The art of preparing Tikka prawns with Chef Zoobie

Born Zubeda Mohamed, she is convinced her home – the Kenyan Coast – serves the finest meals countrywide.

She creates food content on Instagram and shares different ways to use her condiments. The foodie speaks about the power of a vision board, her 2021 highlights and plans for this year.

Tikka prawns

Fresh tiger prawns

Zoobiefoodie.ke tikka marinade

Method:

Wash and peel the prawns. You can devein them, but I prefer them whole. Add in three tablespoons of the tikka marinade, and let them marinate for 30 minutes.

On a hot skillet, cook the prawns on both sides for at least three minutes on each side. Serve with greens of your choice.

Tip: Deveining shrimp is basically a matter of personal preference and aesthetics, not hygiene, and the vein is not harmful to the human body if eaten. Indulge!

More about the chef

Zoobie Foodie. Interesting name. Where did it come from?

Zoobie is a nickname that comes from the fusion of my name Zubeda and my love for cooking, reading and watching cooking shows.

When I was writing my 2021 vision board, I told myself I am such a foodie, found it rhymes with Zoobie and quickly changed my Instagram username. Also, I wanted a brand that I could relate to when still using my name.

Speaking of vision boards, what was in your 2021 board?

My main goal was to grow my Instagram account to 10,000 followers. I planned out what to post every day of the week.

For instance, I would post a rice recipe on Fridays and a dessert on Sundays. I would take people along with me on Market Mondays, which is when I restock my groceries. On Transformation Tuesdays, I would post healthy recipes.

What was your 2021 highlight?

Ramadhan. I uploaded a recipe for the 30 days of Ramadhan. This gave me so much traction.

Any plans for 2022?

There is a cookbook in the works and I plan on starting a cooking school as well. I will be launching a third condiment – a 370ml peri peri marinade – later this month.

A 340ml barbecue sauce and a 370ml tikka marinade are the other condiments in the zoobiefoodie selection.

What has been the biggest challenge in running your business?

Reaching a market that is not technological savvy, as I am currently online based.

You recently got hacked on IG. What has been the greatest lesson from that?

I decided to get on a more stable platform, hence why I am working on my website. I am also looking for a physical location, as well as distribution to supermarkets, groceries and other outlets.

The top two ingredients in your pantry:

Salt and black pepper. It does not matter how spiced a dish is, if salt is missing, the dish would not give out its taste. I also love the smell and fair spicy nature of black pepper.

The one kitchen gadget you cannot live without?

A blender. It is my easy fix for most recipes - from juices, curries, baking and most desserts.

Kitchen gadget you are eyeing is...

The Nescafe Dolce Gusto Coffee Machine. I love coffee.