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Tanzanian

Mshikaki

Non-vegetarian

Cubes of beef marinated with garlic, ginger, lemon, chilli and a little green papaya to tenderise, then grilled over charcoal. Tanzania's favourite evening street snack.

Mshikaki is a Tanzanian grilled dish, ready in about 2 hours 32 minutes and made with beef sirloin steak, papaya and garlic. It serves 4 and is rated easy to cook.

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Juicy beef skewers sizzling on an open charcoal grill, perfect for summer BBQ.
Photo: Mohamed Olwy / Pexels · Pexels License
Prep
20 min
Cook
12 min
Rest
2 h
Total
2 h 32 min
Serves
4
Level
Easy
Calories
343

Ingredients

4 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Mix the papaya (opens in a new tab), garlic (opens in a new tab), ginger, lemon juice (opens in a new tab), curry powder (opens in a new tab), cayenne, black pepper (opens in a new tab), oil and salt. Toss the beef in it and marinate in the fridge.

    • 10 min

    Do not marinate with papaya for more than about 4 hours or the meat turns mushy.

    Meat coated in a spiced marinade in a bowl
    How it looks · Photo: Ip Photographer on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Thread the beef onto skewers (opens in a new tab), leaving small gaps between the pieces. Soak wooden skewers in water first.

    Food cooking over a grill
    How it looks · Photo: Malte Luk on Pexels

  3. Step 3

    Grill over hot charcoal, turning often and brushing with leftover marinade early on, until charred at the edges.

    Food safety: Stop brushing with the raw-meat marinade at least 5 minutes before the end of cooking.

  4. Step 4

    Serve hot with lime (opens in a new tab) wedges.

      A finished dish being plated
      How it looks · Photo: Willians Huerta on Pexels

    About this dish

    Origin
    Tanzania · Commonly attributedEaten along the whole Swahili coast; also popular in Kenya.Also popular in KenyaMore food from Tanzania
    Dish
    Dinner · Snack · Grills & kebabs · Street food
    Cooking method
    Grilled, Marinated / cured
    Taste
    smoky, spicy (chilli heat), garlicky, savoury
    Diet
    No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Low-carb · High-protein
    All labelsNon-vegetarian · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Low-carb · High-protein · Calorie-conscious
    With the listed swaps: Beef-freeWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
    Good for
    Street food · Festive & celebration · Make-ahead
    Cook more with
    Beef sirloin steak · Papaya · Garlic · Fresh ginger · Lemon juice · Curry powder
    Techniques
    Grilling · Charcoal grilling · Dhungar (charcoal smoking) · Marinating · Curing

    Allergens

    • May contain: Mustardfrom curry powder
    • May contain: Celeryfrom curry powder

    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

    343 kcal per serving

    Calculated

    1 serving ≈ 240 g · recipe makes 4

    Where the energy comes from

    • Protein 53%
    • Carbohydrate 6%
    • Fat 41%
    Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
    NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
    Energy343 kcal143 kcal
    Protein44.8 g18.6 g
    Carbohydrate4.8 g2 g
    Net carbohydrate4 g1.6 g
    Sugars1.3 g0.5 g
    Added sugars0 g0 g
    Fibre0.9 g0.4 g
    Fat15.2 g6.3 g
    Saturated fat3.6 g1.5 g
    Trans fat——
    Cholesterol120 mg50 mg
    Sodium843 mg351 mg
    Salt equivalent2.1 g0.9 g
    Vitamins & minerals per serving
    Potassium
    784 mg
    Calcium
    66 mg
    Iron
    3.5 mg
    Magnesium
    55 mg
    Vitamin A (RAE)
    15 µg
    Vitamin C
    12 mg
    Vitamin D
    0.2 µg
    Vitamin B12
    2.2 µg
    Folate (DFE)
    33 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.
    • Optional ingredients are not included: lime.
    • “—” 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

    • Leave small gaps between the cubes so the heat reaches every side.

    Common mistakes

    • Cutting the cubes too small — they dry out before they char.

    Serve with

    • Serve with chipsi mayai, roasted cassava or kachumbari salad and chilli sauce.

    Storage

    • Raw marinated meat keeps up to 1 day in the fridge.

    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

    Masalas in this recipe

    Make the masala first, then come back to finish the dish.

    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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