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South Indian · Indian

Lakshadweep-style tuna curry

Non-vegetarian

Chunks of fresh tuna simmered in a coconut gravy with shallots, chilli and tamarind — a home-style curry reflecting the tuna-and-coconut cooking of the Lakshadweep islands.

Lakshadweep-style tuna curry is a South Indian curry, ready in about 40 minutes and made with tuna and desiccated coconut. It serves 4 and is rated easy to cook.

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Prep
15 min
Cook
25 min
Total
40 min
Serves
4
Level
Easy
Calories
373

Ingredients

4 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Toss the tuna (opens in a new tab) with half the turmeric (opens in a new tab) and half the salt.

    • 2 min

  2. Step 2

    Blend the coconut with the chilli, coriander, remaining turmeric (opens in a new tab) and 250 ml of the water to a smooth paste.

  3. Step 3

    Heat the coconut oil (opens in a new tab), pop the mustard seeds (opens in a new tab) and fry the shallots (opens in a new tab), ginger, garlic (opens in a new tab), green chillies and curry leaves (opens in a new tab) until golden.

    Onions frying golden in a pan
    How it looks · Photo: Magda Ehlers on Pexels

  4. Step 4

    Add the coconut paste, remaining water, tamarind and remaining salt and simmer for 5 minutes.

    • 6 min
    • medium-low heat

  5. Step 5

    Add the tuna (opens in a new tab) and simmer gently until just cooked through — tuna dries out if overcooked.

    • 7 min
    • low heat

    Food safety: Use very fresh tuna and cook until opaque throughout.

About this dish

Origin
Lakshadweep, India · Commonly attributedTuna fishing and coconut are the backbone of Lakshadweep cooking, which shares much with Malabar. This is a representative home-style curry rather than one fixed traditional recipe.More food from India
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Curries · Main courses
Cooking method
Simmered
Taste
spicy (chilli heat), creamy, tangy, savoury
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 · Carb-conscious · Calorie-conscious
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Everyday
Cook more with
Tuna · Desiccated coconut · Turmeric · Cayenne / chilli powder · Ground coriander · Coconut oil
Techniques
Simmering

Allergens

  • Contains: Fishfrom tuna
  • Contains: Mustardfrom mustard seeds

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

373 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 325 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 36%
  • Carbohydrate 19%
  • Fat 46%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy373 kcal115 kcal
Protein33.6 g10.4 g
Carbohydrate17.8 g5.5 g
Net carbohydrate12.4 g3.8 g
Sugars6.9 g2.1 g
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre5.4 g1.7 g
Fat19.2 g5.9 g
Saturated fat15.9 g4.9 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol49 mg15 mg
Sodium802 mg247 mg
Salt equivalent2 g0.6 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
898 mg
Calcium
59 mg
Iron
2.8 mg
Magnesium
84 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
39 µg
Vitamin C
13 mg
Vitamin D
2.1 µg
Vitamin B12
2.6 µg
Folate (DFE)
23 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.
  • Not counted (tiny amounts or “to taste”): curry leaves.
  • Tamarind paste: Raw tamarind pulp (FDC 167763). Commercial concentrates vary in water content.
  • “—” 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

Common mistakes

  • Stirring after the tuna goes in — swirl the pan instead so the chunks stay whole.

Serve with

  • Serve with steamed rice or rice-flour rotis.

Storage

  • Best the same day; keeps 1 day refrigerated.

Reheating

  • Warm gently without boiling.

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, 2

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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