During a recent visit with my grandkids, we discovered eat2explore—a subscription-based cooking kit that brings the flavors and traditions of global cuisine into your own kitchen. Created by Rowena Scherer, a culinary school graduate and former Wall Street executive, these kits offer an immersive experience through food, culture and hands-on learning.

Each country-themed box includes three authentic, step-by-step recipes, essential spice and sauce mixes, a shopping list for fresh ingredients and even a kid-friendly cooking tool to keep little hands safe. There’s also a fun assortment of extras: a flag pin, a cultural passport to track your culinary travels and a brochure filled with curated music playlists, book suggestions and movies to further explore each featured destination.

We chose to dive into the Kenyan kit—none of us had ever cooked Kenyan food before—so it was the perfect culinary adventure. From the three selections, we chose Kuku Paka, a flavorful Kenyan chicken dish simmered in a coconut sauce and served with rice.

Here’s that recipe:

Kuku Paka with Sukuma Wiki & Rice
A rich Kenyan chicken dish simmered in a coconut-tomato sauce, served with braised kale and rice. Inspired by the eat2explore Kenya kit.

Serves: 4
Time: ~1 hr 30 min (includes marinating time)

Ingredients
For Kuku Paka
1½ lbs chicken thighs
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1 large onion, diced (¾ for marinade, ¼ for Sukuma Wiki)
1 lemon, halved
1 tbsp oil
¼ cup chopped cilantro (optional)
Kukupaka Spice Mix (or the packet from the kit)
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons bouillon
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 can coconut milk (or  the packet from the kit)
Salt & pepper
For Rice
1½ cups rice
2¼ cups water
Pinch of salt
For Sukuma Wiki
1 bunch kale, remove the center rib by pulling the leaves away from the stem, then wash and chop
2 tbsp oil
Remaining ¼ onion
Salt & pepper

First, prep your ingredients. Dice the tomatoes and onion, setting aside ¼ of the onion for the kale. Juice half of the lemon and slice the other half into wedges. Wash and chop the kale, and chop the cilantro if using.

To make the marinade and sauce base, blend the diced tomatoes, ¾ of the onion, Kukupaka Spice Mix, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons of salt, and pepper until smooth. Rub one-third of the paste onto the chicken and refrigerate for 1 to 5 hours. Set aside the remaining paste for the sauce.

While the chicken marinates, prepare the rice. Rinse the rice thoroughly, then combine it with 2¼ cups water and a pinch of salt in a small pot. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes. Once cooked, fluff with a fork and keep warm.

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a deep skillet over medium heat. Add the reserved paste and cook for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened and aromatic. The paste should be thick and dark

Stir in the coconut milk and simmer for 5 minutes, then add the marinated chicken. Continue to simmer uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked and the sauce has thickened. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, or more lemon juice as needed.

While the chicken simmers, prepare the Sukuma Wiki. In a separate skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Add the reserved onion and sauté for 3 minutes. Add the chopped kale and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until just wilted. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

To serve, spoon the rice onto plates, top with the Kuku Paka, and serve the Sukuma Wiki on the side. Garnish with chopped cilantro and lemon wedges, if desired.