You might assume this dish is named after an African Queen or has a symbolic significance, actually, the Irio meaning is much more straightforward, and the literal translation is food in the Kikuyu language- a classic Kenyan dish, which has its roots from the Kikuyu tribe and has spread throughout Kenya and other parts of East Africa It is a hearty combination of mashed potatoes, peas, corn, and sometimes spinach, to create a dish with an appeal that is undeniably filling, and nutritious. As always, with many African meals, there are different variations, with potatoes and corn making up the base. Feel free to replace some of the vegetables with the ones you have on hand. In this Mashed Sweet Potato recipe, to keep things simple and easy, I used frozen peas and corn and to build flavor into this humble dish, I sauté garlic, onions, added cayenne, smoked paprika, along with a bit of parsley to liven it up a touch. I first made this recipe with sweet potatoes only but have updated recipe to include both sweet and white potatoes. Or you can equally use half and half. In Kenya, it is paired with nyama na, which is grilled meat. Here I paired it with this African-style Chicken Stew. Enjoy it!
