Maldivian tuna curry

by Selina Periampillai
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4
30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 500g of tuna steak, cut into 2.5cm pieces
  • 1 tbsp of coconut oil
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 2 cardamom pods, seeds only
  • 1 knob of fresh ginger, 2.5cm in length, peeled and finely chopped
  • 10 curry leaves, finely chopped
  • 1 green chilli, finely sliced
  • 1 onion, finely sliced
  • 1/2 tsp ground fennel seeds
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 400ml of coconut milk
  • 1 stick of cinnamon
  • sea salt
  • fresh coriander, to garnish

Method

1
Lightly salt the fish and set aside
2
In a large saucepan, warm the coconut oil over a medium heat until simmering. Add in the garlic, cardamom, ginger, curry leaves and chilli. Let this sauté until fragrant – usually around 30 seconds
3
Add the onion slices and cook until softened, around 5–7 minutes. Add the rest of the spices: the fennel, cumin, turmeric and black pepper. After around a minute they will mingle together and become aromatic
4
At this point, transfer everything into a food processor and blend to a coarse paste. Return the paste back to the pan over a medium heat, pour in the coconut milk, holding back one tablespoon for drizzling at the end, and pop in the cinnamon stick and ½ teaspoon salt
5
Bring to a simmer and gently add the fish pieces to the sauce. They will cook fairly quickly. After 5 minutes, the fish should be tender, opaque and cooked throughout and the curry will be ready to serve. Drizzle over the extra coconut milk, scatter with the coriander and serve with a heap of rice