East African · lunch, dinner
Mchuzi wa Kuku (Zanzibar Chicken and Eggplant Stew)
Mchuzi wa kuku na bilingani la kusaga
Video by Aroma Of Zanzibar & Beyond on YouTube, in Swahili · Open on YouTube
- Gluten-free ingredients
- Dairy-free
- Nut-free
Contains: none of the common allergens in the listed ingredients. Check labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes.
34 g protein, 6 g fibre and 13 g net carbs a serve: chicken simmered in a sauce thickened with blended eggplant and tomato rather than flour, cream or coconut.
The printable card is ink-friendly, fits on one page and has a QR code back to this recipe.
Ingredients 16
Method
The cook speaks Swahili; every step is written here in English. Tap a time to watch that step in the video. For subtitles, tap CC in the video, then Settings › Subtitles › Auto-translate › English.
- Pound the garlic and ginger to a paste. 0:30
- Rub the chicken pieces with 1 tbsp of the paste, 1 tsp each of black pepper, chilli powder, ground coriander and cumin, salt and the juice of 1 lime. Cover and leave to marinate. 0:50
- Boil the whole eggplant until soft, and dip the tomatoes briefly in boiling water so their skins slip off. 2:05
- Peel the eggplant and blend the flesh to a smooth purée. Peel the tomatoes and blend them too. 2:45
- Heat the oil in a wide pan and fry the chicken pieces until golden on all sides, then lift them out. 3:36
- In the same oil, fry the onion until golden, stir in the tomato paste, then the blended tomatoes, and cook until thick. 4:30
- Add the rest of the garlic-ginger paste and the remaining spices, then stir in the eggplant purée and cook into a thick sauce. 5:20
- Return the chicken, loosen the sauce with some water, add the whole chilli and the second lime's juice and simmer until the chicken is cooked through. Scatter with coriander and serve. 6:05
Tip. Serves 4 (our estimate). Served in Zanzibar with rice, chapati or ugali; cauliflower rice keeps it lower in carbs. The blended eggplant thickens the sauce without flour or cream.
The method is a summary in our words — the video shows every step.
One serve gives you 1 of 4
Where the energy comes from one serve
- Net carbs 13%
- Protein 34%
- Fat 53%
Low carb: under 26% of the energy is from carbs.
Vitamins & minerals % of a day, one serve · tap for more
Omega-3 High82%
1.3 g a serve, mostly from oil (94%). Omega-3 fats support the heart and brain. Oily fish give EPA and DHA; walnuts, flax, chia and canola give ALA, which the body converts only a little.
Selenium High59%
32 µg a serve, mostly from chicken (94%). Part of the body's antioxidant enzymes and needed for thyroid hormones. Seafood, eggs, meat and Brazil nuts are rich sources.
Vitamin B6 High48%
0.8 mg a serve, mostly from chicken (63%). Helps turn food into energy and make brain messengers. Chickpeas, fish, poultry, potatoes and bananas are good sources.
Vitamin C High31%
28 mg a serve, mostly from tomatoes (45%). An antioxidant needed for collagen, immunity and iron absorption. Long cooking destroys some, so raw herbs, citrus and capsicum help.
Vitamin E High26%
3.9 mg a serve, mostly from oil (61%). An antioxidant that protects cell membranes. Nuts, seeds and plant oils such as olive oil are the main sources.
Zinc High23%
2.6 mg a serve, mostly from chicken (73%). Needed for immunity, wound healing, taste and growth. Meat, seafood, legumes, seeds and whole grains supply it.
Vitamin K High23%
28 µg a serve, mostly from oil (35%). Needed for blood clotting and bones. Leafy greens and herbs are very rich in it. If you take warfarin, keep your intake steady and talk to your doctor.
Potassium High21%
970 mg a serve, mostly from chicken (29%). Balances sodium to help control blood pressure and keeps muscles and nerves working. Beans, potatoes, leafy greens and fruit are rich sources.
Iron Source18%
3.3 mg a serve, mostly from chicken (46%). Carries oxygen in your blood. Iron from plants absorbs better with vitamin C in the same meal — lemon, tomato or capsicum.
Magnesium Source16%
69 mg a serve, mostly from chicken (38%). Takes part in hundreds of reactions — energy, muscles, nerves, blood sugar and bones. Nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grains are good sources.
Vitamin B12 Source15%
0.4 µg a serve, mostly from chicken (100%). Keeps nerves and blood cells healthy. Found almost only in animal foods and fortified foods (some plant milks, nutritional yeast), so vegans need a reliable source.
Folate Source13%
53 µg a serve, mostly from eggplant (39%). Needed to make DNA and new cells — especially important before and in early pregnancy. Legumes and leafy greens are rich sources.
Vitamin A Source10%
86 µg a serve, mostly from tomatoes (46%). Keeps eyes, skin and the immune system healthy. Orange vegetables and dark greens give beta-carotene, which the body turns into vitamin A.
Show the other 2
Calcium6%
73 mg a serve. Builds bones and teeth and helps muscles and nerves work. Dairy, calcium-set tofu, sardines with their bones and some greens supply it.
Vitamin D0%
0 µg a serve. Helps you absorb calcium for bones and supports muscles. Few foods have much — oily fish, eggs, UV-exposed mushrooms, fortified milks. Sunlight is the main source.
Estimated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central values; % of a day uses the food-label daily values. How this works
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Recipe and video by Aroma Of Zanzibar & Beyond; the method summary, nutrition estimate and diet notes are Notbroken’s. General information about food, not dietary advice.