Pweza wa Nazi

Ingredients

• 1.2 kg cleaned octopus, fresh or thawed
• 400 ml thick coconut milk
• 250 ml thin coconut milk or water
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tbsp grated ginger
• 3 ripe tomatoes, chopped
• 1 tbsp curry powder, ideally a Zanzibari mchuzi blend
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 4 green cardamom pods, bruised
• 2 cloves
• 1 green chilli, split
• 3 tbsp vegetable or coconut oil
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• Juice of 1 lime
• 4 tbsp chopped coriander

Before you cook

• Rinse the octopus well and rub off any loose skin from the head.
• Cut the head from the tentacles and slice the head into 3 cm strips.
• Separate the tentacles and cut the thickest ones in half lengthways.
• Chop the onion and tomatoes, crush the garlic and grate the ginger.
• Bruise the cardamom pods with the flat of a knife.

Steps

1. Put the octopus into a large pot with the cinnamon stick, cardamom, cloves and a pinch of salt, and add water to cover by 3 cm.
2. Bring to the boil, then drop to the lowest simmer and cook uncovered for 45 minutes.
3. Test a thick piece of tentacle with a knife tip: it should slide in with no resistance.
4. If it still feels springy, simmer for another 10 minutes and test again.
5. Lift the octopus out with a slotted spoon and set it aside, keeping the whole spices.
6. Boil the cooking liquid hard for 10 minutes until reduced to about 250 ml, then strain it and keep the spices.
7. Heat the oil in a wide pan over medium heat and fry the onion for 8 minutes until deep golden.
8. Add the garlic, ginger and split chilli and cook for 2 minutes.
9. Stir in the curry powder, turmeric and cumin and cook for 1 minute until the spices smell warm and toasted.
10. Add the tomatoes and cook for 8 minutes, mashing them down, until the mixture thickens and the oil separates.
11. Pour in the reduced octopus liquid and the thin coconut milk, and return the cinnamon and cardamom to the pan.
12. Add the octopus and simmer gently for 10 minutes so it takes on the sauce.
13. Pour in the thick coconut milk and stir carefully.
14. Simmer for a final 8 minutes without letting it boil, so the sauce thickens but does not split.
15. Season with the salt and the lime juice, then taste and adjust.
16. Scatter over the coriander and serve with wali wa nazi or chapati.