Maldivian Tuna Curry (Kandu Kukulhu)
This delicious tuna curry recipe was provided by Chef Sobah, who recently won the Best Chef in the Maldives award.
This delicious Maldivian dish is also known as Tuna Curry. The recipe for Kandu Kukulhu was provided by Chef Sobah, the Chef de Cuisine at Soneva Fushi, and one of the biggest champions of Maldivian cuisine.
Check out our interview with Chef Sobah to learn more about his career and Maldivian cuisine.
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!
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