Kapana
Non-vegetarian
Strips of beef grilled over open fires at Namibian markets, dipped in a dry chilli-salt spice and eaten with a fresh tomato, onion and chilli salsa.
Kapana is a Namibian street food, ready in about 25 minutes and made with beef sirloin steak and red chilli flakes. It serves 4 and is rated easy to cook.
No licensed photograph of this dish yet.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 10 min
- Total
- 25 min
- Serves
- 4
- Level
- Easy
- Calories
- 296
Method
Step 1
Mix the spice dip ingredients in a small bowl. Mix the salsa ingredients in another.
- 8 min
Step 2
Grill the beef strips over very hot coals or on a hot griddle, turning, until browned and slightly charred at the edges.
- 8 min
- high heat
- Grill / barbecue (opens in a new tab)
Food safety: Keep raw beef separate from the salsa and use separate tongs for raw and cooked meat.
How it looks · Photo: Malte Luk on Pexels Step 3
Cut into bite-sized pieces, dip each piece in the spice mix and eat with the salsa.
- 2 min
About this dish
- Origin
- Katutura, Windhoek, Namibia · Commonly attributedAssociated especially with the Single Quarters market in Katutura.More food from Namibia
- Dish
- Lunch · Snack · Dinner · Street food · Grills & kebabs · Finger food
- Cooking method
- Grilled, Barbecued
- Taste
- smoky, spicy (chilli heat), savoury
- Diet
- No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Low-carb · High-proteinWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
All labels
Non-vegetarian · Whole-food focused · Paleo-style · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Low-carb · High-protein · Low-fat · Calorie-conscious - Good for
- Street food · Portable / lunchbox
- Cook more with
- Beef sirloin steak · Red chilli flakes · Paprika · Garlic powder · Tomato · Onion
- Techniques
- Grilling · Charcoal grilling
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
296 kcal per serving
Estimated1 serving ≈ 325 g · recipe makes 4
Where the energy comes from
- Protein 63%
- Carbohydrate 10%
- Fat 27%
| Nutrient | Per serving | Per 100 g* |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 296 kcal | 91 kcal |
| Protein | 45.6 g | 14 g |
| Carbohydrate | 7.5 g | 2.3 g |
| Net carbohydrate | 5.4 g | 1.7 g |
| Sugars | 3.9 g | 1.2 g |
| Added sugars | 0 g | 0 g |
| Fibre | 2.1 g | 0.6 g |
| Fat | 8.6 g | 2.6 g |
| Saturated fat | 3.1 g | 1 g |
| Trans fat | — | — |
| Cholesterol | 120 mg | 37 mg |
| Sodium | 1138 mg | 350 mg |
| Salt equivalent | 2.8 g | 0.9 g |
Vitamins & minerals per serving
- Potassium
- 998 mg
- Calcium
- 69 mg
- Iron
- 3.8 mg
- Magnesium
- 62 mg
- Vitamin A (RAE)
- 73 µg
- Vitamin C
- 22 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.2 µg
- Vitamin B12
- 2.2 µg
- Folate (DFE)
- 47 µg
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.
- Red chilli flakes: Ground cayenne (FDC 170932) used as a stand-in for dried chilli flakes such as pul biber or Aleppo pepper.
- “—” 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
- A little fat on the meat is what gives kapana its smoky, juicy flavour.
Common mistakes
- Cutting the strips too thick — kapana should cook in minutes over fierce heat.
Serve with
- Eat from the grill with your fingers, with vetkoek or bread rolls on the side.
Storage
- Best eaten straight off the grill.
Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated
Recipe DNA
How this dish is built
Built from the recipe’s own sections. 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
- Beef sirloin steak, cut into thin strips, some fat left on800 g
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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