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3.5 from 6 votes

Kanda (Central African Beef and Pumpkin Seeds Meatballs)

Kanda is a delicious meatball dish prepared with ground beef and pumpkin seeds that is very popular in Central African Republic.

Prep Time
35 mins
Cook Time
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr 35 mins
Servings: 8 people
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: African

Ingredients

  • 1½ lb ground beef
  • 3 cups pumpkin seeds
  • 2 onions
  • 6 cloves garlic , peeled
  • 4 tomatoes , peeled, seeded and diced
  • 2 chili peppers
  • 1 small bunch parsley
  • ½ cup cold water (for the meatballs)
  • 1½ cup water (for the sauce)
  • ½ cup oil
  • salt
  • pepper

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Slightly roasted pumpkin seeds and ground to a powder in a food processor.
  2. In a meat grinder (or food processor), grind the meat, pumpkin seed powder, parsley, garlic and onion. Season with salt and pepper.
  3. Stir in ½ cup (100ml) of cold water into the mixture and knead well for 3 minutes until forming a homogeneous dough. Refrigerate.
  4. Slice the other onion. Sauté in oil for 2 minutes over medium heat in a large pot, stirring regularly.
  5. Add the tomatoes and chili peppers and sauté again covered, for 5 minutes.
  6. Pour 1½ cup (350ml) of water and increase the heat until the reaching a boil, then turn down to low heat.
  7. Form meatballs about the size of a golf ball.
  8. Increase heat and place each meatball in the sauce very carefully.
  9. Cook over high heat for 10 minutes.
  10. Then cook over medium heat for 20 minutes.
  11. And finally simmer for 30 minutes.
  12. When cooked, increase the temperature if necessary, to reduce the sauce.
  13. Serve with plain rice.