🥔 SIDE
Mchicha wa Nazi (Greens in Coconut Milk)
Amaranth greens slow-wilted with onion, tomato and chili, then made silky with coconut milk in the Zanzibari style.
Tanzanian · easy · serves 4
prep 10 min · cook 25 min
~217 cal · 5g protein · 13g carbs · 18g fat · 5g fiber · 4g sugars · 10g sat fat (estimated, per serving)
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Mchicha wa nazi is a Tanzanian coastal favourite, mchicha meaning leafy greens and nazi meaning coconut. Amaranth or spinach is cooked down with onion, tomato and a little chili, then is stirred in at the end until the greens turn creamy and rich.
It belongs to the Swahili kitchen of Zanzibar and the mainland coast, where coconut palms line the shore and their milk enriches everyday vegetables. Served with rice or ugali, it is of how far a handful of greens can go.
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Make it yours
✓ Naturally vegetarian, vegan and gluten-, dairy-, egg- and pork-free. No swaps needed.
Toggle a diet and the ingredients rewrite themselves with regional substitutes.
🥕 Vegetarian
🌱 Vegan
🌾 Gluten-Free
🥛 Dairy-Free
🥜 Nut-Free
🥚 Egg-Free
🐖 Pork-Free
Dietary labels are a cooking guide, not allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we count coconut as a tree nut, following FDA labeling), fish, and shellfish; we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, read the label on every product you use, and note that a kitchen can cross-contaminate in ways a recipe cannot control.
Ingredients
US
Metric
Serves 4
- 500 g amaranth or spinach, chopped
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 tomato, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 green chili, chopped
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 3/4 cup , full-fat
- 2 tbsp
- to taste salt
Instructions
- 1Soften the onion in the oil over low heat until translucent, about 5 minutes, then add the garlic and chili.
- 2Stir in the tomato and cumin and cook until the tomato collapses into a soft base.
- 3Add the greens with a splash of water, cover, and simmer 12 to 15 minutes until fully tender.
- 4Pour in the coconut milk and simmer gently 5 minutes more until the sauce thickens, season with salt, and serve with rice.✎ Chef’s noteKeep the heat low once the coconut milk goes in so it stays creamy instead of splitting.
Swahili coastal cooking, Zanzibar.
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🌏 While it simmers, know your destination
📍
Zanzibar. The Spice Island of Zanzibar layers cloves, cardamom, and coconut into Swahili cooking, biryani, pilau, and fragrant seafood curries. Indian, Arab, and African trade perfume its night-market grills.
🗺️
Tanzania. Zanzibar's spice reputation has hard history behind it. The island was for a time the world's leading clove producer, planted under Omani rule, and the trade shaped what is cooked there: coconut, cardamom and cloves through rice and fish in a way the mainland does not do. Urojo, the Zanzibar mix soup, and mishkaki skewers are the street names worth knowing.
🌍
Africa. Africa's fifty-four nations hold cuisines as different as Morocco's slow-cooked tagines and South Africa's open-fire braai, yet shared threads run through them: ancient grains like millet, sorghum, and teff; stews thickened with groundnut, okra, or palm; and fiery condiments from Tunisian harissa to Ethiopian berbere. Staple starches, fufu, injera, ugali, couscous, anchor communal meals often eaten by hand from a shared dish, where hospitality is a point of honor.
The story behind this dish is up top, worth a read while the pot works.
More from Tanzania
Zanzibar PilauRice simmered with whole spices from the island’s own groves, cardamom, clove, cinnamon, with beef and a kachumbari salad.
MaandaziLightly sweet East African fried dough triangles scented with cardamom and coconut.
Zanzibar UrojoA tangy turmeric-and-mango broth piled with fritters, potato, and crunchy toppings, Zanzibar's famous mix.
Browse all Tanzania recipes →
Good to know
Storing it: Stews and braises keep 3 to 4 days refrigerated and often taste better the next day. Reheat gently, adding a splash of water if it has thickened.
Make it a Tanzania meal
Kahawa ya TangawiziDrink
KashataDessert
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Cuisine
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Frequently asked questions
What is Mchicha wa Nazi (Greens in Coconut Milk)?
Amaranth greens slow-wilted with onion, tomato and chili, then made silky with coconut milk in the Zanzibari style.
Where does Mchicha wa Nazi (Greens in Coconut Milk) come from?
Mchicha wa Nazi (Greens in Coconut Milk) is a Tanzanian dish from Zanzibar, Tanzania.
Can Mchicha wa Nazi (Greens in Coconut Milk) be made vegan, gluten-free, or dairy-free?
This Mchicha wa Nazi (Greens in Coconut Milk) recipe includes substitution suggestions for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, egg-free, and pork-free versions. Treat the substitutions as a starting guide rather than a guarantee, and see the allergen note below.
Is Mchicha wa Nazi (Greens in Coconut Milk) safe for people with food allergies?
Our dietary labels and substitutions are a cooking guide, not medical or allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we still count coconut as a tree nut to be cautious, although the FDA stopped listing it as one in 2025), fish, and shellfish, but we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, always read the label on every product you use, and remember a home or commercial kitchen can cross-contaminate ingredients in ways a recipe cannot control.
How long does Mchicha wa Nazi (Greens in Coconut Milk) take to make?
About 35 minutes total (10 minutes prep, 25 minutes cooking), serving 4.
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