The Athola recipe is one of the most common meals among the Luos. It’s a traditional meal, and it refers to smoked meat. Traditionally, it was a method to use to preserve the meats. We didn’t have refrigerators; of course, it was a preservative method.
The simplicity of this will make you think it’s not as delicious, but it’s a great choice that is way delicious.
So usually take the Athola and stew it to make it a full meal with ugali. If you have visited a few Luo restaurants in Nairobi like KOSEWE, you probably have eaten or seen it. Well, there’s a way we cook it; once you try it, you may never again like the fresh meat.
Understanding Athola
Now don’t confuse Athola for Aliya. They are different, as you will see below. Traditionally our fore moms used this preserved meat to prepare the perfect stew.
Traditionally we would take the lean cuts of meat and then smoke them for preservation, thus making them ready for use later.
Of course, if you would like to prepare it for dinner, you must have made the meat to Athola a few days before. Next, you will always need to boil it to tenderize it. Then next, you can stew it to get it perfectly cooked.
There’s nothing better than making this meal the traditional way, where our fore moms started preparing it early afternoon for dinner. While you can make it in town, we like to make it in the village to retain the smokey flavor from cooking it in the pots and on the fire.
The best Athola recipe
Ingredients
- 1 kg Athola meat
- Onion
- Tomatoes
- Ginger garlic
- Beef cubes
Method
1. this is not usually the meat you smoke; immediately start cooking. It’s some preserved meat; now you want to fry it a little.
2. The first thing is to rinse the meat in water to make sure you get rid of dirt and debris. Now cut it into larger chunks, then set it in a saucepan.
3. Add in water and cover to boil for about 2 hours. This works best if you’re cooking it over the fire traditionally. However, today you can also use a pressure cooker to make it. Just know, though, that it won’t have the authentic flavor.
4. During the two hours of boiling it, cook it under slow heat. When it’s ready, the meat stripes come out to tell you that it has fully tenderized. It’s now ready for frying.
5. Traditionally, we didn’t add many spices to the meat. We knew that easy goes a long way. We love the smoky flavor, and as long as the sauce is thick, we are good. If you want to spice it some more today, you are welcome to do it.
6. You need to add oil to your pan and heat it, then add onions. But you can also use spring onions for an even richer flavor. Once it’s cooked, you can add the chopped garlic and ginger to cook.
7. Now, you can puree or chop your tomatoes, and then you are good to go. Add the tomatoes to cook, and at this point, you can also add your cubes and chilies if you like spice.
8. Add the smoked meat(Athola). Toss it a little to make sure all the content cooks right. Add some water or the excess water remaining. Allow it to simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes.
9. It’s ready, and you can serve it with your favorite veggie and ugali, and it’s just delicious.
Don’t confuse Aliya for Athola.
The two are different, and Aliya will last even a year and still be safe to eat, and mind you, we are not freezing it. However, Athola will stay for about two weeks before it goes bad unless you then keep it in the freezer, in which case then it lasts long.
For Athola, you need to dry it for a little while and then set it to smoke just twice, and it’s ready for cooking. Aliya takes much longer to smoke.
FAQs
Is Athola roasted meat?
No, it’s not. We usually make Athola by setting it over a wire mesh and almost done fire. We smoke it, not roast it, because when it’s done, you aren’t supposed to eat it as it I, contrary to roast meat.
Can you smoke it and cook it at the same time?
We didn’t do it that way because, remember, the essence of smoking was to preserve it, not for you to eat it immediately. Nonetheless, it won’t even be ready in just a few hours. We like to smoke it a little more for a few days.
Is smoked meat healthy?
Of course, it comes in lean protein with no carbs and fats. It has a smoky flavor, and it’s outrightly delicious to eat.
The traditionally smoked meat was the most preferred. It offers worn parts and is rich in lean protein but usually low in fat and carbs. I know most who have arthritis and like to eat smoked Athola meat.
We would generally say that smoked meat, in this case, the athola heart is healthy as long as you learn how to make it right. You only want to use this smoked meat because it’s rich in nutrients and low in fats and carbs. It does contain even high iron content and amino acids, making it one of the best.
What do you eat it with?
I know this is another of the most common questions, but we mostly simply do it with Ugali, and when you are in the village then, you can use the brown Ugali. If you want, though, you can also eat it with potatoes, rice, or chapati. It’s versatile; if you like the smokey flavor, this will be your favorite.