Month: July 2014

How to Make Spicy Fried Meat Balls

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I find meat balls very easy to prepare. I make mine from scratch at home and I must admit I really love the whole process.

I include few ingredients and I always make sure to add chilli pepper because I love them spicy.

Here is a recipe I often use that will teach you how to make spicy meatballs. I do hope you follow through and enjoy them as much as I do.

Ingredients

  •  1/4 kg meat
  •  1 finely chopped onion
  •  1/4 teaspoon salt
  •  1 teaspoon ground chilli pepper
  •  6 crushed garlic cloves
  •  Freshly chopped corriander/dania
  •  1 egg
  •  1/2 cup breadcrumbs
  •  1 cup cooking oil

I make breadcrumbs from a few slices of brown bread. I dry the slices by placing them on a hot frying pan then crumble them.

I have a small meat mincer in my kitchen that I use to make this recipe.

We will start by cleaning the meat and then chopping it into small pieces as shown below.



The next step is to grind the meat in the mincer as we let it fall into a bowl.

I bought the above meat mincer about two and a half years ago and so far it has served me well. I use it often and the fun part of this is actually transforming the chopped pieces of beef into minced meat.

Since my kitchen sink is too big for me to clamp the mincer, I prefer using my study desk (you can use any flat surface as long as it clamps firmly).

Procedure

  1. Beat the egg in a bowl and set aside.
  2. Mix the other ingredients except the breadcrumbs in a separate bowl and mix thoroughly.
  3. Once the ingredients have fully mixed pour in the egg and continue mixing.

  4.  In the meantime, pour the oil in a deep frying pan and bring to medium heat.
  5.  Using your hands, form small balls of the mixture and coat with the breadcrumbs.
  6.  Fry all the prepared meat balls in batches until they brown on both sides but be careful not to overcook them.
  7.  After a few minutes of frying remove from heat and place on paper towels to drain  excess oil.
  8.  Serve.

    The spicy fried meatballs are great in the morning for breakfast. They can also be served with other dishes like rice, spaghetti or ugali for lunch and/or dinner. You can make very tasty soup with these spicy meatballs and enjoy a hearty dinner.

    A vegetable salad could come in handy to provide the needed vitamins for a complete balanced diet.

    Get creative and add any other spices of your choice. I guarantee if you use my simple recipe you will love them and make them as often as I do. 

    How to Make Kenyan Mandazi

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    Since mandazis are very popular in Kenya and one reader requested that I share a recipe for making them, here is a simple version which makes very tasty snacks.

    The mandazis are great in the morning for breakfast or at any time of the day. They are normally served with a cup of hot tea or any beverage of choice. Mixing and kneading does not take long and it requires few ingredients.

    Ingredients:

    • 4 cups of wheat flour
    • 1 tablespoon of salt
    • 4 tablespoons margarine/butter
    • 5 tablespoons of baking powder
    • 1/2 cup of sugar
    • 1/2 tablespoon black pepper
    • 1 cup of water/milk

    Procedure:

    1. Put the black pepper in a small mortar and pound till roughly grounded.
    2. Mix the flour, salt, baking powder, sugar and black pepper in a bowl.
    3. Use a spoon to add the margarine/butter to the flour mixture and mix well using your fingers. Take some amount of the margarine and run it through the flour mixing the two with your fingers. Do this until all the flour has been mixed with the margarine.
    4. Pour in the milk/water into the flour bowl and mix. Knead the dough to a smooth consistency.
    5. Let it stand for about thirty minutes then divide the dough into four smaller portions.
    6. Add oil to a deep frying pan and bring the oil to high heat.
    7. In the meantime apply some flour on a rolling board or flat surface, then using a rolling pin roll out the first dough to a circular shape.
    8. Cut the dough into four equal pieces as shown below.

      9.   Once the oil is quite hot, carefully drop each piece into the pan. Notice as it immediately starts browning on the first side and after two minutes turn it over to cook the other side. Depending on the size of your deep frying pan, you can cook four or more mandazis at the same time.
      10. Once both sides are browned, remove from heat and drain on paper towels.
      11. Serve.

        The above images show one circular dough being divided into four equal pieces. However, you may cut the dough into smaller pieces  and cook them together depending on the size of the pan.
        The black pepper gives the mandazis a nice flavour. 
        Since this recipe takes less than an hour to prepare and cook, these mandazis can be made early in the morning before breakfast and served with a cup of tea, milk or a glass of fresh fruit juice.
        They can also be carried by the kids to school as a morning snack, or to the office.

        Make yourself these delicious mandazis and please let me know how it went in the comments below.