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Kenyan

Kachumbari

Vegetarian

A fresh relish-salad of tomato, red onion, chilli and cilantro sharpened with lime. The essential side to nyama choma and pilau in Kenya and Tanzania.

Kachumbari is a Kenyan salad, ready in about 20 minutes and made with tomato and red onion. It serves 4 and is rated beginner to cook.

Start cooking
A serving of Kachumbari
Photo: Charles Haynes / Wikimedia Commons · CC-BY-SA-2.0
Prep
10 min
Cook
0 min
Rest
10 min
Total
20 min
Serves
4
Level
Beginner
Calories
34

Ingredients

4 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Sprinkle the onion with a pinch of the salt, rub gently, then rinse and drain to soften its bite.

    • 3 min
    Onions frying golden in a pan
    How it looks · Photo: Magda Ehlers on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Toss the tomatoes (opens in a new tab), onion, chilli and cilantro (opens in a new tab) with the lime juice (opens in a new tab) and remaining salt, plus cucumber (opens in a new tab) and avocado (opens in a new tab) if using.

    • 5 min

  3. Step 3

    Leave for 10 minutes for the juices to mingle, then serve.

    About this dish

    Origin
    East Africa · Commonly attributedEaten across Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda; the name is often linked to the Indian kachumber salad.Also popular in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda
    Dish
    Lunch · Dinner · Salads · Condiments, chutneys & relishes
    Cooking method
    No-cook, Raw
    Taste
    fresh, tangy, spicy (chilli heat)
    Diet
    Vegan · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Low-carb
    All labelsVegan · Plant-based · Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Whole-food focused · Paleo-style · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-carb · Low-fat
    Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
    Good for
    Budget-friendly · Everyday
    Cook more with
    Tomato · Red onion · Green chilli · Coriander leaves · Lime juice

    Allergens

    None of the 14 major allergens appear in the listed ingredients.

    Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

    Nutrition

    34 kcal per serving

    Calculated

    1 serving ≈ 161 g · recipe makes 4

    Where the energy comes from

    • Protein 14%
    • Carbohydrate 79%
    • Fat 7%
    Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
    NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
    Energy34 kcal21 kcal
    Protein1.4 g0.9 g
    Carbohydrate7.7 g4.8 g
    Net carbohydrate5.8 g3.6 g
    Sugars4.8 g3 g
    Added sugars0 g0 g
    Fibre1.8 g1.1 g
    Fat0.3 g0.2 g
    Saturated fat——
    Trans fat0 g0 g
    Cholesterol0 mg0 mg
    Sodium302 mg187 mg
    Salt equivalent0.8 g0.5 g
    Vitamins & minerals per serving
    Potassium
    351 mg
    Calcium
    22 mg
    Iron
    0.5 mg
    Magnesium
    18 mg
    Vitamin A (RAE)
    64 µg
    Vitamin C
    25 mg
    Vitamin D
    0 µg
    Vitamin B12
    —
    Folate (DFE)
    —

    How these numbers were made

    • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
    • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
    • Optional ingredients are not included: cucumber, avocado.
    • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
    • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

    Good to know

    Tips

    • Salting and rinsing the onion takes away its harsh bite.

    Common mistakes

    • Making it too far ahead — the tomatoes go watery.

    Serve with

    • Serve with nyama choma, pilau, ugali or githeri.

    Storage

    • Best eaten the same day.

    Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

    Recipe DNA

    How this dish is built

    Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

    What the dish is built around

    Main ingredient

    Used in steps 1, 2

    Reviews & corrections

    Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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