Tanzanian recipe
How to make Chipsi mayai
Chipsi mayai, also called zege
Said to have started at street stalls in Dar es Salaam; now eaten all over Tanzania
Freshly fried chips cooked into an omelette in the pan, so the egg holds the potatoes together like a flat cake. It is sold at food stands from big towns to small villages and served with kachumbari or chilli sauce.
Ingredients
- 3 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into thin chips (or 300 g frozen chips)
- Vegetable oil for frying
- 4 eggs
- A pinch of salt
- Kachumbari or chilli sauce, to serve
Method
- Fry the chips in hot oil until golden and cooked through, or bake frozen chips in the oven. Drain on kitchen paper and sprinkle with salt.
- Beat the eggs in a bowl with a pinch of salt.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Spread the chips in an even layer and pour the eggs over them.
- Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until the bottom is set, then turn it over with the help of a plate and cook the other side for 2 to 3 minutes, until the egg is fully cooked.
- Slide it onto a plate and serve hot with kachumbari or chilli sauce.
Made it at home? Tick it off and it goes into your kitchen passport.
The name means 'chips and eggs' in Swahili, and many people call it the unofficial national dish.
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