KANDUKUKULHU ( Maldivian Special Fish Curry/Seachicken Curry!)

Serves 6

Ingredients

1 medium size skipjack tuna

15 thin strips of coconut leaf (in the absence of coconut leaf use rampe leaf ranba fai)

12 curry leaves

1 cups thick coconut milk

1 cup thin coconut milk

¾ onion (thinly sliced)

1 ½ tsp salt or according to taste

Curry paste

1  tbsp fennel seeds

1  tsp cumin seed

1  inch ginger (crushed)

4  garlic cloves (crushed)

4  cardamoms

1 ½ inch cinnamon

¼  tsp turmeric powder

¼  tsp fenugreek seeds

5   dry red chillie

1 ½ onion

1 ½ cup scraped fresh coconut

1 tbsp salt or according to taste

Preparation of curry paste

1. Mix fennel seed, cumin seed, ginger, garlic, cinnamon, cardamom, turmeric powder, fenugreek seed, chillie, onion, scraped coconut and salt.
2. Squeeze the mixture well. Put in a mixie and grind to a smooth paste. (Can add ¼ cup water while grinding)

Preparation of fish

1. Skin and bone the tuna and cut into square pieces of 1cm in thickness and 4 inches in length and breadth.
2. Take ½ of the above curry paste in a separate bowl. Take ¼ tsp of curry paste and put on one slice of tuna.
3. Now fold this tuna slice into a roll. Wrap the coconut leaf strip around the tuna roll so that it remains closed. Make a knot.
4. Repeat the same with all the tuna slices.

Preparation of curry

1. Mix 1 cup of thin coconut milk with 1/2 cup of thick coconut milk.
2. Dissolve the remaining curry paste in above coconut milk mixture.
3. Pour into a pot and cook.
4. Add remaining onion, salt and gently bring to a boil.
5. Add the prepared fish and simmer till the meat is tender. Add the remaing coconut milk and cook until the curry thickens.
6. Serve hot with rice.

Note: Excellent with Kaliyabirinji.

This is the king of our curries! A traditional dish, too good to be a tuna dish, that it became known as the chicken curry of the sea. Ha ha…so I may think thats how it got the funny name. Believe me, this is the best ever Maldivian fish curry! Take the risk. Cook and enjoy!

Yes, slightly heating the pandan leaves over a (WITHOUT TOUCHING THE FIRE) slow flame after cutting them as long strips helps in tying the fish with it. We would say in Dhivehi, ‘rambaa fai alifaan mathee, kuda kuda koh miluvaalaa, dhen beynun kuranee mas bannan, komme fatheh dhigukoh 4 bayah strip kohlaigen)