🇹🇿 Tanzanian / Swahili · Swahili & Coastal Cuisine
🦐 Tanzanian Pilipili Prawns
Kamba wa Pili Pili
Tanzanian Kamba wa Pili Pili — large Indian Ocean prawns marinated in a pili pili-garlic-lemon paste and grilled over charcoal until charred and intensely flavoured. The spiciest prawn preparation on the coast — not for the faint-hearted.
Pili pili prawns are the bold expression of Zanzibar's chilli tradition — the Indian Ocean's finest prawns coated in the island's hottest pili pili paste and grilled over charcoal. Simple, fast, and extraordinarily good.
Ingredients
Equipment: Charcoal grill or griddle pan
- 500g large prawns — split down the back, deveined
- 4 tbsp pili pili sauce
- 3 garlic cloves — minced
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp salt
Method
- Mix pili pili, garlic, lemon, oil, and salt.
- Coat split prawns thoroughly, including cut flesh.
- Marinate 15—20 minutes only.
- Grill cut-side down over high coals 2—3 minutes.
- Flip. Grill 1—2 minutes more.
- Serve with extra lemon and cold drinks.
Chef Tips
- Split prawns cook faster — 4—5 minutes total.
- Very short marination — lemon acid breaks down prawn flesh quickly.
- The flesh should be lightly charred.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Over-marinating.
- Under-cooking — food safety.
The Science
See TZA066 for prawn cooking science.
Nutrition (per serving)
Health Benefits
- Very lean protein.
- Capsaicin is anti-inflammatory.
Cultural Note
Pili pili prawns are the dish that challenges — ordered by those who know, approached cautiously by those who don't. At Zanzibar's beach restaurants, they separate the initiated from the curious.
Storage & Serving
Storage: Best eaten immediately.
Reheating: Not recommended.
Serve with: Lemon wedges, Cold Beer, Wali wa Nazi (TZA002)