Karibu Chakula!

The dank heat on the mystic island of Zanzibar seeps through your clothes and seemingly into your soul. The bass-driven sounds of bongo flava, the music of the Swahili youth, are drowned out by the age-old and now thunderous calls to Mosque. The markets of Stonetown, one of the world’s oldest trade ports, still teem with throngs of people from all walks of life who are lured there by a culture both rich in history and profound in tradition. Once home to sultans and slaves, it is the original melting pot where Arabian dhows arrived packed to the gunwales with merchandise destined for the markets of the New World.

Time stands still here. Wooden dhows still bestrew the coastal landscape, providing a means for the Zanzibaris to make a living off of the crystal blue waters surrounding them. Ancient Iraqi and German architecture stands here as testament to their presence. The spice trees introduced by Arab and Indian traders still pepper the landscape taking residence alongside the native baobab trees. Remnants of slave trading irons and markets still scar the land. It is here where human lives were once traded for peppercorns. A few hundred years ago this was one of the world’s most prolific ports.

Now, women in radiant garbs plod along carrying enormous loads of fruits and vegetables balanced proficiently on their heads, sharing the streets with donkeys who pull their own carts overrun with produce and grain. On one corner a nomadic Maasai warrior peddles intricately crafted beadwork and jewelry to passing tourists. He is not a native of Zanzibar, but he is sent to the island from Arusha to earn money for his tribe who still herd cattle there the way that the Maasai have since the dawn of man. He appears ageless, wearing his traditional garb and ornaments. The only signs of modernity are the sandals that he is wearing which are crafted from a fan belt and motorcycle tire, the Casio watch nestled amongst the beads on his forearm, and the Nokia cell phone that he is carrying. Both the watch and phone are dysfunctional. They are merely status symbols. And when I look closer I see that he has beaded cell phone cases for sale amongst the anklets, necklaces, and traditional headwear of his tribe. Evidence that times are changing.

Octopus and a myriad of other fish dry out in the searing heat of the African sun. Small stores display canvas sacks that brim with cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, and other treasures of the Spice Islands. Ducks, guinea fowl, and chickens poke their heads out of woven palm baskets. And the Swahili people are quick to welcome you with a smile. “Karibu Zanzibar”. You are welcome in Zanzibar.

Street-side vendors crank sugarcane through what looks like two stacked rolling pins, extracting the juice for thirsty patrons. Some squeeze fresh oranges. Others grill skewers of goat and beef over charcoal or serve up deep fried samosas stuffed with potatoes and salt-cured fish. And there is the ever-presence of ugali and chapati, staples of the Swahili diet.

It is here, in the markets of Stonetown, where I find myself on a quest to hone my knowledge of traditional East African cuisine and to somehow preserve the authenticity of it. Many recipes passed down by elders are slow food recipes that require long fermentation or preserving times. And with fast food chains starting to sprout up around Dar Es Salaam and Nairobi, it won’t be long before the younger generations in East Africa abandon the techniques of their elders in favor of fish-n-chips and burgers.

It is the men who cook in the market here. And it is men who staff the dive resort kitchens on the islands and the safari camps of the mainland. But they will not go home and eat the foods of safari kitchens and dive resorts. They will eat the chakula that their wives cook while they are away. As on the Swahili Coast, it is the women who do the gardening. And it is the women who do the cooking at home. So on my quest for authentic recipes and cooking techniques of the Swahili people, it is mostly the minds of the Swahili women that I pick.



These recipes take traditional Swahili flavors and recipes and merge them with contemporary techniques and presentation. The Swahili fare is ever evolving and could well be considered one of the world’s first true fusion cuisines. Karibu chakula!




Mishkaki with kachumbari and tamarind dipping sauce

Four servings

This dish was arguably first called shish kebab and brought to the Spice Islands by Arab traders. It is also found in the Caribbean under the name pinchos and likely made it there during the slave trade. The most primitive form of this dish probably happened when early man stuck bush meat on a branch and held it over a fire. And in all likelihood, that probably happened somewhere around the Ngorongoro Crater, in the cradle of life, of modern day Tanzania.

