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Mchemsho
Beef and vegetable pot
Mchemsho: Dar es Salaam one-pot of beef, whole potatoes, carrots, green bananas and cabbage in clear broth
The name just means 'boiled', but Dar es Salaam families treat mchemsho as comfort food, made on a cool rainy evening or for anyone feeling under the weather. Beef on the bone simmers with garlic and ginger into a clear, savoury broth, and whole potatoes, carrots, green bananas and wedges of cabbage go in late so each stays distinct. It arrives in wide bowls, everything in big pieces, with lime and fresh chilli on the table to sharpen it to your taste; some cooks make it with chicken instead. Adding all the vegetables at once is the common error, leaving the cabbage grey and the potatoes in pieces. Chef's tip: blanch and rinse the beef first, then start again in fresh water, for a broth that stays clear.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 2 lb beef shin or short rib on the bonecut into large pieces
- 1 onionquartered
- 5 cloves garliccrushed
- 1 tbsp fresh gingergrated
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 8 small potatoespeeled, left whole
- 3 carrotscut into thirds
- 4 green cooking bananas (matoke)peeled, left whole
- 1 green peppercut into strips
- ½ white cabbagesmall; cut into 4 wedges
- 2 limescut into wedges
- 2 fresh red chillies (optional)sliced, to serve
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Put 2 lb beef shin or short rib on the bone in a large pot, cover with cold water and bring to the boil over a high heat. Boil for 3 minutes, then drain and rinse the meat and the pot to get rid of the scum.
8 minStep 2: Return the beef to the pot with 1 onion, 5 cloves garlic, 1 tbsp fresh ginger, 2 tsp salt, 1 tsp black peppercorns and 2 litres of fresh water. Bring to a simmer, then cook gently, half-covered, until the meat is tender and starting to come away from the bone.
45 minStep 3: Add 8 small potatoes and 3 carrots and simmer until a knife meets a little resistance in the centre of the potatoes.
10 minStep 4: Add 4 green cooking bananas (matoke) and 1 green pepper and simmer until the bananas are tender all the way through.
8 minStep 5: Lay ½ white cabbage wedges on top, cover and cook until the cabbage is just tender but still pale green.
5 minStep 6: Taste the broth for salt. Lift the meat and vegetables into wide bowls, ladle over the broth and serve with 2 limes and 2 fresh red chillies on the side.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 520 kcal
- Protein
- 42 g
- Carbs
- 52 g
- Fat
- 15 g
- Fibre
- 9 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does mchemsho take?
- About 90 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 75 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- 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 onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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