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1
Fry the Curry Leaves and Onion
5 Mins • Frying
Medium heat, about 175°C (350°F)
Warm the coconut oil in a wide, heavy pot over medium heat until it shimmers. Add the curry leaves and pandan knots — they will crackle and release their fragrance within seconds. Add the remaining sliced onion and cook, stirring often, for about 4 minutes until soft and golden at the edges, but not browned.
Keep the leaves moving in the oil for the first 30 seconds so they crisp evenly instead of burning in one spot.
Done when: Onion soft and pale gold; curry leaves crisp and fragrant.
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2
Cook the Spice Paste
5 Mins • Frying the Paste
Medium-low heat, about 160°C (320°F)
Scrape the blended paste into the pot with the tomato paste and stir it into the onions. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until the paste darkens a shade, smells deeply aromatic, and the oil begins to separate at the edges. This step cooks out the raw onion and lets the cumin, fennel and turmeric bloom.
If the paste starts to stick, add a splash of water — never turn the heat up to rush it, or the spices will scorch and turn bitter.
Done when: Paste darker, fragrant, with oil glistening at the edges.
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3
Add Water and Simmer the Sauce
10 Mins • Simmering
Gentle simmer, about 95°C (200°F)
Pour in the water, scraping the bottom of the pot to lift any paste that has stuck. Bring to a gentle simmer, then cook uncovered for about 10 minutes until the sauce has thickened slightly and the raw spice edge has mellowed. Taste and add the remaining salt if needed.
Keep the simmer gentle — a hard boil at this stage can make the sauce split later when the coconut milk goes in.
Done when: Sauce slightly thickened and smooth, tasting rounded rather than raw.
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4
Stir in the Coconut Milk
5 Mins • Simmering
Low heat, about 85°C (185°F)
Turn the heat to low and pour in the coconut milk, stirring gently until the sauce turns a pale golden cream. Simmer very gently for about 5 minutes, without letting it boil hard, until the sauce coats the back of a spoon. This late addition of coconut milk is the Maldivian way — it keeps the sauce silky instead of oily.
If the sauce does boil, pull the pot off the heat for a minute and stir — a split sauce can usually be brought back with gentle heat and steady stirring.
Done when: Sauce creamy and golden, coating a spoon; no oil pooling on top.
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5
Add the Tuna and Finish
8 Mins • Poaching the Fish
Gentle simmer, about 90°C (195°F); fish cooked through to at least 63°C (145°F)
Slide the tuna chunks into the sauce in a single layer and spoon a little sauce over them. Simmer gently for 6 to 8 minutes without stirring — the fish cooks in the hot sauce and stirring would break the chunks apart. The tuna is done when it flakes easily and is opaque all the way through, reaching at least 63°C (145°F) at the centre. Take the pot off the heat, remove the pandan knots, stir in the lime juice, and rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Do not overcook — tuna dries out fast. Start checking at 6 minutes; the pieces should still look moist inside.
Done when: Tuna flakes easily with a fork, opaque throughout, still moist.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Spoon the curry into wide bowls over steamed rice, or serve it in a bowl on its own with warm roshi on the side for scooping. A squeeze of lime and a few fresh curry leaves on top finish it the way Maldivian home cooks serve it.
Maldives
15m
France
Vietnam