Kenyan · salad

Kachumbari (Tomato and Red Onion Salad)

Kachumbari (Tomato and Red Onion Salad) reads citrus 5.5, sourness 5.0 and richness 4.4 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Kenyan salad, about 42 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 3.8 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 3.0 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 6.9 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 1.3 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 4.6 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 4.1 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Citrus 5.5 · Sourness 5.0 · Richness 4.4 · Salinity 3.6 · Heat 3.4 · Herbaceous 3.2 · Sweetness 2.4 · Allium 2.3 · Fruity 2.2 · Warm Spice 1.9 · Umami 1.5 · Floral 1.3 · Earthy 1.2 · Bitterness 0.7 · Nutty 0.6

What's in it (9)

• red onion — 200 g
• cold water — 500 g
• tomatoes — 500 g
• green chilies — 200 g
• coriander — 25 g
• limes — 60 g
• salt — 3 g
• ground black pepper — 1 g
• avocado — 150 g

Time & effort: about 42 min (27 min active) · effort: medium

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 31.5 kcal, 0.8 g protein, 1.4 g fat, 4.9 g carbs

Dietary: Vegan — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (7 steps)

1. Put the sliced red onion in a bowl with the cold water and leave it 10 minutes. This pulls the harsh sulphurous bite out and leaves the sweetness; skip it and the salad will bully everything it is served with.
2. Drain the onion well and pat it dry.
3. Seed the tomatoes before dicing - the seeds and jelly will water down the dressing and make the salad slack within minutes.
4. Toss the drained onion, diced tomato, chopped chilli and coriander together with the lime juice, salt and pepper.
5. Let the salad sit 15 minutes at room temperature so the lime softens the onion further and the tomatoes give up a little juice.
6. Fold the avocado through at the very last moment, just before it goes to the table, so the cubes stay whole. Serve cold or cool alongside nyama choma or githeri.
7. Substitutions: 1 hot pili pili can stand in for the green chillies.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Cou-Cou and Flying Fish — Barbadian
• Guacamole — Mexican
• Gingered Bulgur Salad with Grapes — Mediterranean
• Moroccan Tomato Soup — Moroccan
• Zaalouk — Moroccan

Keep reading: what citrus, sourness, richness mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.