Dagaa

Ingredients

Fish

• 200 gdried dagaa or other small dried fish
• warm water, for soaking

Sauce

• 3 tbspoil
• 2onions, sliced
• 4 clovesgarlic, crushed
• 1 tspground ginger
• 1 tspcurry powder
• 2green chillies, sliced
• 1 tbsptomato paste
• 4tomatoes, chopped
• salt

To finish

• juice of 1 lemon
• chopped coriander

To serve

• ugali
• sukuma wiki

Directions

1. Sort through the dried fish and pick out any grit or stray shell, and pinch the heads off if you would rather, though most people leave them on.
2. Soak the dagaa in warm water for 15 minutes, then drain and rinse them well.
3. Soak and rinse them properly. Sun-dried fish carries a great deal of salt and grit from the shore, and unsoaked it is unpleasantly strong.
4. Squeeze them dry, then dry-toast them in a pan for 3 to 4 minutes until they smell nutty and firm up again.
5. Set them aside and heat the oil in the same pan.
6. Fry the onion for 8 minutes until soft and golden, then add the garlic, ginger, curry powder and chillies.
7. Add the tomato paste and fry it for 2 minutes, then add the chopped tomatoes and cook down for 10 minutes into a thick sauce.
8. Return the dagaa to the pan and cook for 5 minutes only, turning them gently.
9. Add them at the end rather than the beginning. Cooked long in the sauce they disintegrate into fibres, and the point of the dish is small whole fish sitting in a thick sauce.
10. Finish with lemon juice, salt and plenty of chopped coriander.
11. Serve with ugali and sukuma wiki, which is how it is eaten across Tanzania.

Technique

• Dried on the shores of Lakes Victoria and Tanganyika, dagaa is the cheapest animal protein in Tanzania and travels far inland by the sack.
• The dry-toasting after soaking is what stops them going flabby. It is a small step and it makes a real difference.
• Taste before salting. Even well soaked, they bring plenty of their own.

Substitutions

• Any small dried fish: ikan bilis, Nigerian crayfish or dried anchovies.
• Fresh whitebait, in which case skip the soaking entirely.

Variations

• With coconut milk stirred in at the end, which is common on the coast.
• Fried crisp and eaten alone as a snack.
• With groundnut paste worked into the sauce.

History

Dried on the shores of Lakes Victoria and Tanganyika, dagaa is the cheapest animal protein in Tanzania and travels far inland by sack.

Frequently asked questions

What is Dagaa?

Dagaa is a main from Tanzania: sun-dried lake sardines fried with onion, tomato and chili. Dried on the shores of Lakes Victoria and Tanganyika, dagaa is the cheapest animal protein in Tanzania and travels far inland by sack.

How long does Dagaa take to make?

Dagaa takes 25 min of preparation and 25 min of cooking. The recipe makes 4 servings. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Dagaa?

Yes, within limits. Any small dried fish: ikan bilis, Nigerian crayfish or dried anchovies. Fresh whitebait, in which case skip the soaking entirely.

What is the most important thing to get right in Dagaa?

Add them at the end rather than the beginning. Cooked long in the sauce they disintegrate into fibres, and the point of the dish is small whole fish sitting in a thick sauce.