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Main course Fish & Seafood

Food Flavour DNA

Nutritional Values

🔥500kcal
💪34gProtein
🌾15gCarbs
🥑36gFat
🌿3gFibre
⚖️350 gServing

* Per serving · 350 g. May vary.

Allergens

🐟 Fish

Coconut-fish Curry

How to order / say it
Say it Mtuzi wa Samaki — [m-too-zee wa sa-mah-kee]
Order I'd like the Mtuzi wa Samaki, please.
Locally Ningependa Mtuzi wa Samaki, tafadhali.
Say locally

A creamy fish curry made with coconut milk and spices.

Why try it?

This dish exemplifies the abundant seafood resources and the influence of Arabic and Indian spices. It's a quintessential coastal dish well-loved by locals.

How it tastes

Mtuzi wa Samaki is rich and creamy with the tropical essence of coconut milk, balanced by spices with a hint of heat. The tender fish provides a mild and fresh taste, harmonizing with the curry.

Origin & History — first documented: 1850

Introduced through Indian Ocean trade, coconut curries gained prominence in Zanzibar in the mid-19th century. Mtuzi wa Samaki merged local seafood with traditional curries, quickly becoming a household favorite.

Recipe

Ingredients

  • 🐟 400 g fish fillets
  • 🥛 200 ml coconut milk
  • 🧄 100 g onion
  • 🧄 10 g garlic
  • 🧂 10 g curry powder
  • 🥕 100 g tomato
  • 🌿 10 g cilantro
  • 🍋 15 ml lime juice
  • 🧂 5 g salt
  • 🫒 20 ml cooking oil

Method

  1. 1 Heat oil, sauté onions and garlic until golden.
  2. 2 Add curry powder, cook briefly, then stir in coconut milk and tomatoes.
  3. 3 Simmer and add fish, season with salt and lime juice.
  4. 4 Garnish with cilantro and serve.
All Africa recipes — Tanzania — Zanzibar — Coconut-fish Curry
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