The Foods You Need When You Aren’t Just Feeling It…
We all, at some point, lose appetite. The feeling of having no interest in food can deprive essential nutrients in the body. And before you know it, you are malnutrition. Knowing how to get your appetite back is one of the incredible ways of keeping your body sane. With these 4 African appetizers below, you can be back to tasting and enjoying all foods as if they are your favorites. Just have a look!
1. Eggah
Eggah is an Egyptian Omelette which is heavy and thick. The delicacy almost resembles a pancake. However, unlike Omelette, which contains eggs as the main ingredient, Eggah may contain other ingredients like lamb, chicken, and vegetables like leeks, spinach, and aubergines.
The dish is then flavored with fresh herbs, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, or nutmeg. And here is how to prepare yours.
Ingredients
8 eggs
1 bunch of coriander (chopped)
4 tbsp olive oil
2 bell peppers (finely chopped)
1tsp ground Pepper
1tsp turmeric powder
2 medium-sized onions (finely chopped)
1 chili pepper
2 diced tomatoes
-Guide-
- Beat your eggs in a large bowl. Add salt, turmeric, chili, and pepper and mix them properly
- Sauté onions until they attain a translucent look. Add tomatoes, coriander, and bell pepper. Cook for 4 minutes under medium-low heat then set aside to cool down
- Mix your vegetables with egg blend that you prepared on step 1
- Add 2 tbsp of cooking oil in a skillet and heat for about a minute under low heat. Add the mixture and cook it for about three minutes until both sides attain a brownish appearance
- Serve with pita bread
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2. Mechouia Salad
Mechouia is a popular Tunisian salad that boasts of its incredible taste. The salad is popularly consumed during summer but can be a great first course for your dinner.
In addition to its unique taste, Mechouia salad is known for its health benefits. The salad is a great source of Vitamin E, C, K, folate, and potassium. It is also a great source of Lycopene antioxidant, which helps minimizes heart complications and cancer.
In North African, the salad is used to minimize inflammation and accelerate infection healing.
How to prepare yours
Ingredients
3 onions
4 jalapeno peppers
3 hard-boiled eggs
3 whole garlic cloves (unpeeled)
4 tomatoes
1/2tsp salt
4 tbsp olive oil
Olives
-Guide-
- Wash all the ingredients with skin and wipe them dry
- Lightly grill your vegetables over a charcoal grill. Keep turning them to make sure they are evenly charred
- Place all the vegetables in a plastic bag or container and close tightly for easy skin removal. Give them time like 10 minutes to cool down for easy handling
- Once the veggies have cooled, open and remove the skin and deseed any vegetable that has seeds
- Put the vegetables in small chunks in a food processor and use the pulse option to avoid blending them. if you do not have a blender, you can finely chop your vegetables and mash them with a mortar and pestle
- When done blending everything, add pepper and salt and mix properly. Taste to ensure it’s well incorporated
- Serve your Mechouia is a plate and garnish with quality olives, hard-boiled eggs, and mizzle olive oil. Enjoy with bread.
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3. Kachumbari
Kachumbari is an East African salad which is normally prepared with fresh tomatoes and onions. The salad is used as a side dish for the main courses. And when your appetite is down, kachumbari never disappoints.
But one thing that makes the salad stand out is its versatility. You can pair it with almost everything, from rice, Githeri, Ugali, Mukimo, Nyama Choma (roasted meat), you name it, kachumbari comes in handy.
Ingredients
6 fresh tomatoes
1 bunch of coriander (chopped)
2 large onions (chopped)
1 green chili pepper (finely chopped)
Salt
Lemon (juiced and deseeded) or white vinegar
-Guide-
- Place your chopped tomatoes in a plate, along with onions, coriander, chili, and salt.
- Mix the ingredients with your fingers until they are evenly mixed. Sprinkle vinegar or lemon juice
- Enjoy the salad alone if your appetite is suppressed, or enjoy it with the main course.
4. Matbucha
Matbucha is a Moroccan meal starter. The salad is normally prepared using bell pepper and tomatoes with chili and garlic seasoning. In North Africa, Matbucha is part of the meze table.
The delicacy is usually served with flatbread and a generous drizzled olive oil.
Ingredients
6 red bell peppers
3tbsp olive oil
30oz crushed tomatoes (canned)
8 garlic cloves (peeled)
1tbsp sweet paprika
Salt
-Guide-
- Chop your pepper, and garlic into small pieces
- Put them in a blender and blend them into a thick puree
- Heat oil in a pot, then add your pepper and garlic puree. Cook it for about 8 minutes under medium-low heat
- Add salt, crushed tomatoes, and paprika. Lower the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes, then stir to avoid sticking. Cover for another 10 minutes remove from heat
- Leave it to cool, then transfer it in a jar. Do not fill it to the rim. Close it and refrigerate it for one night before using it. Add olive oil on top to keep it fresh
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