This is a traditional Tanzanian vegetarian dish. Maharage means “beans” in Swahili, and ya Nazi means “with coconut”. It is very common along the Tanzanian coast, especially in Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar.
Locals cook it slowly in a pot and serve it with rice or ugali (maize flour porridge). The coconut milk makes the beans creamy and slightly sweet. This is a simple home version that you can prepare easily on a normal kitchen stove.
😌 Difficulty: Easy
⏱️ Preparation time: 10 min
🔥 Cooking time: 20 min
⏳ Total time: 30 min
👥 Servings: 2-3
Ingredients
- 2 cans (400 g each) red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 200 ml coconut milk
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 small tomato, chopped
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil (or olive oil)
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp ground cumin (optional but common in coastal cooking)
For rice (wali – plain cooked rice):
- 150 g white rice
- 300 ml water
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Heat oil in a medium pot over medium heat.
- Add chopped onion and cook for 2-3 minutes until soft.
- Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add chopped tomato and cook 3-4 minutes until soft and slightly thick.
- Add the drained beans and mix well.
- Pour in coconut milk and stir.
- Add salt, black pepper and cumin.
- Let it cook gently for about 10 minutes on low heat until creamy. Stir occasionally.
- For rice (wali – plain cooked rice): rinse the rice under cold water.
- Put rice, water and a pinch of salt in a pot. Bring to a boil.
- Lower the heat, cover and cook for about 10-12 minutes until water is absorbed.
- Turn off heat and let it rest 5 minutes before serving.
- Serve maharage ya nazi hot with a portion of rice on the side.
SpinThatCuisine Tip 💡
On the Tanzanian coast, this dish is often part of a bigger shared meal. People place rice in the center and spoon the creamy beans on top. It is comfort food that feels simple but rich.