Recipe
🍽️ DINNER
Mchuzi wa Samaki (Coconut Fish Curry)
A Swahili-coast fish curry in a coconut and tomato sauce, brightened with tamarind and warm Indian-influenced spices.
Tanzanian · easy · serves 4
prep 15 min · cook 45 min
~455 cal · 34g protein · 15g carbs · 30g fat · 4g fiber · 7g sugars · 20g sat fat (estimated, per serving)
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Mchuzi wa samaki is the coconut fish curry of the Tanzanian coast, at home above all on Zanzibar, the spice island whose harbours have traded with India and Arabia for centuries. That history shows in the pot: curry powder, turmeric and meet local and in a mildly spiced, deeply flavoured sauce.
Firm white fish is simmered gently in the sauce so it stays in whole pieces, and adds the sour note that keeps the coconut richness in balance. Any meaty fish works, and a handful of prawns thrown in at the end turns it into a feast.
It is served with rice or , the flaky flatbread that the Swahili coast makes its own.
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Make it yours
✓ Naturally 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
1.5 lb firm white fish, in large pieces
1 can (about 13 oz) , full-fat
1 onion, sliced
3 tomatoes, chopped
2 tbsp garlic and ginger paste
2 tbsp curry powder
1 tsp turmeric
1 tbsp paste
2 tbsp
to finish cilantro, chopped
Instructions
1
Soften the onion in the oil with the curry powder and turmeric over low heat, about 6 minutes.
2
Stir in the garlic-ginger paste, then the tomatoes, and cook down for 5 minutes.
3
Pour in the coconut milk and simmer gently for about 20 minutes until the sauce thickens.
✎ Chef’s note
Keep it at a bare simmer once the coconut milk is in, so it stays smooth rather than splitting.
4
Stir in the tamarind, then slide in the fish (or chickpeas and cauliflower), cover, and cook until just done, about 8 minutes.
5
Scatter with cilantro and serve with rice or chapati.
Zanzibar Swahili coast cooking.
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🌏 While it simmers, know your destination
📍
Zanzibar. Cloves only reached Zanzibar around 1812, carried from Reunion, and by the end of the nineteenth century the islands were growing something like nine tenths of the world supply. That is long finished: Indonesia now produces most of the world's cloves and the Zanzibari crop is a fraction of what it once was.
🗺️
Tanzania. Tanzanian cooking spans mainland staples like ugali and nyama choma and the spice-laden Swahili cuisine of Zanzibar, where cloves, coconut, and cardamom rule. Pilau, biryani, and street snacks reflect Indian and Arab trade.
🌍
Africa. Much of what reads as timeless African cooking is younger than the Atlantic crossings. Maize, cassava, groundnut, chilli and tomato all arrived from the Americas after 1500 and pushed older crops aside; millet, sorghum, teff, yam and fonio are the ones that were already here, and the map still shows the join.
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
Mchicha wa Nazi (Greens in Coconut Milk)Lunch
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Cuisine
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Frequently asked questions
What is Mchuzi wa Samaki (Coconut Fish Curry)?
A Swahili-coast fish curry in a coconut and tomato sauce, brightened with tamarind and warm Indian-influenced spices.
Where does Mchuzi wa Samaki (Coconut Fish Curry) come from?
Mchuzi wa Samaki (Coconut Fish Curry) is a Tanzanian dish from Zanzibar, Tanzania.
Can Mchuzi wa Samaki (Coconut Fish Curry) be made vegan, gluten-free, or dairy-free?
This Mchuzi wa Samaki (Coconut Fish Curry) recipe includes substitution suggestions for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, egg-free, and pork-free versions, including several at once such as gluten-free and dairy-free together. Treat them as a starting guide rather than a guarantee, and see the allergen note below.
Is Mchuzi wa Samaki (Coconut Fish Curry) 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 count coconut as a tree nut, following FDA labeling), 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 Mchuzi wa Samaki (Coconut Fish Curry) take to make?
About 60 minutes total (15 minutes prep, 45 minutes cooking), serving 4.
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