Beef Mishkaki

Mishkaki, sometimes spelled Mshikaki is a famous East African street food that consists of marinated meat such as beef, goat, or chicken that is gently cooked on skewers over hot charcoals.

It’s a popular food in Tanzania and its beautiful island of Zanzibar, where they are commonly sold in local bars and Indian-style outdoor BBQ restaurants.

The meat is marinated in a blend of herbs and spices to bring out its natural flavor. If using beef, the meat should be marinated overnight. This allows the steak to tenderize and cook more quickly.

This recipe calls for raw papaya as a tenderizer, but vinegar can be used instead. This is a Swahili recipe with ukwaju sauce (a tamarind-based sauce). The sauce really adds a lot of flavor and spice to the dish. Mishkaki can also be enjoyed with fries or chip mayais.

Enjoy this classic beef mishkaki recipe!

Beef Mishkaki

Chef’s Pencil Staff

Mishkaki, or beef skewers in Tanzania, are served with vegetables and tamarind sauce.

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Prep Time 20 mins

Cook Time 40 mins

Total Time 1 hr

Course Appetizer

Cuisine African, Kenyan, Tanzanian

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 tbsp beef seasoning powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp Arabic spice powder
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 1.5 tbsp vinegar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 onion
• 1 green bell pepper
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 dark mushroom soy sauce

Tamarind sauce

• 1 tamarind
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 medium-sized onion
• 2 green chili peppers
• 1 tsp salt (to taste)

Instructions

 

• Dice the beef, onions, tomatoes, and green and red pepper.
• Place them alternately on skewers.
• Place your skewers on a foil-lined oven pan.
• Add the salt, beef seasoning, cumin powder, and dark mushroom soy sauce.
• Place some frying oil on top of the rest of the seasonings.
• Shake the tray slightly to let the marinade blend and distribute.
• Set your oven to 80 degrees and put your tray on the seat to cook gently.

How to make the Tamarind sauce:

• Soak the tamarind in hot water for 10 mins.
• Extract the tamarind pulp and strain it.
• In a blender, blend the tamarind pulp, onion, garlic, green chili, and salt into a fine paste.
• When the meat is almost cooked, brush it with some sauce and let soak for 2 minutes. The sauce can also be used as a dip.

Notes

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Featured image courtesy kristiesmunchies2021.

Aderinsola Adeosun

Aderin is a Nigerian foodie who is extremely passionate about the African culture and food. Aderin is currently living in Europe where she studies Public Alimentation.