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Mchuzi wa njegere
Pea and potato coconut curry
Mchuzi wa njegere: Tanzanian green peas and potatoes in a coconut curry with turmeric
Mchuzi wa njegere, pea curry, is cooked in homes from Dar es Salaam to Tanga for an easy family lunch or supper, and it is a Friday favourite when families keep the meal meat-free. Green peas and potato chunks simmer in coconut milk with onion, tomato, turmeric and a mild curry powder until the potatoes are tender and the sauce is golden and creamy. Serve with chapati, plain rice or ugali. The usual mistake is boiling the curry hard once the coconut milk goes in, which makes it split and greasy. Chef's tip: add the peas last, as frozen peas need only 5 minutes and stay sweet and bright.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 onionchopped
- 2 cloves garliccrushed
- 1 tsp fresh gingergrated
- 2 tomatoeschopped
- 2 tsp mild curry powder
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- 1 ⅛ lb potatoespeeled, cut into 2 cm cubes
- 1 cup water
- 1 ¾ cups coconut milk
- 14 oz frozen peas
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp fresh coriander (optional)chopped
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Heat 2 tbsp sunflower oil in a pot and fry 1 onion over a medium heat for 6 minutes until soft. Add 2 cloves garlic and 1 tsp fresh ginger for 1 minute.
7 minStep 2: Add 2 tomatoes, 2 tsp mild curry powder and ½ tsp ground turmeric and cook for 4 minutes until the tomatoes break down.
4 minStep 4: Pour in 1 ¾ cups coconut milk and 14 oz frozen peas and simmer gently, without boiling hard, for 5–7 minutes until the potatoes are soft and the peas bright green. Scatter with 2 tbsp fresh coriander.
7 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 390 kcal
- Protein
- 10 g
- Carbs
- 38 g
- Fat
- 23 g
- Fibre
- 9 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does mchuzi wa njegere take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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