Sambaza recipe

Six-centimetre Lake Tanganyika sardines floured and deep-fried whole, bones and all, eaten by the handful.

35 minuteseasy9 ingredients

Ingredients

• 600 g sambaza fish
• 100 g wheat flour
• 1 onion
• 3 clove garlic
• 1 chilli pepper
• 1 lemon
• 500 ml vegetable oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper

How to make Sambaza

1. Rinse 600 g sambaza in cold water and drain. Do not gut or behead them: at 6 cm the bones are fine enough to eat, and cleaning them destroys the fish.
2. Toss the fish with the juice of 1 lemon, 1 tsp salt, 1/1 tsp black pepper and 3 grated garlic cloves. Leave 15 minutes.
3. Mix 100 g flour with 1 finely chopped chilli and a pinch of salt. Dredge the fish and shake off the excess.
4. Heat 500 ml vegetable oil in a deep pan to 180°C.
5. Fry in small handfuls for 2 to 3 minutes, until golden and stiff. Crowding the pan steams them; they have to crackle.
6. Lift out with a slotted spoon, drain on paper and salt immediately while still hot.
7. In the same oil, fry 1 sliced onion for 1 minute and scatter it over the fish.
8. Serve hot with fried plantain or ugali and lemon wedges.

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