A hearty and delicious fish curry is the star of this dish! Loaded with tomato, spinach, onion and the flakiest fish you could ever imagine. It is served alongside a classic Zambian dish called “Nshima”, which is maize meal cooked and then shaped, to be eaten with saucy foods to soak up all the yummy juices!
Zambian Fish Curry & Nshima
Zambian Fish Curry & Nshima
with sautéed cabbage, fresh chilli & spinach
Hands on Time: 25 - 40 minutes
Overall Time: 45 - 60 minutes
Ingredients:
- Cabbage
- Fish
- Fish Curry Rub
- Fresh Chilli
- Fresh Chillies
- Fresh Parsley
- Garlic Clove
- Garlic Cloves
- Kingklip Fillet
- Kingklip Fillets
- Maize Meal
- Onion
- Onions
- Spinach
- Tomato
- Tomato Paste
- Tomatoes
From your kitchen:
- Oil (cooking, olive or coconut)
- Salt & Pepper
- Water
- Paper Towel
- Butter (optional)
CURRY TIME
Place a pot over a medium heat with a drizzle of oil. When hot, add ¾ of the diced onion and fry for 4-5 minutes until soft, shifting occasionally. Add the tomato paste, the curry rub (to taste), the sliced chilli (to taste), and the grated garlic. Fry for 1-2 minutes until fragrant, shifting constantly. Add the diced tomato and fry for 2-3 minutes, shifting occasionally. Pour in 100ml of water and bring up to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat and leave to simmer for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened. Just before serving, add the spinach and mix until wilted. Season to taste.
NSHIMA
Boil the kettle. In a pot, add ⅓ of the maize meal and ⅓ cup of cold water. Mix until a paste forms. Pour in 150ml of boiling water and place over a medium-high heat. Mix until fully combined and bring up to the boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat and cook for 10-15 minutes, until slightly thickened. On completion, slowly stir in the remaining maize meal, stirring constantly for 10-15 minutes. On completion, the mixture should be a stiff consistency.
FRY YOUR CABBAGE
Place a pan over medium heat with a drizzle of oil. When hot, fry the remaining onion for 4-5 minutes until soft, shifting occasionally. Add the sliced cabbage and fry for 3-5 minutes, until slightly softened, shifting occasionally. Remove from the pan, cover, and set aside for serving.
CURRYLICIOUS KINGKLIP
Return the pan to a medium heat with a drizzle of oil and a knob of butter (optional). Pat the fish dry with some paper towel and season. When hot, fry the fish for 3-4 minutes until crispy and golden. Flip and fry the other side for another 3-4 minutes until cooked through.
ZAMBIAN FEAST
Dish up the flaky fish with plenty of rich curry sauce. Side with the sautéed cabbage, and a generous helping of nshima for dipping. Sprinkle over the chopped parsley and any remaining chilli (to taste). Enjoy, Chef!
Onion - 1
Tomato Paste - 10ml
Fish Curry Rub - 20ml
Fresh Chilli - 1
Garlic Clove - 1
Tomato - 1
Spinach - 20g
Maize Meal - 250ml
Cabbage - 100g
Kingklip Fillet - 1
Fresh Parsley - 4g
CURRY TIME
Place a pot over a medium heat with a drizzle of oil. When hot, add ¾ of the diced onion and fry for 4-5 minutes until soft, shifting occasionally. Add the tomato paste, the curry rub (to taste), the sliced chilli (to taste), and the grated garlic. Fry for 1-2 minutes until fragrant, shifting constantly. Add the diced tomato and fry for 2-3 minutes, shifting occasionally. Pour in 200ml of water and bring up to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat and leave to simmer for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened. Just before serving, add the spinach and mix until wilted. Season to taste.
NSHIMA
Boil the kettle. In a pot, add ⅓ of the maize meal and ⅓ cup of cold water. Mix until a paste forms. Pour in 300ml of boiling water and place over a medium-high heat. Mix until fully combined and bring up to the boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat and cook for 10-15 minutes, until slightly thickened. On completion, slowly stir in the remaining maize meal, stirring constantly for 10-15 minutes. On completion, the mixture should be a stiff consistency.
FRY YOUR CABBAGE
Place a pan over medium heat with a drizzle of oil. When hot, fry the remaining onion for 4-5 minutes until soft, shifting occasionally. Add the sliced cabbage and fry for 3-5 minutes, until slightly softened, shifting occasionally. Remove from the pan, cover, and set aside for serving.
CURRYLICIOUS KINGKLIP
Return the pan to a medium heat with a drizzle of oil and a knob of butter (optional). Pat the fish dry with some paper towel and season. When hot, fry the fish for 3-4 minutes until crispy and golden. Flip and fry the other side for another 3-4 minutes until cooked through.
