Intermediate
Moroccan
Chicken Tagine with Olives and Lemon
Source: Traditional
90 min4420 kcal
HalalGluten-freeDairy-free
Kachumbari
The sharp, raw relish that cuts through everything grilled: tomato and red onion sliced thin, soaked briefly to take the bite off the onion, and dressed with lime, chilli and coriander.
Source
Recipe by Kenyan home kitchens · 🏺 Traditional · Everyday Kenyan cooking — the maize-meal, greens and grilled-meat table shared from Nairobi flats to upcountry homesteads.
Kenyan · fresh relish — An ownerless traditional dish, so no cook is credited. The cited article confirms kachumbari as a fresh tomato-and-onion salad relish popular in Kenya and neighbouring East African cuisines, served alongside grilled meat and starches. Quantities and method here are this book's own.
Watch it being made · 3 videos
⏱ 15 min🍽 4 servings🔥 60 kcal🇰🇪 Kenya🌶️
HalalVeganVegetarianGluten-freeDairy-freeNut-free
Steps
Slice the red onion as thinly as you can and put it in a bowl of cold water for 10 minutes.
💡 This single step is what separates good kachumbari from a harsh one — the soak pulls out the raw onion burn but keeps the crunch.
Drain the onion well and pat it dry. Combine it in a bowl with the tomatoes, chilli and coriander.
Add the lime juice and salt, toss gently, and taste — it should be sharp and clean, not sweet.
Fold in the avocado, if using, just before serving so it does not break up, and serve cold.
💡 Tips
- Dress it at the last minute. Salted early, the tomatoes weep and you get soup instead of relish.
- It is the standing partner to nyama choma, but it is just as good with pilau, grilled fish or beans.
- The name comes from the Swahili for a chopped salad, and versions of it run all the way from Kenya to Rwanda and Tanzania.
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