My trip to Zanzibar was over a month ago, but I still can’t get the food off my mind. I still dream about the spices, the curries and all the flavors almost daily. I am so glad that before I left, I was able to have a traditional cooking lesson with my friend.
There were so many different dished I loved while visiting, but I had to choose one that I could still make when I returned to Zambia. Zambia doesn’t have quite as many spices easily available as Zanzibar, but it does have turmeric.
That bright yellow spice that I basically never knew existed until living here in Zambia. I always had it in my cupboard, but I never knew how or when to use it.
Luckily that is no longer the case.
So, we chose to make Nyanya Chungu. It is a dish that uses Chinese bitter egglplant (nyanya in Swahili, impwa in iciBemba), a vegetable found in plenty both here and there. This traditional dish is simple, but packed with flavor.
You can prepare the nyanya almost the same way as the impwa here in Zambia, but the key difference that makes this meal stand out more is both the turmeric and the coconut cream. Just saying it makes me think of island life again.
After all the veggies are peeled, sliced and placed in the pot, there isn’t too much else to do. This leaves plenty of time for chatting with friends over a cold drink or fresh fruit. Every so often, you have to add a little more coconut cream or water, but not much else.
You know it is time to enjoy when all the nyanya are softened to perfection. You can serve it over rice, dip bread into it, eat it with chipati or anything else that suits your fancy. I plan to try it with some nshima to give it a nice Zambian flare.
This is a tropical island dish that exemplifies island relaxation to me. I love how quick, easy and flavorful this dish is. I bet you’ll hear the ocean breeze just behind you with each and every bite!
Try this quick and flavorful Zanzibar island dish, leave a comment, rate it, and tag a picture #badveganlady on Instagram so we know how it turned out! Enjoy!
| Prep Time | 5 minutes |
| Cook Time | 15 minutes |
| Servings |
people
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- 2 cups nyanya (Chinese bitter eggplant) peeled and quartered
- 2 tomatoes sliced
- 1 medium sized red onion sliced
- 1/3 cup coconut cream
- ½ -1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon turmeric
- salt to taste
Ingredients
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- Wash, peel and quarter the nyanya (Chinese bitter eggplant). Slice the onion and tomatoes.
- Place nyanya, onions and tomatoes in a small pot. Cook on high heat with a lid for approximately 5 minutes.
- Add coconut cream and turmeric. Let cook on medium high heat for another 10 minutes. Occasionally checking the pot to add a little water if needed.
- After all ingredients are soft (after about 15 minutes of cooking), remove from heat. Stir in salt to taste. Enjoy with your favorite carb!
Thank you for the recipe! I fall in love with Zanzibar when I visited it and the food there and of course the spices are in my top 3 on my list. Really great cousine.
Many Thanks. A good article.