Nyama Choma is a type of grilled goat meat that has gone through a special type of preparation process. It is a very famous meal in East African countries especially Kenya and Tanzania.
Nyama Choma is a special meal best prepared in its simplest method, however, there have been different variations to its preparation. In recent times, the meal which requires just a few ingredients and not many activities for preparation has been reformed and made to fit present times.
This meal is of great significance to the people of Kenya and Tanzania and as a result, it can be found in almost every nook and cranny of these cities. You can have this meal by the roadside or in fancy restaurants. There are no restrictions on where it can be eaten or how often.
Meaning Of ‘Nyama Choma’ In the English Language
From the introduction, I’m sure we already have an idea of what the meal is. However, in order to further break it down, we will translate the meaning of the meal into simple English terms.
‘Nyama’ is a Swahili word that means ‘meat’ and ‘Choma’ is a word that translates to ‘grilled’ or ‘roasted’. Juxtaposing these words, you’d easily get ‘Meat Grilled’ or ‘Meat Roasted’ to make it more sensible, ‘Grilled/Roasted Meat’. However, ‘Barbequed Meat’ also makes sense and carries the same message.
Ingredients Necessary For The Preparation Of The Kenyan/Tanzanian ‘Meat Meal’
As already stated earlier, there are different ways to prepare this meal. In the same vein, there are different ingredients used in its preparation. If you’re only interested in making the simple, traditional one, the ingredients necessary are;
- ‘Nyama’ (goat meat)
- Salt
- Water
- Your grill
If you want to spice things up though, you can get a lot of other spices to use. Spices like garlic, onion, lemon, ginger, chili (any other to suit your taste). These spices are used mainly to marinate the meat before setting it to the grill.
While the first is simpler and gives the natural taste of the meat and its simple ingredients, the latter offers a more intense flavor to the meal and makes it ‘bougie’.
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Instructions For Preparing Nyama Choma
For locally prepared meat meals, all you need do are the following;
- Get your preferred meat part and chop it into fine, bite sizes.
- Wash thoroughly
- Set your grill and prepare
- By preparing your grill, add your charcoal and light it up.
- Allow the grill to get to desired heating temperature then place your metal fencing material/ rods on it. Cover these metal fences with ashes to prevent them from getting too hot
- In case of using skewers, put your meat in the skewers before placing it on the grill
- Make sure the charcoal burns at medium or low temperature at all time
- Add a tablespoon of salt into the water and stir till the salt is dissolved
- Turn the meat intermittently while occasionally sprinkling the salt and water solution on it.
- Allow the meat to roast for about an hour or 1 hour 30 minutes
- When the exterior of the meat begins to look brown, you can slice to make sure the inside has cooked properly as well
- When every part is cooked/grilled to desired texture, remove it from the grill and set aside to cool for about 10 minutes.
After this procedure, your Nyama Choma is ready to be served and eaten. It can be served with any drink of choice. This procedure can be called ‘From the carcass to the grill’.
For A Modernized Version Of Its Preparation
For a spiced-up version of the preparation, after getting all your ingredients ready, follow these processes;
- Grind/blend your onion, garlic, lemon, ginger, and other spices
- In a bowl, pour your blended mixture and add seasoning cubes, oil, and salt to taste
- Place your chosen nyama parts on a chopping board and make slits on the meat
- Add the meat into the blend of seasoning and spices, turn properly to allow the blend to reach every part of the meat
- Cover the bowl with aluminum foil and allow it to marinate for a while. Preferably in a fridge and overnight for at least 2 hours.
- At the due time, remove the marinated meat and let it sit out for a while so it gets to room temperature
- As the marinated meat is cooling, begin to prepare the grill. Follow the same process as above in preparing the grill
- Oil an aluminum foil and grill for about 2/3 minutes on both sides at a high temperature
- Place the meat onto the already prepared foil and cover it loosely then set on a baking tray
- You can add a leaf or two of rosemary to this foil for extra flavor
- Add a considerable amount of water to this tray to prevent overheating then transfer to the grill and cover the lid
- The purpose of this aluminum foil is to help keep the juices of the marinated meat intact so it doesn’t drip off totally while grilling
- Maintain the grill temperature at low or medium and grill for about 90 minutes.
- Check the meat after 90 minutes and if the inside is done/grilled, it can be served
- When ready, remove from the grill and set aside for about 10 minutes
- Again, you can enjoy your meal with drinks or other side attractions.
Did You Know That There Is A ‘Nyama Choma’ Festival?
I told you that this meal is a special meal, didn’t I? Well, this Kenya/Tanzanian meal is so special, it has a festival to itself. This festival is usually grand and attracts a lot of people, especially in Kenya and Tanzania. The Nyama Choma festival started on the 4th of June 2011 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
However, other East African countries are beginning to buy into the idea and copy it. This festival involves different forms of grilling the meat as well as the use of different variations to achieve the best version. Additionally, other vendors attend the festival to showcase their products.
Notably is the fact that the best Nyama Choma grillers in the country come out to showcase their skills. They get to wow people’s taste buds in the process. This festival was supposed to be an annual festival but due to popular demand, it became a quarterly event. However, it is held quarterly in Dar es Salaam, twice in the cities of Arusha, Dodoma, Mwanza and once in the city of Moshi.
How Best To Eat Nyama Choma
It is worthy to note that this meal is mostly prepared and preferred with goat meat. However, it can be prepared with beef, mutton, chicken, or lamb in the absence of goat meat. Additionally, it can be served alone or with other dishes. For example, people could desire to have this meal with ‘Kachumbari’ or ‘Ugali’.
Kachumbari is a salad prepared with fresh tomato and onion. It is an uncooked salad and also consists of chili peppers. It is served in different variations across Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda, and other countries in East Africa.
Ugali is a type of African porridge made from stiff maize flour. It is known by different names depending on your location. Some parts of Africa call it ‘fufu’ while others ‘vuswa’, ‘bogobe’, or ‘gauli’ etc.
Nonetheless, you can serve and eat with anything like rice or any other special meal or delicacy peculiar to your region or country. To enjoy it better, eat it with your hands. Nyama Choma is a meal that is generally eaten with fingers and not cutleries.
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