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Oka i'a
Raw fish in coconut cream
Samoan raw fish salad with coconut cream, lemon and vegetables
Oka i'a is the raw fish salad served at every Samoan to'ona'i, the big Sunday lunch after church in Apia and the villages of Upolu and Savai'i, and in Samoan homes in Auckland. It is close to Fiji's kokoda but usually uses tuna, a shorter citrus soak and more vegetables, with a finish of spring onion. As a raw fish dish it is written here as a safer version: buy very fresh, previously frozen sashimi-grade tuna, keep it cold and eat within 2 hours. Raw or citrus-cured fish is not for pregnant women, young children or anyone with a weakened immune system; for them, sear the tuna as described in the steps. The mistake is cutting the fish too small, so it goes mushy; keep the cubes about 1.5 cm. Chef's tip: chill the coconut cream and the bowl, so the salad is cold and refreshing.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 1 ⅛ lb very fresh tuna loinsashimi grade, previously frozen, in 1.5 cm cubes
- 3 lemons or limesjuiced
- ¾ tsp salt
- ¾ cup coconut creamchilled
- ½ red onionfinely diced
- 1 tomatodiced
- ½ cucumberdiced
- 2 spring onionssliced
- 1 green chilli (optional)finely chopped
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Keep 1 ⅛ lb very fresh tuna loin in the fridge until needed. In a chilled glass bowl, toss it with 3 lemons or limes and ¾ tsp salt and chill for 10 minutes, until the edges turn pale.
10 minStep 2: For the safer cooked option, sear the tuna in one piece in a very hot pan for 1 minute a side before cubing, or sear the cubes for 1–2 minutes until opaque all through, cool quickly, then dress them.
3 minStep 3: Drain off most of the citrus juice. Fold in ¾ cup coconut cream, ½ red onion, 1 tomato, ½ cucumber and 1 green chilli.
Step 4: Scatter with 2 spring onions and serve at once, very cold. Eat within 2 hours and don't keep leftovers.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 260 kcal
- Protein
- 24 g
- Carbs
- 7 g
- Fat
- 15 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does oka i'a take?
- About 25 minutes in total.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of lemons or limes?
- Lemon, same amount.
- What can I use instead of red onion?
- White onion or shallots, same amount (soak raw onion in cold water for 10 minutes to soften it).
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