Fish in Coconut Curry (Mtuzi wa Samaki)

This is probably apparent with the different types of recipes I post but I really like some variety in what I eat. As a kid, I ate the exact same meals every day because I was so picky, so now that I’ve (luckily) grown out of that, I want something new and different each time I cook.

I was just send Cooking Light’s latest cookbook: Global Kitchen: The World’s Most Delicious Food Made Easy that is filled with recipes from around the world. The recipes can be made with ingredients you can find in your supermarket, making it a great way to experiment with new flavors. There are so many recipes I plan to try in this book, and you can expect to see quite a few showing up on my blog! Cooking Light also sent me an extra copy of Global Kitchen so I am giving one away at the end of this post!

This recipe for Fish in Coconut Curry (Mtuzi wa Samaki) takes a bit longer than most I post on here (~45 minutes) but is well worth the time. Because the recipe makes a really delicious sauce, I served it over rice. I also adapted it slightly to fit with what was available at my supermarket.

According to Global Kitchen, the recipe is based on a Tanzanian dish although fish curry originated in Zanzibar: Tanzania sits at a crossroads in the spice trade routes from India. That’s why Indian spices ended up in so many Tanzanian dishes like this fish curry. The dish originated in Zanzibar but is now enjoyed all over the eastern coast of Africa. Coconut milk enriches the curry and gives it a tropical flavor.   Ingredients:

• 1 pound skinless flounder or other white fish
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Madras curry powder, divided
• 1 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
• 2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 plum tomatoes, roughly chopped
• the juice of one lemon
• 3/4 cup light coconut milk
• 4 lemon wedges
• Chopped fresh cilantro

Combine 3/4 teaspoon curry powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper in a small bowl.

Sprinkle the fish with the mixture.

Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the oil and swirl to coat. Add the fish and cook for 4 minutes, or until the bottom is browned but the fish is still undercooked on top. (The fish will finish cooking later in the sauce). Remove the fish from the pan and reserve.

While waiting for the fish to cook, chop your onion, bell pepper, ginger, garlic, and tomatoes. You can combine the onion and bell pepper in one bowl, garlic and ginger in another bowl, and keep the tomatoes separate. (They are added at different times).

When the fish is done cooking and had been removed from the pan, add the onion and bell pepper to the pan. Saute for 4 minutes or until tender.

Add the ginger and garlic and saute for 1 minute.

Add the remaining 3/4 teaspoon curry powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, chopped tomatoes, and lemon juice.

Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 10 minutes, or until the tomatoes break down. Stir occasionally. After 10 minutes, mash the tomatoes with a wooden spoon.

Stir in the coconut milk. Add the fish along with accumulated juices to the pan. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook for 8 minutes.

Add cooked rice to four bowls and divide the fish mixture evenly among the bowls. Top with chopped cilantro and serve with lemon wedges.

I butchered the fish. By the time it was finished cooking, it was broken into a bunch of little pieces due to my stirring. So it’s not exactly the most beautiful dish I’ve ever made.

But oh, is it tasty. This is by no means a spicy dish but there is this warmth at the end that is really amazing.

I think this would be great with some steamed baby bok choy roughly chopped and added at the end to add some more veggies to the mix. I will have to try that next time!   Want to win a copy of your own? Use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter to win! Good luck! [This giveaway is CLOSED]

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Mtuzi wa Samaki (Fish in Coconut Curry)

Based on a Tanzanian dish found in Cooking Light's Global Kitchen: The World's Most Delicious Food Made Easy

Course Main Course, Seafood

Cuisine Tanzanian

Keyword Coconut, Curry, Mtuzi wa Samaki, Rockfish, Seafood

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 4 servings

Author Kaitlin @ I Can Cook That

Ingredients

• 1 pound skinless flounder or other white fish
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Madras curry powder divided
• 1 teaspoon salt divided
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper divided
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
• 2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 4 plum tomatoes roughly chopped
• the juice of one lemon
• 3/4 cup light coconut milk
• 4 lemon wedges
• Chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions

• Combine 3/4 teaspoon curry powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper in a small bowl.
• Sprinkle the fish with the mixture.
• Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the oil and swirl to coat. Add the fish and cook for 4 minutes, or until the bottom is browned but the fish is still undercooked on top. (The fish will finish cooking later in the sauce). Remove the fish from the pan and reserve.
• While waiting for the fish to cook, chop your onion, bell pepper, ginger, garlic, and tomatoes. You can combine the onion and bell pepper in one bowl, garlic and ginger in another bowl, and keep the tomatoes separate. (They are added at different times).
• When the fish is done cooking and had been removed from the pan, add the onion and bell pepper to the pan. Saute for 4 minutes or until tender.
• Add the ginger and garlic and saute for 1 minute.
• Add the remaining 3/4 teaspoon curry powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, chopped tomatoes, and lemon juice.
• Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 10 minutes, or until the tomatoes break down. Stir occasionally. After 10 minutes, mash the tomatoes with a wooden spoon.
• Stir in the coconut milk, and add the fish along with accumulated juices to the pan. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook for 8 minutes.
• Add cooked rice to four bowls and divide the fish mixture evenly among the bowls. Top with chopped cilantro and serve with lemon wedges.

Notes

If you make this recipe, share a photo on Instagram and tag me @icancookthat!

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