Chai and Ngwaci(Sweet Potato) Hospitality

Here is one way i have been chasing home-style food. It is a story about breakfast and me. This particular selection works for any meal however…

My favourite breakfast for the longest time was hot, sweet ginger tea and a baked sweet potato. It has been a long time since i last ate this meal. I just had to put out this recipe for the greater palate to appreciate.

How to Make the TEA
(Disclaimer: To each his own tea making recipe)
Grate raw ginger. You need just but a pinch so dont go overboard.
Boil water with ginger as per the number of cups of tea, as in, three cups for three ‘chais’.
Let the mix boil for about 10-15 mins depending on how strong you want the tea.
Add tea leaves to your taste.
Allow the mix to boil for another 7-12 minutes.
Turn off the heat
Sieve the mixture into cups and fill up each cup 3/4 of the way. The other room is for milk, which you heat separately and add, or add cold for an instant cuppa!

The Baked NGWACI(Sweet Potato)
Wash the potato(s) scrubbing them clean.
Bake/Grill/Roast the potato until you can pass a knife through its skin to the flesh
Enjoy!

Ideally do these two cooking things simultaneously.

In the absence of the ‘kienyeji'(commonly available and non standard ingredients) as i now find myself doing.

For the TEA
Use a ginger tea brand like Peet’s and use a teaspoon or two for the boiling water.
For the NGWACI
Look for local equivalents. Be warned that some varieties cook faster than others so watch out.

Enjoy this meal with others.

La Femme Afrique shows topical insights from an African woman living in the United States. Africa content includes the arts, writing, food and people.