Halwai June 1, 2023

Ingredients:

• Few spoonfuls – Palm oil
• 1 inch – whole fish (daurade, porgy, bream, or similar), washed, patted dry, and cut into serving size pieces
• 2-3 Cloves – garlic, minced
• 1 tsp – coriander
• 1/2 tsp – ground Ginger
• 1/2 tsp – nutmeg, grated
• Salt (to taste)
• Black pepper (to taste)
• Smoked or dried shrimp or Prawns (or fish); half of it ground into powder and half for garnish
• Peanut oil
• 1 Onion – finely sliced
• 1-2 tsp – chilli peppers, cleaned
• 1 cup – Peanut Butter (natural or homemade)

Method:

  1. Heat the palm oil in a skillet. Fry the fish and half of the garlic on both sides until done.
  2. Set aside on absorbent paper.
  3. Grind together the coriander, ginger, nutmeg, salt, black pepper, and half the dried shrimp (or fish).
  4. In a saucepan bring four cups of water to boil.
  5. Add the fish head and the spices and ground dried shrimp (or fish).
  6. Reduce heat and let simmer.
  7. Heat a few spoonful of peanut oil in a clean skillet.
  8. Fry onion and remaining garlic until browned. Add chilli pepper.
  9. Reduce heat.
  10. Add the fried fish to the onion-garlic mixture.
  11. Remove fish head from broth.
  12. Strain broth if desired. Add peanut butter.
  13. Stir until smooth.
  14. Simmer over low heat until it is thickened into a sauce.
  15. Pour the thickened sauce into the skillet over the fish and onions.
  16. Add remaining dried shrimp (or fish).
  17. Simmer together for a few minutes.
  18. Serve fish and sauce over boiled rice, with boiled plantains on the side.
  19. The cooked chilli peppers can be served or discarded as desired.

Recipe courtesy of Congo Cookbook