Tanzanian Fish Curry Recipe (Mchuzi Wa Samaki)

This Tanzanian fish curry recipe, known locally as mchuzi wa samaki, is a revelation for those who love mildly spicy yet deeply flavourful curries. We have used hake and salmon for this version, but you could easily substitute these for any other meaty fish – adding a few prawns during the last few minutes of cooking would make even more of a feast.

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Due to strong trade deals with India dating back to the 19th century, Tanzania sees a lot of Indian influence in its cooking. This beautifully spiced fish curry contains classic Indian ingredients such as curry powder, garam masala and coconut milk. Add more chilli powder if you prefer a punchier curry!

Mchuzi wa samaki
250g of salmon fillet, cubed
250g of hake fillet, cubed
1 onion, sliced
2 tbsp of curry powder
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp ground coriander
2 tbsp of ginger and garlic paste
6 plum tomatoes, chopped
400ml of coconut milk
1 tbsp of tamarind paste
1 handful of coriander leaves, chopped
2 tbsp of vegetable oil

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Heat the oil in a pan and add the onions, curry powder, chilli powder, turmeric and ground coriander. Sauté on a low heat until softened, for about 7 minutes

Stir in the ginger and garlic paste and cook out for a further couple of minutes

Add the chopped tomatoes and cook down for 5 minutes, stirring so they don't stick to the bottom of the pan. Add the coconut milk and simmer for 30 minutes

Stir in the tamarind paste then add the fish pieces, making sure they are submerged in the sauce. Cover with a lid and leave to cook for 7 minutes