Kenya's beloved roadside blood sausage: cleaned intestine casing stuffed with minced beef or goat, tripe, blood and aromatics, boiled then grilled over charcoal. It is sliced into coins and eaten with kachumbari and a fiery chilli dip.
Originating with the Agikuyu (Kikuyu) community and now a nationwide street-food icon, especially in Nairobi.
The casing snaps under the tooth, releasing a dense, savoury filling that tastes deeply of grilled meat and iron-rich blood. Onion and chilli flicker through the richness, and a charred, smoky crust frames every slice.
Pre-boiling sets the blood and binds the filling so it holds shape, and the subsequent grilling crisps the casing and adds smoky char without overcooking the interior.
Variations
Goat instead of beef, a bloodless version, or extra pilipili and dhania for more heat and herbiness.
On the Palate
Where Mutura sits in the Kenyan flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 6How it's made
8 steps · 40 min
- 120 min
Thoroughly clean the intestine casing inside and out and set aside.
- 210 min
Mix minced beef or goat with chopped tripe, onion, garlic, chilli, salt and spices.
- 34 min
Stir fresh animal blood into the meat mixture until evenly combined.
- 412 min
Tie one end of the casing and carefully stuff it with the filling, then tie off into a coil.
Watch outStuff the casing loosely — packed too tight it'll split as the filling swells during boiling.
- 530 min
Gently boil the stuffed sausage in salted water until firm and cooked through.
Watch outBoil gently until the sausage feels firm to the touch and no longer squishy — that means the blood has set and the filling holds together.
- 618 min
Transfer to a charcoal grill and roast, turning, until the skin is browned and crisp.
Watch outTurn it over the coals until the skin is browned and crackly all around; you want char and crisp casing, not a dried-out inside.
- 74 min
Rest briefly, then slice into thick rounds.
- 82 min
Serve hot with kachumbari and chilli sauce.
