4. Fish Suruwa (Fijian Fish Curry)
With nearly half of the population being Indian, curry is unsurprisingly one of the most popular dishes enjoyed in Fiji. Most resorts hold curry feasts at least one night a week. With the abundance of local fresh seafood, from their yellowfin tuna to prawns and crab, a fish curry is one of the most popular. Similar to the Maldives, coconut milk is used and softens the punch, but you can still find plenty of heat in many Fijian curries.
Onions, chilies, spices (garam masala, turmeric, cumin), and tomatoes are simmered to create the curry base for the fish before the final addition of coconut milk. It is most often served with rice such as basmati. Adapted from Genius Kitchen, recipe by Sris.
Fish Suruwa
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 onion diced
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 long red chilies
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons garam masala
- 1 teaspoon ground toasted cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 2 medium tomatoes finely diced
- 1 and 1/2 pounds (680 grams) firm white fish
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 and 2/3 cups (400 ml) coconut milk
- Salt to taste
- Freshly chopped cilantro for garnish
- Steamed white rice for serving
Method
- In a large skillet, drizzle oil over medium heat. Once heated, add the onion and cinnamon stick. Cook until the onion begins to soften, then mix in the garlic and chilies. Cook until just fragrant and stir in the garam masala, cumin, and turmeric.
- Once fragrant, add the tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes start to break down, about 15 minutes. Push in the fish pieces around the tomato mixture to the bottom of the pan and drizzle the lemon juice over the top. Cook for a couple of minutes and flip the fish to the other side. Gently mix in the coconut milk and simmer just until the fish is cooked through, about 5 minutes.
- Season to taste with salt and serve immediately with rice and topped with cilantro.
