Maharagwe

Ooo, doesn’t that title sound fancy?

Dinner tonight came mostly out of the pantry and the freezer.  Maharagwe is a basic Kenyan meal and means “beans” in Kiswahili.   I adapted this recipe to suit our palates and what ingredients we had on hand.

Serve this over rice, quinoa or couscous or with some flatbread.  Yum.

Maharagwe

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2-3 cups black beans (we used some I cooked and froze a long time ago, but 2 cans rinsed would do just fine too).
1 15-ounce can coconut milk
1 15-ounce can chopped tomatoes, drained
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon curry powder
¼ teaspoon turmeric
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 teaspoons honey
¼ teaspoon pepper

1. In a large soup pot, heat olive oil and sauté onion and bell pepper until just tender.
2. Stir in beans, coconut milk, tomatoes, garlic, chile pepper, cumin, cardamom, curry, and turmeric. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer, stirring frequently, for 10-15 minutes, until flavors blend.
3. Stir in cilantro and honey, and season with salt and pepper. Serve hot.