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Chips mayai
Tanzanian chip omelette, cooked in one pan
Chips mayai ('chips and eggs') is Tanzania's best-loved street food, fried to order in Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar at evening stalls with big flat pans: fresh chips are bound into a thick omelette and served with kachumbari and chilli sauce or ketchup. Children and students live on it. Chef's tip: let the chips go crisp before pouring in the egg; soft chips make a soggy omelette.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 2
Ingredients
Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Rinse 14 oz potatoes and dry them well in a towel.
2 minStep 2: Heat 2 cups vegetable oil for frying in a pan to 350°F. Fry the chips in 2 batches for 7–9 minutes until golden and crisp. Drain on kitchen paper.
18 minStep 3: Beat 4 eggs with ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp black pepper, ½ onion and 1 tomato.
Step 4: Heat 1 tbsp of the frying oil in a 20 cm non-stick pan over a medium heat. Add half the chips in an even layer, pour over half the egg and cook for 2–3 minutes until the base is golden and the top is nearly set. Common mistake: too much egg for the chips — it should just bind them.
3 minStep 5: Flip with the help of a plate and cook for 1–2 minutes more. Repeat. Serve hot with 7 oz kachumbari and 2 tbsp chilli sauce.
4 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 520 kcal
- Protein
- 16 g
- Carbs
- 36 g
- Fat
- 35 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does chips mayai take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 2 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of potatoes?
- Sweet potato, same weight (sweeter, cooks a little faster).
- What can I use instead of eggs?
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water per egg, left for 5 minutes (baking only; vegan).
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