Kachumbari is the Swahili ‘salsa’. India has a similar dish called kachumber that was likely the birth of this dish. Many of the spices comprising the curry were brought to Africa during the Spice Trade. The African curries are traditionally very spicy as the heat of the peppers and raw cinnamon acts as an appetite suppressant. Look for the tiny pili pili kitchaa, or ‘insane peppers’, at roadside stalls. Curries were also traditionally used by many different cultures to cover up the taste of meat that was turning rancid. It was especially crucial to have a means to preserve meat on ships that were sailing long-distance voyages- like, for example, Arabia to Zanzibar.




Swahili Curry

5g coriander seeds
5g black peppercorns
5g cumin seeds
2x dried chilli peppers
4x cardamom pods
1x cinnamon stick
6x cloves

Toast all spices until fragrant and popping. Using a mortar and pestle, pound the cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves to dust. Add the rest of the spices and pound until coarse. Reserve.


Mishkaki

600g sirloin steak, cubed
4 tbsp olive oil
8x garlic cloves, minced
2x thumb-sized ginger knob, minced
8x wooden skewers, soaked in cold water at least 1 hour

Mix olive oil, ginger, and garlic and rub over cubed steak. Allow to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Toss steak with spice mix and skewer. Char-grill skewers over high heat two minutes on each side or until well seared. The ideal serving temperature is 125F/51C.


Kachumbari

2x cucumbers, seeded, peeled, and diced
2x tomatoes, seeded and diced
1x medium red onion, peeled and diced
2x red capsicum, diced
Juice of 1 lemon
Large pinch of fresh coriander leaves

Mix all above ingredients and chill for 30 minutes before serving.


Tamarind dipping sauce

75g tamarind
150ml boiling water
1x garlic clove, minced
1x dried chilli, pounded in mortar and pestle

Pour boiling water over tamarind and rest for 15 minutes. Strain and add chilli and garlic. Rest for another 20 minutes to develop flavor.

Vanilla cheesecake with warm mango-chai coulis, candied cashews



Four servings

Chai is the Swahili word for tea. Outside thatched mud houses women sit on woven mkeka mats and heat cauldrons of water with black tea and spices over open coals. Chai tea is also used as an appetite suppressant among numerous island children and many have black stained teeth as a result. Mango and cashew trees that were long ago introduced to the islands are still abundant.


Chai syrup

3x black tea bags
5x cardamom pods, seeded
2x cinnamon sticks
10x cloves
1” knob of ginger, sliced
750ml water
105g (1/2 cup) raw sugar

Bring water to a boil. Add the rest of the ingredients except for the sugar, lower heat, and simmer until reduced to 175ml. Dissolve the sugar into the chai. Refrigerate for one hour.


Warm mango coulis

2x mango, peeled and diced
2x cardamom pods, seeded and pounded
Pinch of sugar

Mix the mango, cardamom powder, and sugar. Heat over low heat until just warm.


Candied cashews

1 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
Few drops of lemon juice
¼ c cashews, toasted

Mix water, sugar, and lemon juice. It should feel like wet sand. Cook over high heat until medium caramel or the color of watered down iced tea. Pour over pan-sprayed Silpat. Sprinkle cashews over the top.

Allow to cool for a couple minutes and then pull edges of sugar to thin strips. Be careful because the sugar is very hot.


Vanilla Cheesecake

181g cream cheese, room temperature
38g sour cream
52g sugar
1/4 Madagascar vanilla bean, seeds scraped
1 ¼ tsp vanilla extract

With whip attachment fixed to your mixer, mix until smooth.

1 ½ sheets gelatin, bloomed in ice water for about 3 minutes
2 1/2 oz heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks

Squeeze water out of gelatin. Melt over double-boiler.

With mixer on high with whip attachment, temper gelatin by pouring down the side of the bowl taking care not to let the gelatin hit the whisk.

Once gelatin is incorporated mix on high speed for 30 seconds.

Fold whipped cream into cream cheese mix thoroughly.

Pipe into molds. Level out the tops with an offset spatula. Wrap in plastic wrap and freeze on a flat surface overnight. Garnish with basil or mint sprig.