Walking through the neighbourhoods in Nairobi, Kenya, in the evenings, you will notice gatherings on the streets enjoying the famous street food, mtura.
Mtura is a delicacy made from a mixture of minced pieces of cow/goat/lamb meat and cooled blood, flavoured with onions, salt, pepper and chilli, stuffed inside a tripe/intestine and roasted/grilled over hot charcoal.
It baffles me why the grilling is done by the roadside, usually in the evenings. It could be that is when people leave work and are most likely hungry and ready to grab a bite or two.
The vendors, usually men, are always clad in a white lab coat with bloodstains on it, gumboots and sweaty foreheads.
Traditionally, the delicacy was common among the Agikuyu. When slaughtering a goat, they would use its intestines to prepare Mtura, but this only happened on special occasions like ruracios(dowry payment), weddings and rights of passage like circumcision.
However, it is interesting to note that even though the men prepared the meal, only the women were allowed to eat it. Men would eat the other parts of the slaughtered goat. Today, however, the sausage can be enjoyed by anyone.
The mtura should be eaten hot and with bare hands. No fork should be used whatsoever 😃. However, a toothpick sometimes is used reluctantly.
Ingredients
• Raw fresh blood (Cow or goat blood)
• Meat
• Spring onions
• Salt
• Pepper
• Intestines
Method of preparation
1. Mix fatty meat and blood, then boil till dark brown.
2. Add salt, pepper and spring onions, then cook for about 20 minutes(No cooking oil is needed).
3. Stuff the meat in the intestines and tie the ends.
4. Grill the mtura as you turn it until golden brown. Do not overdo it. It will lose taste.
5. Cut into small pieces over a chopping board and serve with salt. You can add kachumbari(a vegetable mix of tomatoes, onions and parsley).
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