Zanzibar Mix

 

'Zanzibar Mix' is one of the most famous street-foods of Tanzania, especially in Zanzibar and Dare salaam. Anyone who's been to Tanzania probably knows and has had this delicious dish as it is sold on almost all the street corners! :D

The 'Mix' is a bowl of smooth and tangy flour-based sauce cooked with lemon and mango, with tiny cubes of potatoes in it, followed by crispy bhajias and fried mashed potatoes, a spoon of coconut chutney, a dash of red-hot chutney and a scoop of deep fried cassava or potato shavings sprinkled on top. Every warm spoonful of this delectable dish is filled with flavor and spice and you are guaranteed to slurp down the bowl in record time!
First you will need to prepare the bhajias, mashed potatoes and chutneys. Here are the recipes:

Tip: Try to make the bhajias and potatoes in tiny sizes so that you can fit more of them into your bowl. :)

Bhajias.
Mashed Potatoes in Gram Flour.
Coconut Chutney.
Red Chutney.
Then you can prepare the cassava/potato shavings. You can use crushed cassava or potato chips/crisps if you want.
Peel and rinse 1-2 potatoes or 1-2 sticks of cassava. Grate, then fry in hot oil until crispy. Drain and once cooled, store in an airtight container.
Now you can prepare the sauce. There are many ways of preparing this sauce, this is my own personalized version.
INGREDIENTS
2 heaped tbsp. of gram flour
2 heaped tbsp. of atta flour
1000ml (1 liter) of warm water (keep some extra water handy on the side)
½ cup coconut milk (optional)
salt to taste
2-3 tbsp. grated raw mango
juice of 2 lemons
2 tsp. red chili powder
drop of garlic paste
2-3 green chilies
2 potatoes (peeled and cubed into bite sized pieces, then boiled until done)
¼ tsp. turmeric powder
drop of yellow color (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS

Sieve the flours together, then add a bit of warm water into it and mix to form a paste. Once the paste is smooth, pour it into a big pan, then slowly add the rest of the water a little at a time whilst stirring to incorporate the paste into the water smoothly. Once all the water is added, sprinkle 1 tsp. of salt and the chili powder, green chili, lemon juice plus the garlic paste. Turn on the heat and bring to a slow simmer whilst constantly stirring (this stage is crucial, if you don't keep stirring, the flour will form lumps). As the mixture starts heating up, it will begin thickening slightly. It's not supposed to get too thick, so you can add a bit of water if it feels very thick.

Let this simmer for a couple of minutes whilst stirring, then add the grated mango and turmeric powder plus the coconut milk (if you are using it) a little at a time whilst stirring. Adjust salt and chili. Keep simmering the mixture until the raw flour taste disappears. This could take about 20mins or so. Once the raw smell/taste is gone you can then add all the boiled cubed potatoes.

Keep simmering on gentle heat for about 5-10 more minutes, adjust water if it feels like it's thickening too much. It should be of a medium consistency, not too thick and not too watery. You can add a few drops of yellow color and stir it in if you want more vivid appearance. Once it is to your satisfaction, turn off the heat. Your sauce is ready!

For serving, pour a couple of serving spoons full of the sauce with a few pieces of cubed boiled potatoes into a bowl. Add a few mashed fried potatoes and bhajias into it plus the chutneys. Then sprinkle your potato/cassava shavings on top and serve hot! Very enjoyable with a cold drink on the side. :)
By Samira Ally