How to make kachumbari
Kachumbari is a delicious and fresh Kenyan vegetable salad famous across the entire continent. It is made with tomatoes, onions and can be served as a primary or side dish. Kachumbari goes well with ugali, rice (pilau), mukimo, biryani, eggs, sausages, and Kenyan barbecue.
INGREDIENTS
Tomatoes: Tomatoes are a key ingredient of Kachumbari, so you need fresh tomatoes that aren’t too ripe. Use Roma or Campari tomato types for best results as these varieties have less juice than others.
Onions: Onions are another ingredient in the salad. You can use red or white onions depending on what type of flavors you like best! Slice them thinly and put them in salted water to remove the pungency.
Lemon juice: Use the lemon juice to give the Kachumbari its signature tart and acidic flavor. You can use fresh-squeezed or store-bought lemon juice – whatever you have available.
Parsley/cilantro: Freshly chopped parsley or cilantro adds a nice herbaceous flavor. You can also use dried herbs if that’s what you have on hand!
Salt, pepper: Use salt and pepper to season Kachumbari salad, just adjust the amount according to your taste preferences before serving.
Method
The first step is to dice the onions finely and add salted water to remove the pungency.
Then, dice the tomatoes before adding them to the bowl with other ingredients like lemon juice and parsley/cilantro.
You can serve the salad as a side dish for any main course meal such as grilled meat, fish, or poultry dishes, together with Pilau rice or Chapati bread
When serving Kachumbari as a side dish, you can experiment with the dressing. Try adding minced garlic cloves, or chopped jalapeño peppers for a bit of heat.
How To Make Kenyan Style Kachumbari
