Zanzibari Grilled Fish in Coconut Sauce (Samaki Wa Kupaka) by Anissa Helou

Here is a Zanzibari way to make grilled fish more exciting by serving it with a creamy, spicy sauce. You can use one big fish as is done traditionally, or you can use small individual ones.

Serves 4 TO 6

• ZANZIBAR •

The food markets in Zanzibar are quite spectacular, bustling with life and produce. And the fish on display in the fish section is always fresh, caught locally by fishermen going out to sea in the most beautiful sailboats. Here is a Zanzibari way to make grilled fish more exciting by serving it with a creamy, spicy sauce. You can use one big fish as is done traditionally, or you can use small individual ones. If you opt for the smaller fish, adjust the cooking time to 5 minutes or so on each side. And if you don’t have a charcoal grill, which is what Zanzibaris would use, or access to a broiler, you can cook the fish on a stovetop grill pan.