Day 160! Seychelles - Coconut Curry Tuna - Up Next, Sierra Leone

Phew, what a week:  kids back to high school and college, the upstairs of our house about to be gutted thanks to last winter's brutal weather and ice dams...dog got direct hit to the face from our friendly neighborhood skunk. And rain, lots and lots of rain, making photographing food in my nearly pitch black kitchen somewhat of a challenge. But I will not be deterred from my mission just because of a stank skunk and relentless rain - no, the show must go on. Just ask my husband what the definition of obsessed is, and he'll (lovingly) point to yours truly.

But, before I dive in, a big shout out to a new foodie friend, Laurrie, who is cooking her way around the world from her RV in a tiny galley kitchen. Check out her site, Life in an RV,  for awesome recipes and great writing. We both agree that it's fun and affirming to meet others who are as nutty and passionate about good food as we are.  Rock on, Laurrie!

Located in the Indian Ocean, the Seychells are an island country spanning an archipelago of 115 islands in the western Indian Ocean. Forty one of those islands form the oldest mid-oceanic granite islands on earth, of which the remaining 74 outer islands form low-lying coral atolls and reef islands. Granitic islands cluster around the largest island, Mahé, with the inner islands being the center of cultural, economic and tourism activity. First inhabited by Austronesian seafarers and Arab traders, the Portuguese settled on the islands in 1502. Between 1756-1903, the Seychelles were alternately controlled by the French, then the British. Following a coup in 1976, and then many re-workings of the country's constitution, a final draft was accepted and the country finally gained independence in 1993. This beautiful country is home to 75 different plant species, and boasts the world's largest seabird colonies in the world. The islands are known for their pristine beaches, marine life and coral islands that divers and snorkelers covet.

Cuisine in the Seychelles has a creole flair, blended with French and Asian influences. Grilled fish, octopus, chilies  ginger, garlic, coconut milk, papaya and rice are plentiful in this warm, tropical climate. Sweet potatoes, vanilla, coconuts and cinnamon are the primary agricultural crops, while frozen and canned fish, copra, cinnamon and vanilla are exported.

Tuna Steaks - I used frozen because that's what my budget allowed

The Basics: chilies, onion,garlic, ginger, turmeric and cardamom

Coconut milk for the sauce - I used light...just trying to watch the old waistline!

Brown the tuna quickly 

Mango chutney and sliced tomatoes from my garden - black sea salt finishes the dish

Coconut Curry Tuna (Recipe Courtesy of Celtnet)

2 lbs. tuna steaks
3 Tbsp. sunflower or canola oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 tsp. ginger, finely grated
3 fresh red chili peppers, seeded and chopped
1 Tbsp. ground turmeric
1/4 tsp. ground cardamom
3/4 tsp. salt
1 14 ounce can coconut milk
A few curry leaves if available

1. Cut the fresh tuna into cubes. Season with salt
2. Brown the tuna pieces in a skillet with a little oil and set aside.
3. Saute the onion, garlic, ginger, chili and turmeric over low heat until the onion begins to color. Add the coconut milk.
4. Add the tuna pieces. Stir gently, coating the tuna with the sauce. Season with salt, add the cardamom and cover, reducing heat to a simmer for 10 minutes.
5. Remove lid and cook a few minutes longer until the sauce becomes thick and creamy.

Serve with basmati rice and mango chutney

Final Assessment: Okay, I'm a sucker for curry and coconut anything, so it's hard for me say anything bad about this dish. So I won't. It was really easy, took about 10 minutes to assemble and tastes wonderful. I didn't have fresh red chilies, so I used dried, which may have decreased the hot-factor, but it still had plenty of heat to it. Serving mango chutney and rice on the side cooled everything off perfectly. Oh, and I had some black sea salt that I topped the whole thing off with -- don't even get me started on how much I love crunch sea salt! A+


© 2010-2011, What's Cooking in Your World? Sarah Commerford/All Rights Reserved