Green Mix with Indian Ocean Fruits

Green Mix with Indian Ocean Fruits

Every morning I sit by the seaside. Millennium village in Mtwara was built in such a way that one could watch the early morning sunrise and the evening sunset. And in both times the fishermen pass near the hotel before heading to their destination. That means, I was always among the first to buy the fruits of the day. It happened that I got a surprisingly large catch of sea fruits in the morning just in case, anything happens during the day. But the real surprise was at noon when I saw a delegation of Japanese Ambassador from Dar Es salaam who came to Mtwara and they needed lunch. They insisted a quick lunch of 13 people. I did not have any salad nor bread, but I had Coastal Swahili doughnuts prepared by coconut cream which are known as" Maandazi" and so I was just in a panic. I love exotic food and I like experimenting. I always see that my experiment is audacious.

Here is what they had for starter at lunchtime.

Ingredients

Salad

• 1 kg cooked spinach
• 1 pc Lettuce
• 2 bottles capers
• 3 dl mayonnaise
• 3 bunches fresh dill
• 4 kgs cooked sea fruits, that included prawns, octopus, blackfish, abalones, king fish, and mussels.

Mayonnaise

• 5 Egg yolks
• 1 tea spoon mustard
• 2 tea spoon vinegar
• salt and white pepper
• 1 l neutral oil

Maandazi (Swahili Doughnuts)

• 1 l. heavy coconut cream
• 2 dl. Heavy fresh cream or fresh milk
• 3 table spoons ghee
• 1 tea spoon cardamom
• a pinch of cinnamon, a pinch of salt
• 4 table spoons sugar
• 700 gms Bakhresa white flour
• 2 table spoon dry granule yeast or
• 50 gm. fresh yeast

Method

• Mix the cream and coconut cream together. Warm the mixture; stir the yeast into the mixture. Mix the ghee, sugar, a pinch of salt, cardamom, cinnamon and finally the flour. Knead together and leave to rise for 30 minutes. Prepare your balls of doughnuts and leave them to rise for 30 minutes again before you deep-fry them to golden brown.
• Mix all the green vegetables and sea fruits together.
• All the ingredients should be at room temperature.
• To make the mayonnaise, blend the egg yolk, mustard, vinegar and seasoning. Add the oil with care, drop by drop to start with and then a bit faster, so the mayonnaise does not curdle.
• Arrange your plate. Put the half doughnut on the plate and the green mix on it, place the half doughnut on the top and ready to serve.

 

Bon Apetite.

 

Benn Haidari