Githeri; an African dish

Githeri is a corn and bean one pot meal which originated from the Kikuyu tribe of Kenya. It is also known as “adalu” in Western Nigeria,”makande” in Tanzania; and “cornchaff” in Cameroon.

In Kenya it became more popular from a funny story about the “Githeri man”. During an elections in Kenya, “Githeri man” was spotted eating githeri from a transparent plastic bag absentmindedly; while waiting on a queue to vote. He became an overnight internet sensation.

This food can be made with lots of different vegetables and spices.The corn is normally cooked first using a pot, and then the beans are added. This is done to ensure that they are evenly cooked and finished at the same time. The timing is vital and it can be estimated only by testing the food. 

Gither which consist of beans and corn combination both contain incomplete sources of amino acids. Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins.  Corn protein lacks some basic amino acids which beans have; while beans lack some basic amino acids, which corn have; hence why they complement each other well.