Rabbit isn’t a food people are generally neutral about — even the thought of eating rabbit can be a polarizing one. While it may not be a popular meat choice in North America, rabbit is a mainstay on menus across Europe, Asia, and elsewhere, including Kenya! It’s a great protein source: rabbit meat is incredibly lean, and more environmentally friendly to produce than other meats like beef.

Damaris,  a  youth in Kenya, is here to share a preparation for rabbit paired with traditional Kenyan vegetables! See the recipe and video below, then decide if you’d like to try something new for dinner tonight! 

Note 1: Cowpeas, also known as black eyed peas, are a vegetable native to Africa.  This recipe calls for the green leafy tops of the cowpea plant — if you cannot find these,  feel free to substitute another leafy green like spinach. Spinach is another vegetable you will find in Kenya!

Note 2: If you’d like a taste of the flavors but can’t find rabbit at your local butcher, consider using chicken thighs.

Traditional Vegetables with Rabbit Meat 

Ingredients 

• 1 big bunch of cowpeas leaves (or another leafy green like spinach)
• 1-2lb of pre-boiled rabbit meat 
• 2 onions, thinly sliced
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 1-inch knob of ginger, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
• Salt, as needed
• Cooking oil 

Preparing the cowpeas  and vegetables

1. Remove the cowpeas leaves from the stalks. 
2. Fill a pot with a thin layer of water and heat over medium high heat.
3. Wash and boil cowpeas leaves in water for 15 minutes, or until wilted. When wilted, place greens on a plate and put the pot back on the stove.
4. Add 1-2 tablespoons of cooking oil to the pot, and heat over medium heat.
5. Add 1  onion and fry until golden brown. 
6. Add your boiled greens to the onion, and salt to taste. 
7. Saute the mixture for 5 minutes, then  place vegetables on a plate and set aside.

Preparing the rabbit meat

1. Put 1-2 tablespoons of cooking oil in your pot over medium heat.
2. Add your other onion, the garlic and the ginger to the pot, and cook until golden brown.
3. Add the tomatoes and cook down into a nice paste, 10-15 minutes.
4. Add the already boiled rabbit meat and mix well in the tomatoes, adding salt to taste.
5. Cook for 10 minutes.
6. Divide the tomato and rabbit mixture among plates, and serve with the cowpeas/leafy greens. Complete the meal with ugali, a staple meal accompaniment made from white corn flour, or flatbread.