Kachumbari

Method

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1. Soak the sliced onion in cold water for 10 minutes, then drain well and pat dry.

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2. Toss the diced tomato with half the salt in a sieve set over a bowl and leave 10 minutes. Discard the liquid that collects.

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3. Combine the drained onion, tomato and chilli.

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4. Dress with the lime juice, oil, the remaining salt and the pepper.

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5. Fold in the coriander, and the avocado if using, just before serving.

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6. Taste for lime and salt — it should be sharp.

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Chef’s Tips

• Soak the onion. Ten minutes in cold water is the whole difference between fresh and acrid.
• Deseed and drain the tomatoes, or the salad waters down as it stands.
• Add the avocado last and fold once. Any more and it smears through everything.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• A pinch of dried chilli flakes works in place of fresh chilli — start with about a third of the quantity the green chilli in the list implies, since dried chilli is more concentrated, and add more to taste.
• Lemon is the everyday swap for limes in this kind of dish — the acidity plays the same role even though the flavour is not identical.

Pairing Suggestions

• Nyama choma
• Ugali and sukuma wiki
• Grilled tilapia

Storage & Reheating

Best within 2 hours. It refrigerates a day but softens; refresh with a squeeze more lime and fresh coriander.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.