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Octopus

🐙 Octopus

Octopus — grilled, fried, or in hearty soup.

Pweza = octopus. How to cook octopus — fried, grilled, or in coconut (pweza wa nazi) on the Tanzania coast.

Best places for Octopus

  • Tumepigwa Mtungo — octopus fishkaki skewers Samaki Samaki — Dar es Salaam
    4.2

Ingredients

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Serves 4 Prep 25 min Cook 20 min Calories ~357 kcal
  • 800 g Cleaned octopus
  • 1 cup Coconut milk
  • 2 Onions
  • 2 tbsp Ginger
  • 2 Fresh chili
  • 2 Lime
  • 3 tbsp Oil
  • to taste Salt
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How to cook Octopus

Pweza (octopus) is Zanzibar and Mtwara coastal food — large octopus sautéed or stewed with coconut, ginger and chili. Served at seaside restaurants and home weekends. Must be cooked carefully to stay tender.

  1. Wash octopus, cut into pieces; salt and lime, rest 15 minutes.
  2. Boil in water with lime 20–30 minutes until tender; drain.
  3. Slice onions; fry in oil until golden.
  4. Add ginger and chili, stir 2 minutes.
  5. Add octopus pieces, sear high heat 5 minutes.
  6. Add coconut milk and a little water; reduce heat.
  7. Cover and cook 15 minutes until sauce thickens.
  8. Finish with lime and salt to taste.
  9. Scatter coriander before serving.
  10. Serve with coconut rice or potato chips.

Tips

  • Small octopus cooks faster than large — adjust time.
  • Pre-boiling with lime helps tenderize.
  • Do not overcook after boiling or texture toughens again.

Frequently asked questions

Pweza ni nini?
Pweza ni kiumbe wa bahari (octopus) — watu wa pwani hukula pweza wa kuka, grill, nazi au kwenye supu.
Jinsi ya kupika pweza?
Pika pweza hadi laini, kisha choma, kuka au weka kwenye mchuzi wa nazi (pweza wa nazi). Mapishi hapa chini.
Pweza in English ni nini?
Pweza in English ni octopus.

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