Gluten freeKamba wa nazi
Prawns in coconut milk
Kamba wa nazi: Zanzibar prawns in a turmeric, garlic and coconut milk sauce with lime
Seafood stalls along the Stone Town waterfront and family kitchens up the Zanzibar coast cook kamba (prawns) in coconut milk with garlic, tomato and a little turmeric, finished with lime so the richness never gets heavy. The sauce is golden, creamy and gently spiced rather than hot, and the prawns should be just cooked: sweet and springy, not curled up tight and chalky, which is what happens when they sit in the sauce too long. Serve it over wali wa nazi (coconut rice) or plain basmati, with a little kachumbari. Buy raw prawns that smell fresh and of the sea, keep them cold until cooking, and cook them until pink and opaque all the way through. Chef's tip: make the sauce first and taste it before the prawns go in; once they are added you only have about four minutes.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Serves
- 4
- Per serving
- 360 kcal
Ingredients
- 1 ⅓ lb large raw prawnspeeled and deveined, tails on if you like; kept in the fridge until needed
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 onionfinely chopped
- 5 cloves garliccrushed
- 1 tsp fresh gingergrated
- 1 green chillislit
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- 2 ripe tomatoesgrated, skins discarded
- 1 ¾ cups coconut milk
- 1 limejuiced
- 1 handful fresh coriander (optional)chopped
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Pat 1 ⅓ lb large raw prawns dry, toss with ½ tsp salt and return them to the fridge while you make the sauce.
Step 2: Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a wide pan over a medium heat and fry 1 onion until soft and just golden.
5 minStep 3: Add 5 cloves garlic, 1 tsp fresh ginger, 1 green chilli, ½ tsp ground turmeric and ½ tsp ground cumin and stir for a minute until fragrant, without letting the garlic brown.
1 minStep 4: Add 2 ripe tomatoes and the rest of ½ tsp salt and cook until they melt into a thick paste with oil shining at the edges.
4 minStep 5: Pour in 1 ¾ cups coconut milk, bring to a gentle simmer and cook, stirring now and then, until the sauce thickens enough to coat a spoon. Taste and adjust the salt now.
5 minStep 6: Add the prawns in a single layer and simmer gently, turning once, until they are pink and opaque all the way through and curled into a loose C. Cut one open to check.
4 minStep 7: Take the pan off the heat, stir in 1 lime and scatter with 1 handful fresh coriander if using. Serve straight away with rice.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 360 kcal
- Protein
- 29 g
- Carbs
- 9 g
- Fat
- 24 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kamba wa nazi take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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