Potato and Tuna Curry
Okay, I understand that several of my Fiji dishes may be a little too exotic for some people’s tastes. But, I haven’t even mentioned that a traditional meal is Fiji is most likely served on the floor. There could be a table cloth, but most people eat seated on very large mats that cover most of the living space. And, there’s one more item of interest, or horror, depending upon your point of view and phobia about germs. Your dishes probably will have serving spoons, but the guests will most likely not have any silverware. In Fiji, you eat with your hands. It doesn’t matter what is served. When in Rome, or Fiji, you know what to do.Now, about 40% of the population in Fiji are of Indian descent, from indentured servants the British brought to the islands to work the sugarcane fields. That means, there is a whole lot of delicious Indian food available everywhere you go. In my unofficial survey of taxi drivers, fish with curry was the favorite dish – and it was delicious. However, anything with potatoes is going to be a dish I love. And, the gracious women at the St. Giles Rehabilitation Center in Suva, cooked for me almost every day I painted. When they made potato and tuna curry, I had to ask for the recipe.
Potato and
Tuna Curry
The Gracious Women at St. Giles Rehabilitation Center, Suva, Fiji
The Gracious Women at St. Giles Rehabilitation Center, Suva, Fiji
Ingredients:
| 4 peeled potatoes 1 onion 1 clove of garlic 1 full cooking spoon of oil 1 Tbs chili powder |
1 tsp cumin seeds 1 tsp haldi 1 tsp masala. salt to taste 1 can of tuna |
Peel up and cube your potatoes.
Your personal preference of cube size doesn’t matter. But, in
Suva, they were about the size of peas. Dice up your onion and
garlic as well.
Heat up enough oil to fry the onion, garlic, chili powde,r and cumin seeds. I’m not really sure how big a cooking spoon is, but you can probably guess how much oil you need to make all this a nice golden brown. Then, stir your haldi and masala into the mix. If you’ve never heard of “haldi”, just like me, it’s turmeric.
Add in the potatoes with two cups of water and salt to taste. Cook it all up for 15 – 20 minutes.
Finally, add the tuna. I really expected this to be fresh from the harbor. I must confess, I was pleased that even in Fiji you could pop open a can for this dish.
Heat up enough oil to fry the onion, garlic, chili powde,r and cumin seeds. I’m not really sure how big a cooking spoon is, but you can probably guess how much oil you need to make all this a nice golden brown. Then, stir your haldi and masala into the mix. If you’ve never heard of “haldi”, just like me, it’s turmeric.
Add in the potatoes with two cups of water and salt to taste. Cook it all up for 15 – 20 minutes.
Finally, add the tuna. I really expected this to be fresh from the harbor. I must confess, I was pleased that even in Fiji you could pop open a can for this dish.
Cooked Taro
Root
It’s ready to serve after about five to
ten more minutes. You want to boil the water away. But,
that’s when it gets interesting. You could serve it as a side-dish
if you prefer. You could serve it over rice, cassava, or taro.
However, I had mine with “roti”. I’d describe that as a soft
shelled tortilla, store-bought and ready to go. Toast the tortilla
on a dry skillet and then wrap some of the curry dish inside the roti
like a burrito. Now, you’re more than ready for a really good
potato treat. And, this is a really easy food to eat with your
hands.