Maldivian Tuna Curry (Kandu Kukulhu)
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ lbs yellowfin tuna
- 15 thin strips of coconut leaf in absence of coconut leaf use rampe leaf ranba fai
- 12 curry leaves
- 1 cup thick coconut milk
- 1 cup light coconut milk
- ¾ onions thinly sliced
- 1 ½ tsp salt
For the curry paste:
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1- inch ginger (1/3 of an inch) crushed
- 4 garlic cloves crushed
- 4 pcs cardamom
- ¼ tsp turmeric powder
- 5 dry red chilies
- 1 maldivian chili (or hot chili)
- 1 ½ onion
- 1 ½ cup scraped fresh coconut
- 1 tbsp salt
Instructions
For the curry paste:
- In a small bowl, mix together the cumin seeds, ginger, garlic, cardamom, turmeric powder, chili, onion, scraped coconut and salt.
- Heat the pan and add the paste made from all the spices and roast until browned.
- Drain the mixture of any liquid and put it in a food processor. Grind it to a smooth paste and add 1/4 cup (60 ml) of water to dilute.
For the fish:
- Skin and bone the tuna and cut into square pieces of 1 cm/ (1/3 of an inch) in thickness and 10 cm/ 4 inches in length and breadth.
- Place ½ the curry paste in a separate bowl. Take ¼ tsp of curry paste and put on one slice of tuna.
- Fold the tuna slice into a roll. Wrap the coconut leaf strip around the tuna roll so that it remains closed. Make a knot.
- Repeat the same with all the tuna slices.
How to prepare the curry:
- Mix 1 cup light coconut milk and 2 spoons of curry paste. Pour into a pot and cook for a few minutes.
- Add remaining onion, salt and gently bring to a boil. Add the prepared fish and simmer till the meat is tender.
- Add the reaming coconut milk and cook until the curry thickens.
- Serve hot with rice.
- This is the king of our curries! A traditional dish, too good to be a tuna dish, that it became known as the chicken curry of the sea. Ha ha…so I may think that’s how it got the funny name. Believe me, this is the best ever Maldivian fish curry!
- Take the risk. Cook and enjoy!
Notes
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!