DELIGHTS OF RWANDA

TH E EM BASSY OF TH E REPUBLIC OF RW ANDA, ANKARA Fr om Our Kitchen DEL IGH T S OF REM A RKA BL E RW A NDA 2020, AUGUST

RWANDAN CUISINE The cuisine of Rwanda is based on traditional subsistence agriculture. Rwandan food is neither spicy nor hot. People eat delicious meals made with locally grown ingredients, consisting mainly of sweet potatoes, beans, corn, peas, millet, plantains, cassava, and fruit. The potato is very popular. In urban areas meat is more plentiful. The most popular meats are beef and chicken. People who live near lakes may catch and eat fish. Fish, especially giant tilapia, known as ?big fish? there, is popular in the regions near the lake. One fish can feed three or four people. It is a family favorite and typically prepared with stuffed onions and various spices and served alongside grilled potatoes. Another popular fish is tiny and called sambaza. These little fish are caught by fisherman in the lake at sunset using tightly woven nets. They are fried in a thick batter and typically served with mayonnaise. Other popular dishes are Brochettes, skewers or spits often grilled with goat meat. When it is made with goat intestines it is called zingalo. Brochettes can also be made with other grilled meats or fish. Ubunyobwa is a thick and spicy peanut sauce usually served with chapati, a delicious flat bread. Akabenz is a barbecued pork dish and is usually served with beer. Matoke is another dish made from spiced plantains steamed in banana leaves. A traditional breakfast consists of sweet potatoes and porridge. Lunch and dinner may consist of boiled beans, bananas, sweet potatoes or cassava. Umutsima (a dish of cassava and corn), isombe (cassava leaves with Eggplant and spinach) and mizuzu (fried plantains) are common dishes. Dinner is the heaviest meal. To drink, Urwagwa is popular in all the rural areas and made from fermented banana juice and sorghum flour. It is usually home brewed. Ikiviguto is a fermented whole milk, that is also loved. For snacks, Rwandans enjoy fruits, like pineapple, mangoes, bananas, papayas and avocadoes, along with roasted peanuts, popcorn, samosas and hard-boiled eggs. So now, let?s enjoy Rwandan meals!

A typical buffet setup with salad (in the front), rice, brown rice, boiled banana, etc.

MANDAZ I (AFR?KAN DONUT) - BBREAKFAST Ingredients: 3 cups all purpose flour 1/2 cup coconut milk 1/2 cup sugar 1 egg 1 tsp active dry yeast 1/2 cup warm water 1 Tbsp vegetable oil 1/2 tsp salt 1 tsp cardamom 1 tsp cinnamon vegetable oil for frying donuts 2 Tbsps confectioners sugar for dusting Procedure: - In a small bowl mix the yeast and warm water and stir. Let sit for 5 minutes until yeast dissolves. - In a large mixing bowl, add flour, salt, cardamom, and cinnamon and mix. Add vegetable oil, egg, coconut milk, sugar and yeast mixture. - Mix everything until the dough is not too sticky and it no longer sticks to the side of the bowl, add additional flour as needed. (you can use the dough hook on your mixer for this) - Place the dough in an oiled bowl and cover with a towel or plastic wrap. Let it rest for about an hour until the dough rises a little. - Heat oil in a deep fryer to 350 degrees or use a deep frying pan or wok. - Cut the dough into about 6 pieces to make it easier to roll and cut. Roll each piece so that the dough is about 1/2 inch in thickness. - Cut into triangles and place in hot oil. - Fry on both sides until golden. - Place donuts on paper towels to drain any excess oil. - Repeat with remaining dough. - Sprinkle with confectioners sugar and enjoy.

RWANDAN PORRIDGE - BBREAKFAST Ingredients: 125 g Sosoma (sorghum, soya and maize flour mixed in equal proportions) 2 l boiling water 250 ml cold water 12 tsp sugar Procedure: - Begin by mixing the Sosoma with the cold water. Add this mixture to the boiling water and stir gently for about 10 minutes. Allow to cool for serveral minutes, stir-in the sugar and serve. Ths is a traditonal dish and is trypically prepared for children for breakfast.

THE BEST COFFEE OF AFRICA IS SERVED IN RWAN DA A typical buffet setup with salad (in the front), rice, brown rice, boiled banana, etc.

