Mbuzi Choma Recipe: The Unexpected Delight of Kenyan Roasted Goat
Mbuzi Choma Recipe – I have a confession to make: until about three years ago, I had never knowingly eaten goat meat. This seemed like a perfectly reasonable life choice for someone raised in suburban America on a steady diet of chicken, beef, and the occasional pork chop.
Mbuzi Choma (Roasted Goat)
Ingredients
- 1 kg Goat Meat
- 1 kg Corn Flour
- 2 Tomatoes
- Pinch of Salt
- 1 Onion
- 1 Green Chilli
- 1 bunch Coriander Leaves
Instructions
- Roast meat over medium heat for 50 minutes and salt it as you turn it.
- Bring the water and salt to a boil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Stir in the cornmeal slowly, letting it fall through the fingers of your hand.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and continue stirring regularly, smashing any lumps with a spoon, until the mush pulls away from the sides of the pot and becomes very thick, about 10 minutes.
- Remove from heat and allow to cool.
- Place the ugali into a large serving bowl. Wet your hands with water, form a ball and serve.
- Mix the tomatoes, onions, chili and coriander leaves in a bowl.
- Serve and enjoy!
Nutrition
But then I found myself at a friend’s backyard gathering where Mbuzi Choma was the star of the show, and my culinary world tilted just enough to make room for something new.
“Just try it,” my friend Iman insisted, holding out a plate with what looked like perfectly roasted meat. If you can eat lamb, you can absolutely eat goat.” She wasn’t wrong.
That first bite—tender, with a flavor somewhere between lamb and the most flavorful beef you’ve ever had—made me wonder what other delicious things I’d been needlessly avoiding all my life.
The Heart of Kenyan Cuisine
Mbuzi Choma, which simply means “roasted goat” in Swahili, is more than just a dish in Kenya—it’s practically a national institution. It’s what you’ll find at celebrations, family gatherings, or whenever Kenyans have something worth commemorating. The beauty of this dish lies in its simplicity: good meat, fire, salt, time. That’s it.
What makes a complete meal, however, is serving the roasted meat alongside two essential accompaniments: ugali, a stiff cornmeal porridge that serves as the perfect vehicle for soaking up flavors, and kachumbari, a bright, fresh tomato and onion salad that cuts through the richness of the meat. Together, they create a perfect balance that will make you wonder why you don’t eat like this more often.
Finding Good Goat Meat
I won’t pretend this is the easiest weeknight dinner if you’re starting from scratch. The first hurdle for many of us is simply finding goat meat.
I’ve had luck at halal butchers, international markets, and increasingly, at farmers markets where heritage meat producers are expanding beyond the usual suspects.
Look for meat from younger goats (kid) if you’re new to goat meat—it’s milder and more tender. Shoulder or leg cuts work perfectly for this preparation.
Also read:
- Classic British Bakewell Tart Recipe
- Garides Saganaki Recipe
- Chicken Enchilada Casserole Recipe
- Beef and Mustard Pie Recipe
- Breakfast Potato Recipe
And yes, if you absolutely cannot find goat, you can substitute lamb (though I promise it’s worth seeking out the real thing).
The Recipe: Mbuzi Choma with Ugali and Kachumbari
Here’s the Mbuzi Choma recipe and step-by-step instructions on how to cook this Kenyan roasted goat:
For the Mbuzi Choma (Roasted Goat):
- 1 kg (about 2.2 lbs) goat meat
- Salt to taste
For the Ugali:
- 1 kg (about 2.2 lbs) corn flour/cornmeal
- Water
- Pinch of salt
For the Kachumbari:
- 2 ripe tomatoes, diced
- 1 onion, finely sliced
- 1 green chili, deseeded and minced (optional, but recommended)
- 1 bunch coriander leaves (cilantro), roughly chopped
- Pinch of salt
- Fresh lime juice (my addition, but trust me on this)
Let’s Make Mbuzi Choma
The traditional preparation of Mbuzi Choma involves roasting meat over an open fire, which gives it an incomparable smoky flavor. I’ve adapted this for home cooking while trying to preserve that essential character.
