch of flavor. The plantains are sliced lengthwise, or cut into large chunks. In West African fashion, crushed peanuts are included in quantity, and thinly sliced collard greens are typically cooked into the sauce. The dish is served alongside a starch such as ugali or rice.
ISOMBE (RWANDA)
Tucked in the green mountains of Rwanda is a vegetable-heavy dish that everyone needs to try at least once, called isombe. Luckily, it’s simple enough to make at home, and some of the more exotic ingredients can be easily substituted. This dish uses chopped or pounded cassava leaves, but any robust dark leafy green like collard greens or kale will do. Start by cooking the onions and garlic, then add the leaves and let them simmer in water to soften. Add spices, then peanut butter and let it cook a little longer. Use sugar-free peanut butter like Teddy’s instead of Jiff or Skippy. Chunky peanut butter brings a nice crunch and variation of texture to the isombe.
KACHUMBARI (KENYA)
Stews, steaming hot grains, and charred, juicy meat come to mind when conjuring up images of East African cuisine. However, there are other popular, fresh dishes that you need to try at least once. Kachumbari, a Kenyan tomato salad, can best be described as a fresh, chunky salsa. It’s raw, tomato-based, and looks quite a bit like pico de gallo. Onions, spicy peppers, and juicy tomatoes are chopped, sliced, or diced as the base. Then, an acidic component like citrus or even alcohol, along with salt, is used to enhance the flavors. Olive oil and cilantro add fat and pizzaz to help bring the dish together.
CHAPATI
The chapati is a staple Indian food that is also extremely popular in East Africa. They’re very versatile and simple to make with just 4 ingredients – flour, oil, water and salt. Chapatis make a great accompaniment to pretty much every dish and you can eat them with savoury foods like curry or stews or cover them in Nutella or jam and peanut butter and fill them with bananas, like a crepe. Delicious!
BIRIYANI
Biriyani is another Indian dish that has made it’s way over to East Africa. It’s different from pilau, in that the rice is usually cooked with spices (seperately from the meat) and the meat (or fish) is cooked in rich sauce, then they are put together on the plate.
MTORI
A filling Tanzanian stew made from green bananas, potatoes and meat. It’s known for being pretty nutritious and is often given to pregnant women and new mothers to build up their strength! It’s also quite tasty!
ISOMBE
A traditional Congolese/Rwandan/Burundian stew made with cassava leaves and other ingredients such as spinach (an essential ingredient), aubergines (eggplant), onions, tomatoes, coriander, groundnuts, garlic, Maggi seasoning (a bit like Worcestershire Sauce) and peanut butter.
The dish may seem vegetarian, but just be aware that the stock is usually made with boiled beef bones, which also gives it a meaty flavour
SAMOSAS
My favourite East African street food is the small but mighty samosa, a triangular pastry snack, usually filled with beef, chicken, fish and/or vegetables. They’re sold in restaurants, shops and often by local people walking along the beach or road – this is great when you are hungry on a long bus journey as you can usually buy them out of the window. The best samosas I’ve ever had in my life were made by a lady called Jameela and the Shela Women’s Association in Lamu, Kenya. We had them on our sunset cruise (above with onion bhajis and viazi karai which are deep-fried potatoes with flour and turmeric) and immediately booked a cooking lesson to learn how to make them.
CONCLUSION:
East African cuisine offers an unforgettable adventure for your taste buds, showcasing the unique fusion of indigenous ingredients and diverse cultural influences. Each dish tells a story, whether it is the comforting simplicity of Ugali, the fiery passion of Nyama Choma, hearty stews like Isombe and Mtori. These flavors will stay with you long after the last bite, giving you a deeper appreciation for the culinary traditions of this remarkable part of the world. So, whether you are planning a trip to East Africa, these dishes are a true celebration of its vibrant and delicious heritage.