?SOMBE - LUNCH Ingredients: 1 kg cassava leaves (Pounded) 1 package spinach 4 green onions or leak, chopped 2 green peppers ¼ litre palm oil (high-quality) 4-5 serving spoons ground nuts 3 Magi cubes 3 beef spice cubes Salt ? to taste 2 litres water Procedure: - In a pot, cover the cassava leaves with cold water and bring to a boil. Then strain the water out, and bring it back to the pot and boil for 45 minutes to 1 hour. - Prepare the other vegetables, cutting them in small pieces and add to the pot. Mix and boil for another 15 minutes. - Add the palm oil and the ground nuts and keep stirring to avoid it sticking on the pot which will lead it to burn. - Season with salt and the other spices. - Reduce the heat to minimum and simmer for 30 min to 1 hour.

RWANDAN BEEF STEW - LUNCH Ingredients: 2 pounds stewing beef, cut into 1/2- inch pieces 1 medium onion, chopped 2 tablespoons peanut oil 3 large green plantains, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch slices 4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 large tomato, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper Procedure - In a heavy casserole dish, brown the beef and onion in oil. - Rub the plantain slices with lemon juice and add them to the browned beef and onions. - Cook for 5 minutes over low heat, stirring constantly to make sure they do not stick. - Add the remaining ingredients and water to cover them. - Cover the casserole and cook over low heat for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. - Add more water if needed, and stir occasionally so that the ingredients do not stick. - Serve it with a crusty bread to sop up all the sauce. Enjoy!

UGAL? LUNCH Ingredients: 4 cups water 2 teaspoons salt 2 cups white cornmeal, finely ground (or substitute hominy grits) Procedure: - Bring the water and salt to a boil in a heavy- bottomed saucepan. Stir in the cornmeal slowly, letting it fall though the fingers of your hand. - Reduce heat to medium-low and continue stirring regularly, smashing any lumps with a spoon, until the mush pulls away from the sides of the pot and becomes very thick, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool somewhat. Variations: Bring the water and salt to a boil in a heavy- bottomed saucepan. Stir in the cornmeal slowly, letting it fall though the fingers of your hand. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue stirring regularly, smashing any lumps with a spoon, until the mush pulls away from the sides of the pot and becomes very thick, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool somewhat. Notes: Ugali is usually served as an accompaniment to meat or vegetable stews, greens or soured milk. To eat ugali, pull off a small ball of mush with your fingers. Form an indentation with your thumb, and use it to scoop up accompanying stews and other dishes. Or you can form larger balls with your hands or an ice cream scoop, place them in individual serving bowls and spoon stew around them.

A typical buffet with salad (in front) rice, brown rice, boiled banana, etc.

?G?SAFUL?YA - DINNER Malzemeler: 4 chicken thighs 2 onions , chopped 2 leeks (white and green parts), thinly sliced 4 green bell peppers , seeded and cut 4 tomatoes , peeled, seeded, and diced 5 celery stalks , chopped (including leaves) 4 plantain bananas , peeled, cut in half lengthwise and then cut in half 10 oz. spinach , fresh or frozen 3 tablespoons tomato paste 4 tablespoons sunflower oil 1 hot pepper (optional) Procedure: - In a pot with hot oil, sear chicken over medium-high heat to color on all sides. - Add onion, leeks and peppers. Stir and leave about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. - Add the tomatoes, celery and tomato paste and mix well. Cook on medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring regularly. - Cover with water, salt, pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes. - Then remove 2 pieces of chicken, place the plantains, cover them with the spinach and put the chicken back on top. Add water if necessary so that the bananas are fully submerged. - Cover, add the whole hot pepper, and simmer over low heat for about 25 minutes. The liquid should not evaporate too much during cooking, as there should be a lot of sauce left. Enjoy

RWANDAN-BEANS WITH CASSAVA DINNER Ingredients: 200 g pinto, barlotti or rosecoco beans 300 g cassava, cut into chunks 4 celery sticks, chopped 1 onion, siced Oil for frying Salt, to taste Procedure: - Soak the beans in plenty of water over night. The following day rinse the beans, place in a large pot half-full of water. Bring to a boil and allow to simmer for about two hours, or until the beans are almost soft. Add the cassava at this point and boil for about ten minutes, or until they are almost cooked. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a pan and fry the onions until almost tender. Add the celery and continue cooking until this softens. Drain the beans, add them to the pan containing the onions and lightly mash the ingredients. Season and mix the ingredients well. Serve with green vegetables and a sauce such as Kachumbari.

