Tanzanian Coconut Curried Shrimp

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Tanzanian coconut curried shrimp with coconut milk and East African spices
Tanzanian coconut curried shrimp — a coastal favorite rich in curry and coconut milk.

Tanzanian Coconut Curried Shrimp

Hello, my dear — I’m Ivy, The African Gourmet. With 25 years in the kitchen and 18 years documenting Africa’s culinary history, I’ve seen how the flavors of the Indian Ocean coast define Tanzanian cooking. This dish of Coconut Curried Shrimp is a coastal treasure — warm, creamy, and deeply seasoned — proof of how spice trade history shaped East African cuisine.

About the Dish

Coastal Tanzania is famous for its seafood — prawns and shrimp are caught fresh each morning and simmered in spiced coconut milk. The recipe reflects centuries of Swahili-Indian culinary exchange, where curry, cumin, and coconut blend into something uniquely African. This simple dish brings the ocean’s freshness to your table with ingredients you likely already have.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound cleaned shrimp
  • 2 tablespoons curry powder
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons salted butter
  • 2 medium white potatoes, diced
  • ½ teaspoon ground paprika
  • ½ tablespoon ground cumin
  • 2 cups coconut milk
  • 1 hot pepper, chopped
  • 1 cup vegetable stock
  • Salt to taste

Directions

  1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and sauté curry powder, onions, garlic, cumin, and paprika until fragrant.
  2. Add potatoes, coconut milk, stock, and hot pepper. Cover tightly and simmer 15 minutes until the potatoes are soft.
  3. Stir in shrimp, cover again, and cook for 5 minutes until shrimp are pink and tender.
  4. Season with salt and serve with steamed rice or Tanzanian ugali.

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Yields: 6 servings

Chef’s Note

In Tanzania, curry is less fiery than Indian curry — it’s more aromatic and balanced with coconut’s sweetness. The secret to success is using fresh shrimp and real coconut milk, not cream substitutes.

Did You Know?

Tanzania’s name is a blend of Tanganyika and Zanzibar, two former states that united in 1964. Zanzibar’s spice trade heritage still seasons every pot on the coast today.

Explore More East African Recipes

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The African Gourmet explores how African food, history, and science intertwine. Here, a plant is a healer, a story is a map, and the kitchen is a laboratory. I’m Ivy — a writer raised by historians, now sharing Africa’s wisdom from the U.S. through cookbooks, cultural research, and storytelling. If you’re curious about where flavor meets memory, you belong here.

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