Sardines popularly known in Kenya as ‘Omena’ is a common accompaniment to Kenya’s staple food, ugali.
Omena is a small type of fish, silver in color, and is found in Kenya’s Lake Victoria.
By the way, Kenyans claim that the Luo people of Kenya: a community that lives around Lake Victoria, are uniquely intelligent and bright thanks to their consumption of Omena, which is conveniently at their disposal.
This type of fish is dense in calcium and protein and is also very affordable, therefore it is loved in many Kenyan homes, especially young families with growing children.
So here’s a simple recipe for making this popular Kenyan dish.
Recipe
250 gms of sundried sardines
2 litres hot water
1 litre cold water
1 cup cooking oil
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1 large chopped onion
2 medium-sized juicy chopped tomatoes
1 medium chopped capsicum
5 pieces of chopped coriander
a pinch of salt
Procedure
First, put your sardines in a large bowl, and sort them out to make sure there are no dirt and sand particles.
Once your sardines are all sorted out, pour 2 cups of hot water into the large bowl with the sardines, using a slotted cooking spoon, clean gently by mixing for about 5 minutes, this ensures that all dirt and sand deposits on and in the fish come out.
Drain out the dirty water, put in another 2 cups of the hot water, and repeat the cleaning process, drain the dirty water and repeat the cleaning process one more time.
Once your sardines are all clean, give them a last rinse using cold water, once done, transfer them to a strainer, and let the sardines drain the excess water for about 2o minutes.
Heat the 2 cups of cooking oil in a medium-sized pot, and let it get completely hot. Pro tip: Sprinkle a dash of salt in the hot cooking oil, this will help the hot oil not to splash out much, once you put in the sardines.
Deep fry your sardines in the hot oil till they get crunchy and a little brown.
In a medium-sized cooking pot, put 2 tablespoons of cooking oil, and let it heat up.
Add the chopped onions, let it cook till brown.
Add the chopped tomatoes, and let it cook till it gets into a saucy consistency.
Throw in your chopped capsicums, followed by your deep-fried sardines, and mix them up such that the sauce covers up most of the sardines.
Add salt to taste
Cook in low heat for like 5 minutes.
Add 250 ml of water, cover, and cook for another 7 minutes in low heat, this will give you a thick soupy sauce.
Turn off the fire, throw in your chopped coriander, cover, and let it cook in the steam for 2 minutes.
Serve with hot ugali and greens of your choice, I like mine with either spinach or traditional vegetables, sometimes with kale (haha.., yes, I said it, kale, and now you are all cringed up, ok sorry then, no kale!).
Enjoy your Kenyan Omena!
