Kikomando is a simple and affordable street food made of a combination of chapati and beans. It is a popular choice among university students and those looking for a quick and filling meal on the go. Let’s learn how to make Kikomando at Home.
What is Kikomando made of?
The main components of Kikomando are;
Chapati: Chapati is a type of unleavened flatbread commonly found in East Africa. It is made from wheat flour, water, and sometimes oil. The chapati is rolled out thin and cooked on a griddle or skillet.
Beans: The dish features cooked beans, particularly red kidney beans or cowpeas. The beans are usually boiled until tender and seasoned with spices such as onions, garlic, and salt.
Kikomando is originally made by cutting up pieces of Ugandan chapati and adding fried kidney beans to it. Current variations of kikomando have avocado, meat stew, gravy, chicken, or liver added to them.
How to make kikomando at Home?
Since kikomando is made out of basically made out chapati and beans we shall first learn to make the chapati and then the beans.
Ingredients for the Chapati recipe
2 cups of all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
Vegetable cooking oil
1 cup of warm water
Instructions for making chapati for Kikomando
- In a mixing bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, salt, and sugar. Mix well
- Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and add the vegetable oil
- Gradually add the warm water to the bowl while stirring the mixture with a spoon or your hands. Continue adding water until the dough comes together and is soft and pliable
- You may need more or less water depending on the humidity and other factors, so adjust accordingly.
- Once the dough has formed, transfer it onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 5-7 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. Add a little more flour if the dough is too sticky.
- Divide the dough into small golf ball-sized portions. You should get around 8-10 portions.
- Brush the surface of the rolled-out circle with vegetable oil, spreading it evenly
- Starting from one edge, begin folding the oiled circle into a long strip, creating pleats as you fold
- Roll up the pleated strip into a spiral, tucking the end underneath. Flatten the spiral with your palm
- Repeat the process with the remaining portions of dough, rolling each into a thin circle, oiling, folding, and rolling into a spiral
- Heat a non-stick pan or skillet over medium heat.
- Take one of the spiralled dough portions and roll it out into a thin circle again on a lightly floured surface.
- Place the rolled-out chapati onto the heated pan and cook for about 1-2 minutes on each side until golden brown spots appear. Brush each side with a little vegetable oil while cooking.
- Remove the cooked chapati from the pan and keep it warm. Repeat the process with the remaining spiraled dough portions, rolling and cooking each chapati individually.
- Serve the warm chapatis as a side dish or as a wrap for various fillings.
Ingredients for the Beans recipe
- 1 cup cooked beans (red kidney beans or cowpeas)
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 small tomato, diced
- 1 small green chilli pepper, finely chopped
- Salt, taste
- Cooking oil
Instructions for making Beans for Kikomando
- Boil your fresh or dry beans until soft
- Heat a little cooking oil in a pan over medium heat
- Add the chopped onion and sauté until translucent
- Add the diced tomato and green chilli pepper (if using) and cook for a few minutes until the tomato softens
- Add the cooked beans and mix well
- Season with salt to taste
- Mash the beans slightly using the back of a spoon or a potato masher. This will help the beans stick to the chapati.
How to serve Kikomando?
Kikomando is finally served by cutting a chapati into small pieces. These are placed on a placed and beans are served above the chapati. You may eat it immediately but it is better to wait for the chapati to soften a bit under the soup and then you dig in. some people may prefer to add a fried egg on top of their kikomando, well, this will make it much more tasty.