Bowl of Tanzania Fish Stew
(click to enlarge)

Fish Stew with Vegies


Tanzania   -   Mchuzi wa Samaki na Mboga za Majani
Serves:
Effort:
Sched:
DoAhead:  		 4 w/rice
***
4-1/2 hrs
Yes		 A flavorful stew with plenty of vegetables. As is often done in India, the fish is fried before stewing. You can do the deep fry a day ahead (40 min of cooking time). Also see Do-Ahead.

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Tilapia Fillets (1)  
-- Marinade
Garlic
Lime Juice
Salt
-- Vegies
Onions
Garlic
Tomatoes, ripe
Tomato Sauce (2)
Carrots
Potatoes (3)
Okra (4)
Greens (5)
-- Seasoning
Pepper black
Curry Powder (6)
Salt
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Oil - deep fry (7)
Oil
Water
Coconut Cream
Lime Juice
-- Serve with
Steamed Rice
Prep   -   (1 to 3 hrs - 47 min work)
  1. Cut FISH into largish bite size pieces.
  2. Crush GARLIC and chop very fine. Squeeze the LIME JUICE and mix all Marinade items. Gently massage into the Fish. Set aside for 1 hour or refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours.
  3. Quarter ONIONS lengthwise and slice thin crosswise.
  4. Crush GARLIC and chop fine.
  5. Scald TOMATOES one minute in boiling water. Quench in cold water and peel. Chop small.
  6. Mix Tomato Sauce with Tomatoes.
  7. Peel Carrots and cut into 3/8 inch thick drums, or half drums if very large.
  8. Peel POTATOES and cut into about 3/4 inch cubes. Hold in cold water until needed.
  9. Trim caps of OKRAS into cones, being careful not to cut into the hollow part. Tumble with Vinegar and set aside for at least 20 minutes. Tumble now and then to keep them wet. This helps keep them from breaking apart in cooking.
  10. Remove stems from GREENS and cut into strips a little less than 1/2 inch wide and 1 inch long. Measure is lightly packed.
  11. Squeeze LIME JUICE.
  12. Mix all Seasoning items.
Run   -   (1-1/2 hrs)
  1. In a Kadhai or Wok, heat Oil and deep fry Fish until lightly browned. If deep frying, don't crowd the pan, do several batches. Set aside to drain.
  2. Deep Fry Potatoes until lightly browned. Set aside to drain.
  3. In a coverable sauté pan (3-1/2 qt) or similar, heat 2 T Oil and fry Onions until lightly browned.
  4. Stir in Garlic until Garlic is aromatic.
  5. Stir in Seasoning mix for 30 seconds, then stir in Tomato mix. Cook stirring often until tomatoes are soft.
  6. Drain Potatoes and stir in along with Carrots until well distributed, then stir in Water and Coconut Cream. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer until Potatoes and Carrots are nearly cooked.
  7. Drain, rinse and stir in Okra, then Greens. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer 10 minutes.
  8. Stir in Fish, bring to a boil, cover and simmer 5 minutes. Adjust liquid if needed.
  9. Stir in Lime Juice and take off the heat.
  10. Check seasoning and serve hot with plenty of Steamed Rice.
NOTES:

  1. Tilapia:

      Other fish that can stand up to some wet cooking could also be used, but Tilapia is an authentically African Fish. For details see our Tilapia page.

  2. Tomato Sauce:

      Rather than using tomato paste called for in recipes, I like to add a convenient 8oz can of a very simple tomato sauce, which helps make up for deficient tomatoes. My favorite is Faraon Spanish Style, but other simple sauces will also work.

  3. Potatoes:

      White Rose or similar work well in recipes of this sort. Avoid Klondike Gold type potatoes - they quickly turn to mush with long cooking. For details see our Potatoes page.

  4. Okra:

      Select the smallest, youngest Okras you can find in the bin.

  5. Greens:

      Amaranth is most authentic, but White Stemmed Swiss Chard will also work just fine. For details see our Amaranth page and Swiss Chard page.

  6. Curry Powder:

      This recipe allows either plain Turmeric Powder or Curry Powder. Anglo-Indian Madras Curry Powder is good here - the English ran Tanzania after WWI and would have brought it from India.

  7. Deep Fry:

      Broiling or roasting could also be used instead of deep fry, though deep fry is traditional.

  8. Do-Ahead:

      If making for a party, I would hold the Okra, Greens and Fish until it is reheated, then give them the specified cooking time and pour into a slow cooker set to "keep warm" for serving. This dish reheats pretty well IF you use the right Fish and Potatoes.
  9. U.S. measure: t=teaspoon, T=Tablespoon, c=cup, qt=quart, oz=ounce, #=pound, cl=clove in=inch, ar=as required tt=to taste
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