By Yewande Komolafe, The New York Times
I’ve never been to Zanzibar, the Indian Ocean archipelago off the coast of Tanzania. Save for the dreamy social media posts of friends and acquaintances, I’ve never seen its white sand beaches or its cobblestone streets, lined with ancient and modern architecture. And the food-filled markets of Stone Town, the old quarter of the capital, Zanzibar City, have come alive to me only through the footage I’ve watched on my phone.
Recently, more than a few friends have shared their passion for Zanzibari cuisine, with its doner-style kebabs, grilled on a rotating spit, expertly shaved off into small pieces, and skewered chunks of meat with peppers and onions called mshikaki. Of their telling, though, two dishes felt the most compelling: Zanzibar mix (also known as urojo), a fragrant, brothy green mango soup replete with toppings, and Zanzibar pizza. How is a bowl of soup served as street food? I wondered. And why is the Zanzibar pizza called pizza, when it is a filled dough instead?
I wanted to get to know them, but since I’m still very much in New York, I needed a guide, someone who had experienced these dishes firsthand.
I reached out to Krishnendu Ray, a professor and director of the food studies doctoral program at New York University. Born and raised in India, he found himself in the United States pursuing a doctorate in sociology and yearning for the food of his home. It eventually inspired a career pivot: Now, as part of his work, he has traveled widely along the Indian Ocean, looking at the intersection between food culture and tradition.
In 2021, he made his way through Stone Town’s bustling night markets, trying countless versions of Zanzibar mix and Zanzibar pizza.
“I think I had about 10 different kinds at the Forodhani Gardens,” he said, singling out one of the Stone Town markets.
Imagine walking up to a stall equipped with a pot of hot soup and a chalkboard menu, your options laid out in someone’s handwriting. You tell the seller exactly what you want: every topping (chicken or goat, potato, chickpea, cassava, onion, tomato, cilantro, egg) or none at all.
That’s the experience of ordering Zanzibar mix, a dish that’s accessible to all given its affordability and the markets’ popularity. It could be run through with coconut and finished with whatever vegetables or crunchy bits you’d like, fried falafel and cassava chips, and fortified with a boiled egg.
Ray’s impression was that Zanzibar mix was an amalgamation of common regional ingredients. “It is very much of the Indian Ocean world, which brings together the Bantu world, Arab world, Indian world,” he said. “And, of course, these are very large worlds.”
As for Zanzibar pizza, I knew going in that I wasn’t developing a traditional pizza recipe, but rather a soft-cooked dough surrounding a filling of egg, meat, onion and sometimes cheese. Then why, you (like me) may ask, is it called a pizza? Ray said that, in essence, it got its name to appeal to tourists. “The dish itself is a very Zanzibari improvisation.”
On his travels, Ray found that he preferred a version that was not overwhelmed by spices. “The garam masala style, I find often tiring,” he said, “where too many foods taste the same.” That, unfortunately, was our main point of disagreement. When it came time to make my own recipe, I found a touch of garam masala lent the final dish a comforting earthiness.
Now, imagine chasing Zanzibari food to its point of origin, tasting your way across town, and then realizing you long only for its simplest version. I am not quite there yet. I am still in my romantic phase. I want the riot of flavors and ingredients, the aroma of pan-seared spices.
I want to take memories and turn them into something I can make at home. And, someday, perhaps, I’ll yearn for the simplest of versions, and try them myself, right from the island’s vendors.
Recipe: Zanzibari Mix (Urojo)
A fragrant, brothy green mango soup with a sour bite, Zanzibar mix is a staple of the archipelago’s street food stands. The soup is made with an aromatic base of onion, garlic, ginger and chile. It’s then typically topped with chunky mashed potato, crunchy bits that can include falafel or cassava chips, and a boiled egg. The essence is in the combination of ingredients, and the choice is yours. Here, the toppings include onions, tomatoes, spiced toasted panko, cilantro and any hot pepper sauce you like best, but feel free to improvise. The soup will make enough to cool, portion and refrigerate (for up to a week) or freeze (for up to three months).
By Yewande Komolafe
Yield: 4 to 6 servings (about 2 quarts)
Total time: 40 minutes
Ingredients
For the Soup:
- 1 (13 1/2-ounce) can unsweetened full-fat coconut milk or coconut cream
- 2 green mangoes, peeled, pitted and cut into large chunks (3 cups)
- 1/4 cup lime juice (from about 2 limes), plus more to taste
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose or chickpea flour
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons ghee or vegetable oil, divided
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
- 1 tablespoon black or yellow mustard seeds
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal), plus more for seasoning
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 medium red onion, chopped small
- 4 garlic cloves, grated
- 1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, grated
- 2 fresh green bird’s-eye chiles, stemmed and halved, seeds in or out
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 large russet potato, peeled and diced (2 cups)
- 1 (13 1/2-ounce) can chickpeas, pinto beans or black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained
For Serving:
- 2 plum tomatoes, chopped
- 1/2 cup cilantro leaves
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup hot pepper sauce, homemade or store-bought
- Lime wedges, for garnish
Preparation
1. In a blender or food processor, blend the coconut milk, mango, 1/4 cup lime juice and flour with 1 cup water until smooth. Set aside.
2. Heat 1/4 cup ghee in a medium (10-inch) pot on high. Add the panko, cumin, mustard seeds, garam masala and paprika. Toast, stirring to coat panko completely, for 30 to 45 seconds, until the panko turns a light golden brown and the spices begin to sputter. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and the black pepper. Move to a large plate and set aside. Wipe out the pot.
3. Return the pot to the heat, add the remaining 2 tablespoons ghee, half of the onion, garlic and ginger. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent, about 1 minute.
4. Reduce heat to medium and add green chiles, turmeric and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring often, until mixture is fragrant, about 30 seconds.
5. Add potato, increase heat to high and stir in 2 cups water. When the mixture starts simmering (3 to 4 minutes), decrease heat to medium, cover and cook until potatoes begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the chickpeas and stir in the coconut milk mixture. Cook until the potatoes are easily pierced with the tip of a small knife and the soup easily runs off a spoon, 5 to 7 minutes. Adjust with another 1/4 cup water if it’s too thick. Taste and season with salt and more lime juice if necessary.
6. To serve, ladle into 4 to 6 bowls and top with the chopped tomatoes, remaining onion, toasted panko, cilantro, hot pepper sauce and a lime wedge. Serve immediately. The soup will make enough to cool, portion and refrigerate (for up to a week) or freeze (for up to three months).
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
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