Kachumbari With Tea Vinaigrette
Kachumbari with Tea Vinaigrette! what is Kachumbari? It is a fresh salad popular in cuisines of the Great African lakes. Variations of this dish can be found in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Burundi and Rwanda.This tomato and onion based salad is a perfect side dish for your grilled meat, fish and chicken.
The Origin of Kachumbari
Similar to Pico de gallo, Kachumbari originated in India, where it goes by the name Kachumber or Cachumber. It found its way to East Africa through the Indian workers who came during the colonial era.
Kachumbari Ingredients:
Vegetables: An authentic Kachumbari consists of Tomatoes, Onion, lemon juice and little salt. I made the addition of cucumber, because it adds freshness to the dish and I also made a tea vinaigrette which I used as dressing. This was the most exciting part of this recipe.
Instead of using lemon juice, I wanted to add the layers of flavor by making a lemon vinaigrette. Then I remembered I had Combava Moulu ;which is the zest of a citrus fruit with an intense lemony flavor. TADA! I made a Combava Moulu tea infused in vinegar and water; after which I added mustard,maple syrup and some herbs. Brilliant.
Useful tips when making Kachumbari:
- Finely cut the vegetables: The more finely cut a vegetable is, the more flavor is released.
- Soak the diced onion in vinegar: This is a very important step that you do not want to skip as it helps get the sting or bite out from the onion!
- Serve when cold: It tastes better when it has been let to rest in the refrigerator for sometime.
Watch full recipe video here
Kachumbari With Tea Vinaigrette
Recipe details
- 4 servings
- Prep time: 20 Minutes Cook time: 20 Minutes Total time: 40 min
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