BANANAS WITH SPLIT GREEN PEAS- DINNER Ingredients: 400 g dried split green peas, soaked over night 4 ripe bananas 1/2 tsp salt 2 tbsp palm oil or groundnut oil with 2 tsp paprika 1 small onion, thinly sliced Procedure: - Add the peas to a pan cover with water and bring to a boil. Simmer until tender (about 90 minutes). When the peas are done peel the bananas and lay them whole on top of the peas (do not mix). Continue to cook the mixture for about 10 minutes until the bananas are very soft. Add a little water if necessary to prevent the peas from sticking to the base of the pot. Meanwhile heat the palm oil in a frying pan that's large enough to hold the peas and bananas. Brown the onions in the oil. Then, with a slotted spoon, remove the bananas and peas from the first pot and add to the onions. Sprinkle in the salt and continue to cook, over medium heat, stirring gently but constantly until all the oil has been absorbed. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

MATOKE -DINNER Rwanda produce bananas in large quantities. Matoke is made from bananas, fried with onions and seasoned with salt. Freshly ground spices give your matoke a hot-sweet taste that you?ll enjoy. You may have it slightly wet, or with a spoonful of raw vegetables. Some fried beef does the trick too. BEANS and AVOCADOS w ith BOILED SWEET POTATOES - DINNER This is a very simple meal but often eaten. The components are boiled sweet potatoes, cooked beans and fresh avocados. There are a LOT of avocados in Rwanda and they're eaten regularly. These aren't your normal avocados either ? they're giant! There aren't a lot of spices or flavors used to make these but it's a filling, vegetarian meal.

Brochettes Rwandan Food is like Rwandan music. Neither spicy nor hot... Isombe

BROCHETTE - SNACK Ingredients: 1 lb goat meat or beef cut into 1 inch cubes 1 onion quartered 5 fresh ripe plum tomatoes, crushed 1/2 small can of tomato puree 1/2 onion diced 1 bouillon cube Maggi 6 pili-pili chilies use any hot chili you like Vegetable oil Salt to taste Procedure: - Soak the wooden skewers in water for about 20 minutes. - Form the brochettes by alternately threading meat and 2 to 3 pieces of onion onto the skewer. - Mix the crushed tomatoes, the diced onions and the pili-pili chilies (pounded to a paste) along with the tomato puree. This should create a medium thick sauce; add a little oil and water to attain the desired consistency. - Reserve half of the sauce for dipping. - Put half the sauce in a pan with the skewers and turn to coat, let marinade for 30 minutes. - Then lay the skewer on the grill Brush the sauce on all sides of the brochettes, adding more of the sauce as you turn them. Turn them about 3 times. Allow it to cook for about 3 minutes. The brochettes are ready when just cooked through (about 8-10 minutes) and should be a nice reddish color, due to the sauce. - Serve with sweet potato fries and use the reserved sauce for dipping.

RWANDAN CHICKEN - SNACK Ingredients: 1 large chicken, cut into serving pieces 3 tbsp oil 1 onion, thinly siced 3 large tomatoes, blanched, peeled and mashed 2 ceelry sticks, cut into thin rounds 1 tsp salt 1 hot chilli pepper, pounded to a paste Procedure: - Fry the chicken in hot oil until golden brown all over. - Remove from the oil and set aside then fry the onions in the same pot until golden brown. - Now return the chicken to the pot and add the tomatoes, celery, salt and chilli. - Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the chicken is done (about 40 minutes). Serve on a bed of rice

KACHUMBAR?- SNACK Ingredients: 5 tomatoes, thinly sliced 2 small onions, very thinly sliced 1 red chilli, cut lengthways into 5 strips handful of fresh coriander, finely chopped juice of 1 lime 3 tbsp olive oil Salt and freshly-ground black pepper Cayenne pepper to decorate Procedure: - Layer the tomatoes, sliced onions, chilli and coriander in a large serving bowl. Mix the lime juice an olive oil together and toss this mixture through the slad. Season with salt and black pepper, sprinkle some cayenne pepper over the top and serve.

IBIRAYA (RWANDAN FRIESI) - SNACK Potatoes are largely grown in the country. Ibirayi is similar to the French fries you buy at your local store. The unique thing about these traditional fries is the mode of preparation. In most cases, the locals use young unpeeled potatoes sliced into halves. The pieces are boiled in water filled with freshly ground spices. They are then deep-fried till brown and crispy. Ibirayi is served best with Brochettes (barbequed meat). Many people pair this with local beer. MIZ UZ U (DEEP-FRIED PLANTAINS) - SNACK With Rwanda having plantains in plenty, the people have creative ways of making delicious treats. Mizuzu is similar to banana chips you?ll find almost everywhere. However, are sliced into thick, circular pieces. The pieces are deep-fried until they turn golden brown. Natural banana honey is sprinkled for glazing.

Thanks to its fertile volcanic soils and mild climate, Rwanda tea, which is grown in perfect conditions, is among the country's largest export products.

Rw an da in Tu r key Kigali Con ven t ion Cen t er Rw an da