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Beef tripe, or offals as it is popularly known in Zambia, contains cow intestines, lungs, and other parts of a cow’s insides, including a blanket-like piece known in Zambia as Ichifu. They are popularly known as “matumbo,” even though the term matumbo mainly refers to the intestines.
They can be very fatty, and the fat tends to coagulate very quickly, so they need to be eaten while still warm. Today, we will learn how to cook Offals , beef tripe the traditional Zambian way.
How to Cook Offals
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: Approximately 2 hoursYou Will Need
Ingredients
- Beef Tripe
- 2 medium-sized tomato (diced)
- 1 medium-sized onion (chopped)
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
- Salt
Instructions
1. Wash Your Beef Tripe
Wash your beef tripe thoroughly under running water in a colander and remove unwanted fatty bits.
A stainless steel colander can be useful when washing and draining tripe and other ingredients.
2. Boil the Tripe
Put them in a pot and add salt.
For a much faster cooking option, you can use an Instant pot/pressure cooker to help tenderize beef tripe.
3. Cook Until Tender
Boil till tender.
4. Transfer the Tripe to a Pot
Add 2 tablespoons of cooking oil in a pot (so it does not stick to the pot and fry it a bit).
A large stainless steel cooking pot is useful for preparing larger quantities of tripe and other traditional family meals.
5. Add the Tomatoes and Onions
Then add tomatoes and onions to your tripe and cook till tomatoes are well cooked.
A wooden cooking spoon is useful for stirring the tripe and tomato-onion mixture as it cooks.
6. Make the Gravy
Add a bit of water to make some gravy and allow to simmer for 15 minutes.
7. Ready to Serve
Ready to serve.
You can enjoy them with nshima and a side vegetable dish.
A large serving bowl is useful when serving offals alongside nshima and vegetables for a family meal.
Happy Eating!
Recommended Kitchen Tools for This Recipe
If you regularly prepare traditional meals at home, these kitchen essentials can make cooking and serving easier:
- Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker — Particularly useful for reducing the time needed to cook tough cuts such as beef tripe until tender.
- Large Stainless Steel Cooking Pot — A versatile kitchen essential for cooking tripe, stews, soups, and other family meals.
- Stainless Steel Colander — Useful for washing, draining, and preparing meat and vegetables.
- Wooden Cooking Spoons — Handy for stirring meat, sauces, stews, and traditional dishes while cooking.
- Large Serving Bowl — Perfect for serving offals, stews, salads, and other family-style meals.
Affiliate Disclosure: Some of the products in this recommended list are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you purchase through one of these links, I may receive a commission at no cost to you.


