Welcome to my first blog! Please make yourself cosy in my world of culinary magic.
I have decided to start my blog with our all-time celebratory meal. Rice and chicken, yes this is the
traditional special occasion dish. It is not a real Zimbabwean wedding if there is no rice, chicken
and most of all coleslaw salad. It was my mother’s go-to fancy Sunday after church lunch. I
absolutely looked forward to it and its s one of the best-shelved childhood memory.
So, rice and chicken is not just any ordinary meal for me. Preparing it takes me back to a place that
makes me smile with fond memories. Back in boarding school we also had this meal every Sunday
and it was always the highlight of the week as this was a top tier meal accompanied by dessert. I
can safely say rice and chicken don’t only taste good, but it also makes me fuzzy inside.
Disclaimer: You will notice from this blog and others to follow that my meal plans are based on my
childhood memories, infused with a twist from what I have learned in my culinary journey and life
experience as well as my creativity from the curious case of an experimental chef. I don’t just cook,
there is always a story behind it. Most of the dishes that I make have a unique character trait that
stems from my personality and values. Discover more about my cooking from my website Mo’s
Kitchen Diaries, a place of creativity, excellence, and passion.

When I hear salad, I don’t envision a fancy cucumber, broccoli, cherry tomatoes seeds, nuts and
pomegranate seeds with a fancy dressing or drizzled with extra virgin olive oil. Salad connotes
Mayonnaise/salad cream and shredded cabbage. Coleslaw salad. This creamy humble salad is the
only salad I grew up knowing. I am sure a lot of Zimbabweans can attest to that.
Sundays have always been special to me, so much that I have carried the rice-chicken tradition with
my own family and kids. I am also starting to embrace how Sundays are treated in other cultures. I
am in the UK and here Sunday roast is a special that resembles family and togetherness
In the spirit of preservation of tradition, I have stuck to making rice on the hob/stove. I do have a
rice cooker, but it has been collecting dust in my pantry. The rice cooker stifles the aroma from
permeating throughout the kitchen. I need the homely scent of rice being cooked, yanking me back
to a beautiful nostalgia.
Cooking rice on the hob/stove gives it that character, a different flavour, in a different time. It is like
taking a trip back in a time machine. Not that I am taking a jab at my rice cooker mates, I am saying
tradition is the pith of my cooking.
This is my way
Rice
Tip: One cup of rice / per 2 cups of water
 Measure the desired amount of rice
 Rinse the rice thoroughly in cold water until the water is clear.
 Heat the water in a suitable pot to the boiling point, add salt and butter or oil.
 Add the rice
 Pour the rice into a pan
 Swirl the rice in the pan (or stir once) to make sure it’s well distributed.
 Put a lid on and turn the heat down to as low as possible.
 Cook for 10 minutes and do not take the lid off.
 Check if the rice is cooked, if not add a bit of hot water depending on the type of rice.

 Keep cooking for another couple of minutes, then turn the heat off.
 Leave to stand for 4 minutes and fluff the rice with a fork and serve it straight away if
you like.
Coleslaw
Coleslaw should be homemade, mixed with mayonnaise and salad cream for that tangy flavour.
 Finely chop cabbage, onion and grated carrots, a bit of red cabbage can be added here to
make it more interesting.
 Place the cabbage, carrot, and onions in a large bowl.
 Add the dressing (3/4 mayonnaise and a ¼ of salad cream) ingredients and gently mix so
that all of the shredded cabbage mixes is coated with the dressing.
 Place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving.

This is what I called my classic meal growing up and it still has a special place in my heart.
What is your special childhood meal?
Hope you will enjoy reading my blogs and understand where my passion comes from. Bon Appetit.

Download recipe link below

rice and chicken