Kachumbari is a fresh tomato and onion salad dish that is popular in the cuisines of the African Great Lakes region. It is an uncooked salad dish consisting of chopped tomatoes, onions, and chili peppers. [1] Variations of kachumbari can be found in Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi and in the Southern African countries of Malawi and Congo. [2]
The Swahili word kachumbari originated from the Indian word cachumber .
Kachumbari is used as a salad side dish for a main meal. In Kenya, it is used as a condiment served with pilau (pilaf), [3] mukimo, [4] or a meal of nyama choma (roasted meat) and ugali . In Tanzania, it is eaten with rice pilau or biryani . In Malawi, it is usually eaten on its own like any other salad dish, while in Uganda it is normally eaten with nyama choma.
Other ingredients, such as lime or lemon juice, fresh cilantro (coriander or dhania ), parsley, avocado, or cucumber, and in some cases gin or vodka, can also be added. Some recipe variations also call for habanero or Scotch bonnet peppers, with a touch of ground cayenne pepper. [5]
Kachumbari is popular throughout the African Great Lakes region and can be eaten with African pilaf and African biryani. In Malawi, it is called sumu or shum or simply "tomato and onion salad".
Fried rice is a dish of cooked rice that has been stir-fried in a wok or a frying pan and is usually mixed with other ingredients such as eggs, vegetables, seafood, or meat. It is often eaten by itself or as an accompaniment to another dish. Fried rice is a popular component of East Asian, Southeast Asian and certain South Asian cuisines, as well as a staple national dish of Indonesia. As a homemade dish, fried rice is typically made with ingredients left over from other dishes, leading to countless variations. Fried rice first developed during the Sui Dynasty in China.
Pilaf or pilau is a rice dish, or in some regions, a wheat dish, whose recipe usually involves cooking in stock or broth, adding spices, and other ingredients such as vegetables or meat, and employing some technique for achieving cooked grains that do not adhere to each other.
Biryani is a mixed rice dish most popular in South Asia. It is made with rice, some type of meat and spices. To cater to vegetarians, in some cases, it is prepared by substituting vegetables for the meat. Sometimes eggs and/or potatoes are added.
Raita is a side dish in Indian cuisine made of dahi together with raw or cooked vegetables, more seldom fruit, or in the case of boondi raita, with fried droplets of batter made from besan.
African cuisine is a staple of the continent's culture, and its history is entwined with the story of the native people of Africa. The foods that native Africans eat have been influenced by their religions, as well as by their climates and lifestyles. The first Africans to inhabit the continent were hunter-gatherers who ate what they could find in nature. As agriculture became more common in Africa, so did agriculture-based diets.
Arab cuisine is the cuisine of the Arab world, defined as the various regional cuisines of the Arab people, spanning from the Maghreb to the Mashriq. These cuisines are centuries old and reflect the culture of trading in ingredients, spices, herbs, and commodities. The regions have many similarities, but also unique traditions. They have also been influenced by climate, cultivation, and mutual commerce.
Ugali, also known as posho, nsima, and other names, is a type of corn meal made from maize or corn flour in several countries in Africa. It is cooked in boiling water or milk until it reaches a stiff or firm dough-like consistency. In 2017, the dish was added to the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, one of a few foods in the list.
Ugandan cuisine consists of traditional and modern cooking styles, practices, foods and dishes in Uganda, with English, Arab, and Asian influences.
Israeli salad is a chopped salad of finely diced tomato, onion, cucumber, and bell or chili peppers. It has been described as the "most well-known national dish of Israel", and is a standard accompaniment to most Israeli meals. Salads following essentially the same recipe, with different names, are widespread and popular throughout the Eastern Mediterranean.
Afghan cuisine is influenced to a certain extent by Persian, Central Asian and Indian cuisines due to Afghanistan's close proximity and cultural ties. The cuisine is halal and mainly based on mutton, beef, poultry and fish with rice and Afghan bread. Accompanying these are common vegetables and dairy products, such as milk, yogurt, whey, etc., and fresh and dried fruits such as apples, apricots, grapes, bananas, oranges, plums, pomegranates, sweet melons, raisins, etc. The diet of most Afghans revolves around rice-based dishes, while various forms of naan is consumed with most meals. Tea is generally consumed daily in large quantities, and is a major part of hospitality. The culinary specialties reflect the nation's ethnic and geographic diversity. The national dish of Afghanistan is Qabili Palau, a rice dish cooked with raisins, carrots, nuts, and lamb or beef.
The cuisine of Kosovo is a representative of the cuisine of the Balkans and consists of traditional dishes by ethnic groups native to Kosovo. Due to ethnic connections with Albania, it has been significantly influenced by Albanian cuisine and has adopted elements of other Balkan countries.
Many cuisines feature eggplant salads and appetizers.
Arab salad or Arabic salad is any of a variety of salad dishes that form part of Arab cuisine. Combining many different fruits and spices, and often served as part of a mezze, Arab salads include those from Algeria and Tunisia such as the "Algerian salad" and "black olive and orange salad" and from Tunisia salata machwiya is a grilled salad made from peppers, tomatoes, garlic and onions with olives and tuna on top, those from Syria and Lebanon such as "artichoke salad" and "beet salad", and those from Palestine and Jordan. Other popular Arab salads eaten throughout the Arab world include fattoush and tabouli.
Kachumber, or cachumber, is a salad dish in Indian cuisine consisting of fresh chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, unripe mangoes, lemon juice, and sometimes, chili peppers. Its regional variation in south India is known as Kosambari. Sometimes, raita, a similar dish made with curd, is also called kachumber.
Malawian cuisine includes the foods and culinary practices of Malawi. Tea and fish are popular features of Malawian cuisine. Sugar, coffee, corn, potatoes, sorghum, cattle and goats are also important components of the cuisine and economy.
Shirazi salad is an Iranian salad that originated from and is named after Shiraz in southern Iran. It is a relatively modern dish, dating to sometime after the introduction of the tomato to Iran at the end of the nineteenth century in the Qajar era. Its primary ingredients are cucumber, tomato, onion, olive oil, herbal spices and verjuice, although lime juice is sometimes used in its preparation. In Iran, it is eaten in the summer as a side dish on its own, and year-round as a side dish alongside meat-based foods such as kebab and as a side dish before and after meals. Shirazi salad is sometimes served as an accompaniment to rice such as loobia polo, an Iranian rice dish made with green beans and tomatoes. Cookbook author Jila Dana-Haeri describes it as a refreshing dish during the summer.
Afghan salad is a salad in Afghan cuisine that is prepared with the primary ingredients of diced tomato, cucumber, onion, carrot, cilantro, mint and lime or sometimes lemon juice. Salt and pepper may be used to season the dish. Additional ingredients may be used, such as bell peppers, parsley, radish and herbs, among others.
The nyama choma is a specialty of grilled goat meat. Roasted meat is very popular in Tanzania and Kenya, where it is considered the national dish. The expression nyama choma means "barbecue meat" in Kiswahili.
Comorian cuisine refers not only to dishes from the independent Indian Ocean nation of the Comoros but also those of the French overseas department of Mayotte in the same archipelago.