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Smokie pasua
Smokie pasua: Nairobi street smokie split open and stuffed with kachumbari and chilli
Glass-fronted carts on Nairobi corners, outside schools and matatu stages, keep a tray of smokies warm in water all day, and 'pasua' means the vendor splits one down the middle and packs it with kachumbari. Kenyan smokies are smoked sausages usually made from pork and beef, so check the pack if you avoid pork; beef-only and chicken versions are sold too. They come already cooked, and the job is to heat them through until piping hot, then pile in the cool, sharp tomato-onion salad and a squirt of chilli or tomato sauce for a snack that crunches, snaps and drips. Cutting all the way through is the common slip: the smokie falls apart and the filling spills. Chef's tip: salt the kachumbari onions for a few minutes and squeeze them before mixing, which tames their bite the way the street vendors' do.
- Total time
- 10 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 8 smoked pork and beef sausages (smokies)ready-cooked; or beef or chicken smokies
For the kachumbari
- 1 red onionvery finely chopped
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 firm ripe tomatoesseeded and finely diced
- 1 green chillifinely chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh coriander (dhania)chopped
- 1 tbsp lime juice
To serve
- 4 tbsp chilli sauce or tomato ketchup (optional)
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Method
0/5 doneStep 2: Mix the onion with 2 firm ripe tomatoes, 1 green chilli, 2 tbsp fresh coriander (dhania) and 1 tbsp lime juice.
Step 3: Bring a pan of water to a gentle simmer over a medium heat, add 8 smoked pork and beef sausages (smokies) and heat until they are piping hot all the way through and the skins are taut. Don't let the water boil hard or they split.
5 minStep 4: Lift out each smokie and slit it lengthways along the top, stopping about 1 cm from each end and from the bottom so it opens like a boat.
Step 5: Spoon kachumbari into each smokie, drizzle with 4 tbsp chilli sauce or tomato ketchup if using, and eat straight away.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 290 kcal
- Protein
- 12 g
- Carbs
- 6 g
- Fat
- 24 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does smokie pasua take?
- About 10 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 5 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of red onion?
- White onion or shallots, same amount (soak raw onion in cold water for 10 minutes to soften it).
- What can I use instead of firm ripe tomatoes?
- Tinned chopped tomatoes: a 400g tin for about 6 tomatoes (in cooked dishes, not salads).
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