A Swahili-coast breakfast of pigeon peas simmered in spiced coconut milk until creamy and fragrant. Earthy and gently sweet, it is famously scooped up with mahamri for a classic coastal morning plate.
Mbaazi za nazi — pigeon peas in coconut milk — is a staple breakfast of Kenya's Swahili coast, traditionally paired with the fried bread mahamri. Mild and creamy, it carries the coconut signature of all Swahili cooking.
Tender pigeon peas burst with an earthy, nutty note, bathed in coconut milk that is rich and lightly sweet. A turmeric warmth and a flash of lime keep each spoonful from feeling heavy.
Long soaking and boiling fully soften the legumes' cell walls, and mashing a portion releases starch that, with coconut fat, emulsifies the sauce into a creamy body.
Variations
Cooked with black-eyed peas (kunde) instead, a thinner soupy style, or scented with extra cardamom and lemon.
On the Palate
Where Mbaazi za Nazi sits in the Kenyan flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 4
How it's made
8 steps · 15 min
- 1480 min
Soak dried pigeon peas overnight, then drain.
- 240 min
Boil the soaked peas in fresh water until tender.
Watch outBoil the peas until they crush easily between two fingers — undercooked pigeon peas stay chalky and won't drink up the coconut.
- 36 min
Saute onion, garlic and a little chilli until soft.
- 43 min
Add turmeric and curry powder and cook until fragrant.
- 53 min
Stir in the cooked pigeon peas and a splash of their cooking liquid.
- 612 min
Pour in thick coconut milk and simmer gently to thicken.
Watch outKeep the coconut milk at a bare simmer, never a rolling boil, or the sauce breaks and turns oily instead of creamy.
- 73 min
Season with salt and a squeeze of lime, mashing a few peas to enrich the sauce.
Watch outMash just a handful of peas into the pot — that released starch is what thickens the sauce and makes it cling.
- 82 min
Serve warm with mahamri or chapati.
