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Chips mayai

Name: Chips mayai
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Cuisine: East African
Ingredients: 400 g potatoes; 500 ml vegetable oil for frying; 4 eggs; 0.5 tsp salt; 0.25 tsp black pepper; 0.5 onion; 1 tomato; 200 g kachumbari; 2 tbsp chilli sauce

Tanzanian chip omelette, cooked in one pan

Features:Vegetarian

Kid friendly

Cuisine:East African

Chips mayai ('chips and eggs') is Tanzania's best-loved street food, fried to order in Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar at evening stalls with big flat pans: fresh chips are bound into a thick omelette and served with kachumbari and chilli sauce or ketchup. Children and students live on it. Chef's tip: let the chips go crisp before pouring in the egg; soft chips make a soggy omelette.

Total time: 40 min
Difficulty: easy
Serves: 2

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Ingredients

Serves2

14 oz potatoespeeled, cut into thin chips
2 cups vegetable oil for frying
4 eggs
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
½ onion (optional)finely chopped
1 tomato (optional)diced
7 oz kachumbari (optional)to serve
2 tbsp chilli sauce (optional)to serve

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Method

0/5 done

Step 1: Rinse 14 oz potatoes and dry them well in a towel.
2 min
Step 2: Heat 2 cups vegetable oil for frying in a pan to 350°F. Fry the chips in 2 batches for 7–9 minutes until golden and crisp. Drain on kitchen paper.
18 min
Step 3: Beat 4 eggs with ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp black pepper, ½ onion and 1 tomato.
Step 4: Heat 1 tbsp of the frying oil in a 20 cm non-stick pan over a medium heat. Add half the chips in an even layer, pour over half the egg and cook for 2–3 minutes until the base is golden and the top is nearly set. Common mistake: too much egg for the chips — it should just bind them.
3 min
Step 5: Flip with the help of a plate and cook for 1–2 minutes more. Repeat. Serve hot with 7 oz kachumbari and 2 tbsp chilli sauce.
4 min

Nutrition per serving

Calories: 520 kcal
Protein: 16 g
Carbs: 36 g
Fat: 35 g
Fibre: 4 g

Nutrition values are estimates.

Recipe by

KrazyBadal

All recipes by this chef →

Good to know

How long does chips mayai take?: About 40 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
How many people does it serve?: 2 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
Is it vegetarian?: Yes. It has no meat or fish.
Is it gluten free?: Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
What can I use instead of potatoes?: Sweet potato, same weight (sweeter, cooks a little faster).
What can I use instead of eggs?: 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water per egg, left for 5 minutes (baking only; vegan).

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