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

N'dizi Na Kasted from Zanzibar

N'dizi is the Kiswahili word for bananas. Zanzibar is an island off the coast of Tanzania, famous for its spices. When you go there for a beach holiday, you will be served delicious desserts which utilise the fruit and spices from the island. The bananas in the dessert can be substituted with crushed or diced pinapple, but then it will be Mananasi Na Kasted, mananasi being the Kiswahili for pineapple. This dessert can be made with vanilla, butterscotch or caramel packaged pudding. It can also be made with the pouring ready-made custard you buy at the supermarket. Alternatively you can make your own custard from custard powder. Do not make it too thick though. Since Zanzibar is the Spice Island, you cannot leave out the spices as that is what makes this dessert unique.

Custard for 4-6 servings

3 bananas peeled and sliced
1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

pinch nutmeg

1/2 cup sugar

4 tablespoons peanuts finely chopped

whipped cream

Put the banana slices in the parfait glasses or champagne flutes or whatever glasses you are using for this dessert. In a small bowl mix together the cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, sugar and peanuts. Fill one third of the glass with custard, then sprinkle a teaspoon of the spice/sugar mixture, pour in another third of custard and sprinkle the top with another layer of the spice/sugar mixture. Repeat until the glass is 3/4 full. Top with some whipped cream and finish it off with some more sprinkles of the sugar/spice mixture. Place the dessert in the fridge until you are ready to serve.

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