Chicken lollipop

​Chicken lollipop is a starter or biting /Finger food popular throughout Indian and Chinese(oriental) cuisine . Chicken lollipop is, essentially  a frenched /pulled chicken winglet, where the meat is cut loose from the bone and pushed down creating a lollipop appearance. It is usually served hot with Szechuan sauce,optional though. 

Pulling the winglet for a lollipop

Chicken lollipop is usually prepared using the middle segment of the chicken wing .

Our main ingredients (soy,winglets and garlic ginger paste.)

 The middle segment has one of the two bones removed, and the flesh on the segments is pushed to one end of the bone. 

These are then coated in a spicy red chili powder , ginger-garlic paste and soy sauce. The coated chicken is then marinated for a couple of minutes or hours or even over night  in the refrigerator. The marinated chicken is usually deep fried in oil, but another ideal choice includes baking or char-grilling. The bone end of the chicken lollipop is sometimes wrapped with an aluminium foil .

Ingredients :Serves 2 – 4 as a starter 

4-6 chicken lollypops 

 1 tablespoon Garlic – Ginger paste

Salt to taste

 1 tablespoon soy sauce 

Oil for deep-frying

For the sauce (optional) 

Ginger and garlic  chopped 1 tablespoon

Red chilli paste 1   tablespoons

1/2 water

Cornflour 1 teaspoon heaped 

Spring onion and salad greens Chopped for garnishing

Method :

Step 1. 

Ready marinated pulled chicken winglets

Combine chicken lollypops, ginger-garlic paste, salt  and soy sauce in a bowl and mix well. Marinate the chicken for 30 minutes or more as indicated above. 

Step 2

Heat sufficient oil in a wok. 

Waiting for oil to heat

Step 3

Combine ginger, garlic, red chilli paste,  cornflour, salt and in another bowl and mix well. Add little water and mix well till a thin mixture is formed.

Step 4

Frying the lollipops till golden brown

Dip marinated lollypops in hot oil till golden. Drain on absorbent paper.

Step 5

In a separate pan heat the Chilli  mixture till it thicken slighltly  and Mix the lollipop with the hot sauce. (But if you dont need the sauce then serve at step 4.

Garnish with chopped spring onion , salad greens and serve hot.

Served with the hot sauce on side

 

Taitas kimanga

Taitas are one of the Kenyan Bantu tribe which consists of three sub tribes namely Wadawida,  Wasaghala (Sagalla) and Wataveta (Taveta).
The languages of these three sub – tribes are very similar to each other and to the Swahili language. The Wadawida sub- tribe is the largest of the three .The Taita Hills brings with it the natural beauty of one of the largest  wildlife game park, The Tsavo National Park. 

The Taita hills consist of three main hills: Dawida ,Saghala , and Kasighau . Dawida is by far the most massive, fertile, and densely populated area of the Taita tribe. 

Before Tsavo was turned into a national game reserve, these plains were important game-hunting grounds for the Taita Tribe.Taita people have since assimilated with many western values and most of their traditional cultures have faded away. 

But Having said that he Taita’s staple  traditional diet is still recognized by even the young generation today. Taita traditional diet consisted of bananas, pumpkins, cassava, beans, sweet potatoes, cowpeas, and millet . Occasionally, this diet would be supplemented with game meat hunted from the plains. However, once the Taita started growing maize (corn), and after the government restricted hunting, Ugali and green cooked vegetables, especially became their staple food.

Kimanga (a mashed combination of beans plus either cassava, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, or bananas) is still a traditional Taita delicacy prepared during special occasions. It is often accompanied by mbangara , a traditional Taita drink made of sugarcane, cornstarch and cassava. 

Experience Kenyan culture on a safari and meet the Taita people  on your way to safari on the Tsavo National park. 

Kimanga is one simple dish to prepare. 

You will need:(appr. 4 people) For a Sweet potato version. 

Boiled sweet Potatoes and beans

Boiled butternut

300g Beans or Cowpeas /pegion  peas boiled
250g or 2pcs big Sweet Potatoes boiled

150-200g boiled pumpkin/butternut

Salt to taste

Method ;

Put all the Ingredients in one pot and mash till you get a nice  mixed consistency. Season and serve with Garden greens and some meat stew as explained on the intro. (Alternatively use Cassava in place of Sweet Potatoes.)  

However, if you desire, chop some onions, saute with butter and Mix the mashed mixture to give it a more modern taste…. And flavour-packed dish.