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Monyo
Monyo: the sharp, fresh tomato, onion and pepper relish of Togo and Benin
Grilled fish stalls along the beach road in Lomé and the lagoon in Cotonou always set down a bowl of monyo, a raw relish of finely diced tomato, onion and hot pepper sharpened with vinegar. It is bright, crunchy and fiery, cutting through anything fried or grilled: fish, chicken, yam chips, ablo or akassa. No cooking is involved, so it takes ten minutes and is best eaten soon after mixing, while the vegetables are still crisp. Chef's tip: dice everything very small and evenly, about the size of a lentil, so every spoonful carries tomato, onion and chilli together.
- Total time
- 10 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 1 onionred or white
- 1 Scotch bonnet or green chilliuse 2 for extra heat
- 2 tbsp white vinegaror lemon juice
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley (optional)chopped
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (4)
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Quarter the 4 firm ripe tomatoes, scrape out the watery seeds and dice the flesh into 5 mm cubes. Leaving the seeds in is the common mistake: they turn the relish into a thin soup.
4 minStep 3: Seed and mince the 1 Scotch bonnet or green chilli. Wear gloves or wash your hands well afterwards.
1 minStep 4: Mix everything with the 2 tbsp white vinegar, 2 tbsp vegetable oil, ½ tsp salt and 1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley and leave for 5 minutes for the flavours to mingle. Serve within the hour.
5 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 55 kcal
- Protein
- 1 g
- Carbs
- 6 g
- Fat
- 4 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does monyo take?
- About 10 minutes in total.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- 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 firm ripe tomatoes?
- Tinned chopped tomatoes: a 400g tin for about 6 tomatoes (in cooked dishes, not salads).
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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