ZAMBIAN FEAST
Dish up the flaky fish with plenty of rich curry sauce. Side with the sautéed cabbage, and a generous helping of nshima for dipping. Sprinkle over the chopped parsley and any remaining chilli (to taste). Enjoy, Chef!
Onion - 1
Tomato Paste - 20ml
Fish Curry Rub - 40ml
Fresh Chilli - 1
Garlic Clove - 1
Tomato - 1
Spinach - 40g
Maize Meal - 500ml
Cabbage - 200g
Kingklip Fillets - 2
Fresh Parsley - 8g
CURRY TIME
Place a pot over a medium heat with a drizzle of oil. When hot, add ¾ of the diced onion and fry for 4-5 minutes until soft, shifting occasionally. Add the tomato paste, the curry rub (to taste), the sliced chilli (to taste), and the grated garlic. Fry for 1-2 minutes until fragrant, shifting constantly. Add the diced tomato and fry for 2-3 minutes, shifting occasionally. Pour in 300ml of water and bring up to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat and leave to simmer for 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened. Just before serving, add the spinach and mix until wilted. Season to taste.
NSHIMA
Boil the kettle. In a pot, add ⅓ of the maize meal and ⅓ cup of cold water. Mix until a paste forms. Pour in 450ml of boiling water and place over a medium-high heat. Mix until fully combined and bring up to the boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat and cook for 15-20 minutes, until slightly thickened. On completion, slowly stir in the remaining maize meal, stirring constantly for 10-15 minutes. On completion, the mixture should be a stiff consistency.
FRY YOUR CABBAGE
Place a pan over medium heat with a drizzle of oil. When hot, fry the remaining onion for 4-5 minutes until soft, shifting occasionally. Add the sliced cabbage and fry for 3-5 minutes, until slightly softened, shifting occasionally. Remove from the pan, cover, and set aside for serving.
CURRYLICIOUS KINGKLIP
Return the pan to a medium heat with a drizzle of oil and a knob of butter (optional). Pat the fish dry with some paper towel and season. When hot, fry the fish for 3-4 minutes until crispy and golden. Flip and fry the other side for another 3-4 minutes until cooked through.
ZAMBIAN FEAST
Dish up the flaky fish with plenty of rich curry sauce. Side with the sautéed cabbage, and a generous helping of nshima for dipping. Sprinkle over the chopped parsley and any remaining chilli (to taste). Enjoy, Chef!
Onions - 2
Tomato Paste - 30ml
Fish Curry Rub - 60ml
Fresh Chillies - 2
Garlic Cloves - 2
Tomatoes - 2
Spinach - 60g
Maize Meal - 750ml
Cabbage - 300g
Kingklip Fillets - 3
Fresh Parsley - 12g
CURRY TIME
Place a pot over a medium heat with a drizzle of oil. When hot, add ¾ of the diced onion and fry for 4-5 minutes until soft, shifting occasionally. Add the tomato paste, the curry rub (to taste), the sliced chilli (to taste), and the grated garlic. Fry for 1-2 minutes until fragrant, shifting constantly. Add the diced tomato and fry for 2-3 minutes, shifting occasionally. Pour in 400ml of water and bring up to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat and leave to simmer for 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened. Just before serving, add the spinach and mix until wilted. Season to taste.
NSHIMA
Boil the kettle. In a pot, add ⅓ of the maize meal and ⅓ cup of cold water. Mix until a paste forms. Pour in 600ml of boiling water and place over a medium-high heat. Mix until fully combined and bring up to the boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat and cook for 15-20 minutes, until slightly thickened. On completion, slowly stir in the remaining maize meal, stirring constantly for 10-15 minutes. On completion, the mixture should be a stiff consistency.
FRY YOUR CABBAGE
Place a pan over medium heat with a drizzle of oil. When hot, fry the remaining onion for 4-5 minutes until soft, shifting occasionally. Add the sliced cabbage and fry for 3-5 minutes, until slightly softened, shifting occasionally. Remove from the pan, cover, and set aside for serving.
CURRYLICIOUS KINGKLIP
Return the pan to a medium heat with a drizzle of oil and a knob of butter (optional). Pat the fish dry with some paper towel and season. When hot, fry the fish for 3-4 minutes until crispy and golden. Flip and fry the other side for another 3-4 minutes until cooked through.
ZAMBIAN FEAST
Dish up the flaky fish with plenty of rich curry sauce. Side with the sautéed cabbage, and a generous helping of nshima for dipping. Sprinkle over the chopped parsley and any remaining chilli (to taste). Enjoy, Chef!
Onions - 2
Tomato Paste - 40ml
Fish Curry Rub - 80ml
Fresh Chillies - 2
Garlic Cloves - 2
Tomatoes - 2
Spinach - 80g
Maize Meal - 1L
Cabbage - 400g
Kingklip Fillets - 4
Fresh Parsley - 15g