First, if your goat meat comes in large pieces, cut it into manageable chunks—about 2-3 inches each. This helps it cook more evenly and provides more surface area for those delicious caramelized edges.
Set up your grill for medium heat. If you’re using charcoal, this is ideal, but a gas grill works too. If you have neither, a heavy cast iron pan or even your oven’s broiler can stand in, though you’ll miss some of that smokiness.
Now here’s where patience becomes your secret ingredient: place the meat on the grill and roast it slowly, turning regularly, for about 50 minutes. This isn’t a quick sear situation—the slower cooking allows the meat’s connective tissues to break down, resulting in that melt-in-your-mouth tenderness. Salt the meat as you turn it, allowing the seasoning to build gradually.
How do you know when it’s done? Goat can be enjoyed at different levels of doneness, but for traditional Mbuzi Choma, you’re looking for well-done but still juicy meat. If you have a meat thermometer, aim for about 160°F (71°C).
Creating Perfect Ugali
While your meat is approaching perfection, prepare the ugali, which is easier than it looks but does require some muscle. Bring about 4 cups of water with a pinch of salt to a boil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan.
Once boiling, reduce the heat slightly and start adding the cornmeal gradually, letting it fall through your fingers while stirring constantly with your other hand.
This gradual approach is key to avoiding lumps—my first attempt looked like cornmeal concrete with surprising pockets of dry flour hiding within. Learn from my mistakes.
As the mixture thickens, switch to a wooden spoon (your hand will thank you) and continue stirring vigorously. The ugali will pull away from the sides of the pot and become quite stiff—this is exactly what you want. The whole process takes about 10 minutes of continuous stirring, which I like to think of as the arm workout portion of dinner preparation.
Remove from heat and let it cool slightly. To serve traditionally, wet your hands with water, take a portion of the ugali, and shape it into a smooth ball or mound. The texture should be firm enough to pick up with your fingers but soft enough to easily tear off pieces.
The Perfect Counterpoint: Kachumbari
This simple salad brings essential freshness to balance the rich, savory meat. In a bowl, combine your diced tomatoes, sliced onions, minced chili (adjust according to your heat preference), and chopped coriander leaves.
A tiny chef’s secret: after slicing the onions, I like to place them in a small bowl of cold water for about 10 minutes, then drain well. This takes away some of the harsh bite while keeping their crunch. Add a small pinch of salt and a squeeze of lime juice (my non-traditional but highly recommended addition), toss gently, and set aside while you finish the meat.
Bringing It All Together
When the meat is done, let it rest for just a few minutes before cutting into serving pieces. Arrange the Mbuzi Choma on a platter, place your ugali in a serving bowl, and offer the kachumbari in another bowl alongside.
The traditional way to eat this meal is with your hands: tear off a piece of ugali, use it to grab some meat and kachumbari, and enjoy the perfect bite. The slightly bland nature of ugali is intentional—it’s the canvas for the other flavors to shine.
When Things Don’t Go Perfectly
Let me be honest: my first attempt at ugali was a disaster of epic proportions. I added all the cornmeal at once and ended up with what could only be described as cornmeal quicksand—parts too dry, parts too wet, all of it wrong. The second time, with more patience and gradual adding of the cornmeal, was worlds better.
As for the goat, if you find yours is a bit tough, it likely needs more time. Unlike other meats that can become dry when overcooked, goat benefits from longer, slower cooking if it’s not tender enough. Next time, lower your heat a bit and extend the cooking time.
This meal taught me that sometimes the dishes that intimidate us the most become the ones we’re most proud of mastering. It’s not fancy or complicated—it’s just good, honest food that brings people together. And isn’t that what cooking is all about?
