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Pacific Island

Kokoda

Non-vegetarian

Cubes of fresh white fish cured in lime juice, then folded into creamy coconut milk with tomato, cucumber, onion and chilli — Fiji's refreshing raw fish dish.

Kokoda is a Pacific Island starter from Fiji, ready in about 50 minutes and made with white fish fillet, lime juice and coconut cream. It serves 4 and is rated easy to cook.

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Prep
20 min
Cook
0 min
Rest
30 min
Total
50 min
Serves
4
Level
Easy
Calories
291

Ingredients

4 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Put the fish in a glass or ceramic bowl with the salt and lime juice (opens in a new tab). Cover and refrigerate for about 30 minutes, stirring once, until the fish is opaque on the outside.

    • 3 min

    Food safety: Use only very fresh fish from a trusted source, ideally previously frozen. Raw fish is not recommended for pregnant people, young children, older adults or anyone immunocompromised.

  2. Step 2

    Drain off most of the lime juice (opens in a new tab), keeping a couple of spoonfuls.

    • 2 min

  3. Step 3

    Fold in the coconut cream (opens in a new tab), onion, tomato (opens in a new tab), cucumber (opens in a new tab), chilli and spring onion (opens in a new tab). Taste for salt and lime.

    • 5 min

  4. Step 4

    Serve well chilled, scattered with cilantro (opens in a new tab) — traditionally in a coconut shell.

    • 1 min
    A finished dish being plated
    How it looks · Photo: Willians Huerta on Pexels

About this dish

Origin
Fiji · Commonly attributedSimilar lime-and-coconut raw fish dishes are made across Polynesia, such as Samoan oka and Tahitian poisson cru.Also popular in SamoaMore food from Fiji
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Appetizers & starters · Salads
Cooking method
Raw, Marinated / cured, No-cook
Taste
citrusy, creamy, fresh, spicy (chilli heat)
Diet
Pescatarian · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Low-carb · High-protein
All labelsPescatarian · Non-vegetarian · Whole-food focused · Paleo-style · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-carb · High-protein · Calorie-conscious
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Cook more with
White fish fillet · Lime juice · Coconut cream · Red onion · Tomato · Cucumber
Techniques
Marinating · Curing

Allergens

  • Contains: Fishfrom white fish fillet

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

291 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 335 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 31%
  • Carbohydrate 16%
  • Fat 53%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy291 kcal87 kcal
Protein23.4 g7 g
Carbohydrate12 g3.6 g
Net carbohydrate9.5 g2.8 g
Sugars——
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre2.5 g0.7 g
Fat18.1 g5.4 g
Saturated fat15.5 g4.6 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol68 mg20 mg
Sodium858 mg256 mg
Salt equivalent2.1 g0.6 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
805 mg
Calcium
45 mg
Iron
1.8 mg
Magnesium
58 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
54 µg
Vitamin C
26 mg
Vitamin D
0.6 µg
Vitamin B12
2.3 µg
Folate (DFE)
47 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: coriander leaves.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Chill the coconut cream and serving bowls so the dish stays cold and refreshing.

Common mistakes

  • Leaving the fish in lime for hours makes it tough and dry.

Serve with

  • Serve with boiled taro, cassava or sweet potato.

Food safety

  • Lime juice does not kill bacteria or parasites the way cooking does.

Storage

  • Eat the same day, within a couple of hours of making.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 1, 3

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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