Samaki Wa Kusonga from Zanzibar

Samaki is the Kiswahili for fish.  Samaki wa kusonga are fish croquettes.  The fish used for making croquettes can be from any white flaked fish.  Leftovers are good. Canned tuna or salmon can also be used.  When I made this I used canned tuna and it worked very well.  Just remember to drain the canned fish.  The trick to successful fish croquettes is not to deep fry them but rather saute them in butter.  Very easy to make and extremely tasty.

2 cups or 2 cans cooked fish
1 teaspoon salt
1 big pinch saffron
1 tablespoon vinegar
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon cumin powder
2 eggs lightly beaten
1 cup breadcrumbs or rolled oats
butter for the saute
lemon slices for the garnish
whole cloves for the garnish
In a large bowl mix the fish, salt, saffron, vinegar, chili powder and cumin together.  Shape and roll the fish mixture into croquettes and place them on a plate in the fridge to firm up.  Spread the breadcrumbs or rolled oats out on a plate.  Personally, I have found that the rolled oats give a crispier crust.  Take the croquettes out the fridge.  Dip them first in the egg and then roll them across the breadcrumbs or rolled oats.  Pop them back into the fridge for about half an hour.  You want them to be firm.  Put some butter in the hot pan and as soon as it melts put in the croquettes and saute until golden brown on all sides.  Garnish with lemon slices with 2-3 whole cloves stuck into them.  Serve the croquettes with dipping sauces like satay, coconut chutney, peri peri sauce or a fruit chutney.
Cindy Vine is a South African currently living and working in Kyiv in Ukraine. She is the author of Hush Baby, Defective, C U@ 8, Not Telling and The Case of Billy B. All her books are available on Amazon in both print and Kindle format. http://cindyvine.com