Karoga night - YUM!

It is another dull day. This morning on our way to work it was looking as if the sun would be out but now I can hardly see across the runway as I glance out the office window. I am definately not dressed for an evening out of doors poolside (midweek dress crisis, I loose enthusiasm after a few days).
Tonight is the monthly karoga night at the aeroclub.
Each month 3 member volunteer to cook. It is an opportunity for us to relax and not have to think about rushing back to work.

What is a karoga, you ask?

It is an uniquely Kenyan gastronomic experience. the word 'karoga' translates into english as 'to stir'. The tradition was, apparently, started by the Indian workers brought out by the British to build the Mombasa to Uganda railway (the lunatic express, as it is affectionately know). They would start the cooking of their lunch time curry early in the day, adding different spices and bits and pieces, everyone having a stir as they passed by the pot. By lunch time they would have a wonderfully fragrant slow cooked curry.
Thank goodness the tradition stuck and has become part of Kenyan culture. It is one of the most delicious meals I have texperienced and my mouth is watering just thinking about tonight, I can already smell the spices as we all stand around the pot to keep warm.

My friend Nish, a Kenyan of Indian decent, first introduced me to the karoga and he is a true artist (except for the one that burned when we were at French Patrick's house and were enjoying a few too many glasses and not concentrating on the cooking!).
The last one we did was for Jim's birthday, in January. It was great, I had very little to do except for a few salads and the birthday cake. Anna, having become quite an accomplished cooker of Indian food under the guidance of Nish and her mother in law, has made all the chapatis and the kachembari - salad made of chopped tomato, onion, corainder and chilli.
Nish and his wife Anna (she of the bump in the royal wedding photo) turned up mid afternoon with ingredients and equipment and set about things on the terrace. Of course the obligatory Tusker beer is at hand to give Nish the energy needed.
Thinking I would be very helpful I had told them not to bring chillis as we had loads in the garden. Anna took one look and pulled me aside 'they have to be green, he won't use the red ones at all' Damn!!
In the car, rush down to the local market, buy a load of green chillis, rush back, and present them, pretending nothing untoward has occured at all.
The guest arrive and in true tradition everyone gives advice on what is needed to improve flavour. We finally eat around 7pm. By purists, this would probably be considered a short cook.

The karoga tonight will be a little different in that it is being overseen by three women! Apparently it started as a bit of a joke between Tara, Irene and their friend Helen.  Now the reality is looming - Tara says she can't cook (her husband, Neil is a chef), Irene, who I work with, is panicing about getting the spices correct, so it seems it will be up to Helen who has slight experience as her husband Stirling is of Indian decent. And of course there will be plenty of advice from the crowd. Irene is particularly frantic today, getting flights out and organising crews, I have just told her she has to calm down, she will pass her stress onto the food. She thinks once she has the aroma of the spices and the atmosphere of the evening things will be fine. We shall see! You will see the results in this weeks photo Friday.

 

The master sets the scene

 

All attention around the pot