Who doesn’t love a one-pot dish? This fish curry (samaki wa nazi), I learned, is popular among the coastal dwellers of Tanzania and Zanzibar, the ‘Island of Spices.’

Am always on the hunt for new and interesting flavor combinations. Spices and herbs are essential. I like a balanced profile — a bit spicy, a bit sour, a bit sweet, a bit salty. And on these busy days, a meal that doesn’t take too much time and effort to prepare, yet doesn’t skimp on flavor. That’s a tall order to fill, or perhaps not? This tamarind-tomato-coconut fish curry checks all the boxes — complex and utterly flavorful, yet easy to pull together.

Sometimes I find coconut milk to have a somewhat muting effect on the flavor of other ingredients. In this dish, everything is well-balanced. As the curry simmers away, the tomatoes and the spices and the coconut milk meld, producing a harmonious sauce. Most of the ingredients are readily available, with perhaps the exception of tamarind paste. But I urge you to seek it out. It adds a much needed sour element to this curry.

To prepare the tamarind paste: I start with tamarind in a block such as this one (the seeds have been removed). It’s available at most Asian grocery stores. Tear off a lump of tamarind and cover with boiling water. Let soak until the tamarind is soft and and the mixture has thickened. You can break up the tamarind with your fingers. Press the pulp through a sieve and discard any remaining fibers and/or seeds. You can prepare in advance and store in the fridge for a few days.

As for the fish, I used wild salmon, though you could easily swap it for another firm, meaty fish.

Hope you enjoy as much as I did 🙂

Yum!!

Tamarind-Tomato Fish Curry

This recipe is based on the Tanzanian fish curry known as samaki wa nazi. If you want more heat, you can add a fresh chile, such as scotch bonnet, habanero or jalapeno. I used wild salmon, though you could also use another firm, meaty fish.

2 tablespoons cooking oil
1 large white onion, sliced lengthwise
2 tablespoons of your favorite curry powder blend
½ teaspoon chile powder, more to taste
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
½ teaspoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1 tablespoon grated garlic
6 plum tomatoes, about 1 ½ pounds, chopped
13.5 ounce can coconut milk
1 tablespoon tamarind paste
1 pound wild salmon fillet, cubed
1 handful cilantro, chopped
Serve with long-grain rice

Heat the oil in a pan and add the onions, curry powder, chile powder, turmeric and ground coriander. Sauté on a low heat until softened, about 7 minutes.

Stir in the ginger and garlic paste and cook another minute.

Add the chopped tomatoes and cook down for 5 minutes, stirring so they don’t stick to the bottom of the pan. Add the coconut milk and simmer for 30 minutes.

Stir in the tamarind paste and then add the fish pieces, making sure they are submerged in the sauce. Cover with a lid and leave to cook for 7 minutes.

Serve with chopped cilantro and a side of rice.