Where the dish comes from
Pweza wa nazi means literally "octopus in coconut" in Swahili. At low tide, locals go down onto the exposed coral flat and hunt octopus by hand, in the rock holes. It is a skill, and it is also why this dish is everyday food here rather than a luxury.
The rest — coconut milk, turmeric, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger — comes from the island's spice history. The dish tells the story of the Indian Ocean in a single pan.
For four people
- 1 octopus of about 1 kg, cleaned
- 400 ml coconut milk
- 2 onions, sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- A 3 cm piece of fresh ginger, grated
- 3 tomatoes, diced, or 2 tablespoons of purée
- 2 teaspoons curry powder, 1 of turmeric
- 4 cardamom pods, 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 lime
- 3 medium potatoes (optional)
- Oil, salt, pepper, fresh coriander
The method
Tenderise the octopus first. Locally it is beaten against the rock with a club; in a kitchen, simply simmer it in a large pan of salted water for 30 to 45 minutes, until a knife tip slides into the top of a tentacle without resistance. Drain, let it cool slightly, cut into bite-sized pieces.
Soften the onions in a little oil, add the garlic and ginger, then the dry spices. Give them a minute to release their scent. Add the tomatoes and let them cook down for a few minutes.
Add the octopus, fry for two or three minutes, then pour in the coconut milk. Bring to a bare simmer, never a rolling boil. Add the potatoes, parboiled, if you are using them, and simmer uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes, until the sauce thickens.
Off the heat, squeeze in the lime, adjust the salt, scatter with coriander. Serve with white rice.
Three mistakes to avoid
- Skipping the pre-cooking. Raw octopus dropped into the sauce turns rubbery and cannot be rescued.
- Boiling the coconut milk. It splits and the sauce turns grainy. A bare simmer is enough.
- Adding the lime too early. Cooked acidity loses its edge; it should come last.
At the lodge, the version served depends on what the Mtende fishermen brought in that morning. The same principle works with a firm white fish: that is the "fish in coconut sauce" on our menu.