Chambo recipe

The whole tilapia of Lake Malawi, scored and lemon-rubbed, browned over fire or in oil before it meets its tomato gravy.

1 hour and 15 minuteseasy8 ingredients

Ingredients

• 1 whole chambo tilapia
• 1 lemon
• 3 tomatoes
• 1 onion
• 3 clove garlic
• 4 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper

How to make Chambo

1. Scale and gut a whole chambo, the tilapia of Lake Malawi, of about 800 g, then cut three slashes on each side.
2. Rub in the juice of 1 lemon with 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp black pepper, pushing it into the slashes, and leave 30 minutes.
3. Heat 4 tbsp oil in a wide pan and fry the whole fish 5 to 6 minutes per side until the skin is golden and firm, then lift it out. Over charcoal, grill it the same way, which is how it is eaten at the lakeshore.
4. In the same oil soften 1 sliced onion and 3 chopped garlic cloves for 5 minutes.
5. Add 3 chopped tomatoes and a splash of water and cook 8 to 10 minutes until they collapse into a gravy.
6. Slide the fish back in, spoon the gravy over it, cover and simmer 8 minutes.
7. Serve the fish whole with nsima and a green relish.

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