Recipe from Michael W. Twitty
Adapted by Kayla Stewart
- Total Time
- 15 minutes, plus resting
- Rating
- 4(64)
- Notes
- Read community notes
In his book, “Koshersoul,” the food historian Michael W. Twitty explores the varied cuisines of the global Jewish diaspora. Kachumbari, the Swahili word that means “pickle,” can be traced to Kenya and other East African countries where the tomato and onion mix is served as a salad or relish. This dish exemplifies a tradition of hospitality: Appetizers or snacks — salatim in Israel, kemia in North Africa and mezze in the Middle East — are offered to house guests. After tasting the small plates, the visitors then decide if they would like to stay and enjoy the main meal. This deeply flavored kachumbari can be served with nearly any fish or other protein-based dish, and can also be offered alongside plantains, or with hummus and pita. —Kayla Stewart
Featured in: ‘Blackness Deserves a Seat at the Seder’
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Ingredients
Yield:6 servings
- 4ripe but firm tomatoes, very thinly sliced
- 2medium red onions, halved then very thinly sliced
- 1carrot, peeled and sliced
- ½cucumber, peeled and sliced
- 1lemon, juiced (4 to 5 tablespoons)
- 1tablespoon chrain (beet horseradish) or regular prepared horseradish
- ½teaspoon red-pepper flakes
- ½teaspoon garam masala or curry powder
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
42 calories; 0 grams fat; 0 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 0 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 10 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 5 grams sugars; 2 grams protein; 389 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Step
1
Place the sliced tomatoes, onions, carrot and cucumber in a bowl. Squeeze lemon juice over the mixture and add the horseradish. Sprinkle with the red-pepper flakes and garam masala, then season with salt and pepper. Toss together to mix.
Step
2
Allow flavors to develop at room temperature for at least 30 minutes or up to 3 hours, then serve as a relish or salad.
Ratings
4
out of 5
64
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Cooking Notes
bisongwen
This recipe looks delicious. I learned to make this from rural Tanzanian women. They would slice the onions, then add an incredible amount of salt. They worked the salt into the onions, until the onion slices were separated and completely soft. Then, they washed the salt off the onions with 2+ rinses. Then added the tomatoes and lemon juice. It was served primarily as a garnish for rice or ugali (a corn flour paste), but if meat were available, it would garnish it as well.
Kenyanjat
This dish is actually Indian in origin. It is the Swahili adaptation of the Indian work Kachumber. You can also add cilantro to the recipe for an additional flavor profile.
DD
I make a lot of Japanese tsukemono, so your salt-ahead strategy appealed to me. I massaged the red onions for about two minutes, until soft; then I added the cucumbers and massaged them too for another minute. I used Penzey’s excellent Maharajah curry powder. This relish added pizzazz to crab cakes from Jenny Fitch’s Fearrington House Cookbook. Cheers!
Tom, SFBA
Marvelous recipe!The tomatoes at the store didn’t look so promising (it’s still April), so I went with cherry tomatoes, and chopped them in a food processor.Whether it’s salad or relish, it’s wonderful enough to enjoy by the spoonful like soup.
Ellen Tabor
If people are strictly kosher for Passover, it should be noted that many ingredients in curry powder/garam masala are kitniyot, including cumin and coriander.
SS
Next time I'd use only 1.5 red onions - besides that it was delicious!
Ellen Tabor
If people are strictly kosher for Passover, it should be noted that many ingredients in curry powder/garam masala are kitniyot, including cumin and coriander.
Tom, SFBA
Marvelous recipe!The tomatoes at the store didn’t look so promising (it’s still April), so I went with cherry tomatoes, and chopped them in a food processor.Whether it’s salad or relish, it’s wonderful enough to enjoy by the spoonful like soup.
Mike
I lived in East Africa during the 90s: Uganda and Kenya. I loved roasted goat (nyama chom*o). It was always accompanied by ugali and kachumbari. The latter was always very simple and delicious: finely chopped tomatoes, onions, tons of cilantro and fresh chopped chilis. Nothing else. Wonderful. Keep it simple!
Kenyanjat
This dish is actually Indian in origin. It is the Swahili adaptation of the Indian work Kachumber. You can also add cilantro to the recipe for an additional flavor profile.
bisongwen
This recipe looks delicious. I learned to make this from rural Tanzanian women. They would slice the onions, then add an incredible amount of salt. They worked the salt into the onions, until the onion slices were separated and completely soft. Then, they washed the salt off the onions with 2+ rinses. Then added the tomatoes and lemon juice. It was served primarily as a garnish for rice or ugali (a corn flour paste), but if meat were available, it would garnish it as well.
DD
I make a lot of Japanese tsukemono, so your salt-ahead strategy appealed to me. I massaged the red onions for about two minutes, until soft; then I added the cucumbers and massaged them too for another minute. I used Penzey’s excellent Maharajah curry powder. This relish added pizzazz to crab cakes from Jenny Fitch’s Fearrington House Cookbook. Cheers!
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