Marara stew is a simple dish prepared from the remains of meat set aside after an event the previous day. This part of the meat is called tripe and offal, and it is mostly cooked with onion, vegetables, and seasonings.
There’s another variation of marara stew called salad because of the addition of diverse vegetables. Both types serve the same purpose of providing fiber for digestion.
Marara Stew: The Staple Dish of Chad
Description
Marara stew is a simple dish prepared from the remains of meat set aside after an event the previous day. This part of the meat is called tripe and offal, and it is mostly cooked with onion, vegetables, and seasonings.
Background and Origin
Like many staple recipes, marara stew is popular in neighboring countries such as Cameroon and Central African Republic. It’s also popular in South Africa where the sauce is called matumbu.
The tripe, also known as offal, is a type of meat that is derived from the internal lining of farm animals such as cows, pigs, sheep, and goats. Cooking tripe dates back centuries around the continent, mostly enjoyed as a source of nutrients in addition to protein. It's a popular dish in parts of Asia, Europe, America and the Caribbean.
Many people prepare offal as marara stew or use it in soups and various sauces. Tripe is an excellent source of iron, zinc, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, choline, calcium and niacin.
Ingredients
How to Prepare Marara Stew
-
- Blend the parsley, scotch bonnet pepper, ginger and garlic. Set aside
- Put the offal and tripe in a pot on a low heat. Add the onion and oil. Add a cup of water and let it simmer for an hour.
- Add the blended mixture, salt, and tomatoes. Stir and allow it to cook for 5 minutes. Add some oil if you prefer at this point. Let it cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the carrots and let the marara stew cook for 10 minutes. Add the bell peppers and cook for 2 minutes.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning.
- Serve alone, with rice or bread.
Nutrition Facts
Servings 5
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories 125kcal
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat 5g8%
- Cholesterol 35mg12%
- Sodium 27mg2%
- Protein 19g38%
- Calcium 101 mg
- Iron 0.868 mg
- Vitamin B12 1.53 mcg
- Phosphorus 93.8 mg
- Magnesium 19.6 mg
- Zinc 2.07 mg
- Selenium 18.2 mcg
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Note
Tips for Preparing Marara Stew
- Cook the tripe for more than an hour for a softer feel.
- Use more seasoning the more offal and tripe you use.
- It’s best to add salt after the meat cooks for an hour. Adding salt from the onset makes it hard for the offal to soften.
- Add as many vegetables as you prefer.
- You can refrigerate the excess and microwave it the next day.
Marara stew is a staple meal of Chad and is popular in neighboring countries. It’s important to clean and wash the offal thoroughly before reserving it for cooking the next day. Remember, you can add as many vegetables as you desire.
Happy cooking!
