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I’ve been a fan of Kiano Moju's for a while. I followed her career when I first saw her on Tasty and was super impressed when she left to start her own media company, Jikoni Studios (specializing in food and kitchen content) in 2019 and Jikoni Recipe Archive, a nonprofit celebrating African and Black food and food ways by documenting African cooks and amplifying African culture.
I reached out to her a while back on Instagram to hang whenever she might be in NYC (Kiano is California-based) because we’d never met IRL before.
Lucky for me, she was going to be in town pretty soon after I reached out, so we met up for drinks in Manhattan.
It’s always wonderful to chat with people who do similar things that you do for work, and especially great to talk with someone who is so inspiring.
Knowing that Kiano had a book coming out this fall, I immediately invited her to come over and collaborate / cook something from her new book, AfriCali.
It goes without saying that we had a blast and Kiano’s recipe for Chickpeas in Coconut Sauce is simple, nourishing, and something that I will one hundred percent be making over and over again.
And you should, too.
It’s a very pantry-friendly recipe with a really nice little kick of heat to it. The cilantro freshens it up (sorry any cilantro-haters out there) and chickpeas are one of my favorite legumes.
Plus, coconut milk.
mmm coconut milk, ilysm.
Questions with Kiano below, as well as the recipe, but don’t forget to grab a copy of her book! There are a ton of other recipes in there that you’re definitely going to want to make.
Farideh: What is AfriCali cuisine?
Kiano: AfriCali is my way of cooking flavor-packed, everyday recipes that bring together the bold, vibrant tastes of Africa with California’s love for fresh, local produce. It’s about celebrating my heritage while embracing the laid-back, ingredient-driven cooking that California is known for. The recipes are rooted in the family dishes I grew up with, like Kenyan chapatis and Nigerian stews, but reimagined for today’s kitchen, using easily accessible ingredients that make cooking exciting, approachable, and full of flavor.
FS: What is your cooking philosophy?
KM: My philosophy is to never sacrifice flavor for convenience. For too long, people have equated international cuisine with being complicated and difficult, and many accept blandness for simplicity. I believe there’s no need to choose—you can have wonderfully flavor-forward meals that give you a sense of worldliness with a reasonable amount of effort. Every culture has its simple and more complex dishes, and I love bringing out bold flavors in ways that are approachable for everyday cooking.
FS: What and who are some of your biggest inspirations in the kitchen?
KM: My biggest inspirations are the women in my family—especially my grandma, who I'm named after, and my mother. My grandma is very detailed like me in the kitchen, while my mother nurtured my passion for cooking, even though it was very much a chore for her. She put me in cooking classes, encouraged me, and always hyped me up so that I believed in my abilities, even before I really had them.
FS: How do Kenyan curries differ from Indian or Thai curries?
KM: Kenyan curries are a perfect middle ground between the aromatic curries of Thailand and the spiced curries of India. They rely heavily on alliums and fresh produce, creating a fragrant, flavorful base. They are moderately spiced, using just a few key spices that pair with the aromatics to further build flavor. Coconut milk is often used, giving the curries a wonderful texture and richness without being too heavy. The result is a balanced curry that’s aromatic, flavorful, and satisfying without being overwhelming in spice or heat.
FS: What are the 3 ingredients that you can't live without?
KM: Green cardamom, garlic ginger paste, and sea salt.
Green cardamom adds a fragrant, floral warmth to both savory and sweet dishes. It’s essential in my baking & savory spice blends, and you don’t need to be shy with how much you use.
I make my own garlic ginger paste to make cooking throughout the week a breeze. It’s a flavor-building essential that helps even the laziest meals flavor-packed.
I keep salt in my handbag at all times. Right now, I have the Jacobsen garlic sea salt mini tin. Good salt can make most dishes decent enough to eat.
FS: You may not have a signature dish, but what is one of your favorite dishes to make for yourself and your favorite dish to make for others?
KM: For myself, I love making suya-spiced grilled lamb chops—they’re simple, yet packed with flavor. For others, I love making Swahili Chicken Biriyani. Kenyan biriyani is very saucy, and it’s perfect because you can make it ahead of time and let it slowly bubble away until your guests arrive. This dish makes it easy to feed a group a delicious meal while still enjoying the party - I just made at a friend’s house last night while touring in London!
Chickpeas in Coconut Sauce Recipe
Serves 4
Prep time: 15 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes
INGREDIENTS
for the garlic ginger paste:
â…“ pound whole fresh ginger
â…“ pound (about 30) garlic cloves
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
for the chickpeas in coconut sauce:
2 (14-ounce) cans chickpeas
1 medium onion
1 medium green bell pepper
¼ cup avocado or coconut oil
4 green onions
2 tablespoons garlic ginger paste
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons garam masala
2 teaspoons chili flakes
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
fine sea salt
1 (14-ounce) can coconut milk
1 cup chicken or vegetable stock
handful fresh cilantro
chapati, grains, or any kind of flatbread, for serving
DIRECTIONS
Make the garlic ginger paste: Leaving the skin on, chop the ginger into ½-inch pieces.
Pulse the chopped ginger, garlic, and salt in a food processor until smooth. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Make the chickpeas in coconut sauce: Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Set aside. Finely chop the onion and place into a small bowl. Finely chop the bell pepper and add to the same bowl.
Heat the avocado oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the onion and bell pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion has softened and is lightly golden on the edges, 3 to 4 minutes. Meanwhile, thinly slice the green onions.
Add the green onions, garlic ginger paste, and cumin seeds to the pot, and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes.
Stir in the tomato paste, garam masala, chili flakes, paprika, turmeric, and 1 teaspoon salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomato paste darkens, 2 to 3 minutes.
Slowly stir in the coconut milk until the tomato paste dissolves. Then stir in the chickpeas and chicken stock. Season with salt to taste, allow to come to a simmer, and cook uncovered for 10 minutes.
Roughly chop the cilantro (leaves and stems). When ready to serve, turn off the heat, and stir in the cilantro, reserving a few leaves for garnish. Serve in bowls garnished with the reserved cilantro leaves, and enjoy with the chapati, grains, or any kind of flatbread.
Excerpted from AfriCali. Copyright ©2024, Kiano Moju. Photography Copyright ©2023 by Kristin Teig. Reproduced by permission of Simon Element, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, LLC. All rights reserved.
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Thanks, Kiana, for your stories.. Always brings the recipes "home". Farideh, thanks for the intro! Looks like a great holiday gift!