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Tongan · Pacific Island

'Ota 'ika

Non-vegetarian

Tonga's take on citrus-cured fish: firm white fish marinated in lemon juice, mixed with coconut milk and plenty of crunchy vegetables — tomato, cucumber, capsicum and spring onion.

'Ota 'ika is a Tongan salad, ready in about 50 minutes and made with white fish fillet, lemon juice and coconut milk. It serves 4 and is rated easy to cook.

Start cooking
Bowl of raw fish marinated in lime and coconut milk with garlic bread
Photo: watashiwani from Brooklyn, NY / Wikimedia Commons · CC-BY-2.0
Prep
20 min
Cook
0 min
Rest
30 min
Total
50 min
Serves
4
Level
Easy
Calories
235

Ingredients

4 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Cover the fish with lemon juice (opens in a new tab) and salt in a non-metallic bowl and refrigerate for 20–30 minutes, until opaque on the outside.

    • 3 min

    Food safety: Citrus does not make fish safe like cooking does; use very fresh or previously frozen fish and keep it chilled.

  2. Step 2

    Drain off most of the juice, then mix in the coconut milk (opens in a new tab) and all the vegetables.

    • 6 min

  3. Step 3

    Chill 10 minutes and serve cold.

    • 1 min

About this dish

Origin
Tonga · Commonly attributedPart of a family of Polynesian raw-fish dishes that includes Samoan oka and Fijian kokoda.Also popular in New ZealandMore food from Tonga
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Salads · Appetizers & starters
Cooking method
Raw, Marinated / cured
Taste
fresh, citrusy, creamy
Diet
Pescatarian · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · 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 · High-protein · Calorie-conscious
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Cook more with
White fish fillet · Lemon juice · Coconut milk · Tomato · Cucumber · Green bell pepper
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

235 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 294 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 37%
  • Carbohydrate 12%
  • Fat 51%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy235 kcal80 kcal
Protein22.5 g7.7 g
Carbohydrate7 g2.4 g
Net carbohydrate——
Sugars——
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre——
Fat13.8 g4.7 g
Saturated fat11.7 g4 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol68 mg23 mg
Sodium716 mg244 mg
Salt equivalent1.8 g0.6 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
681 mg
Calcium
43 mg
Iron
2.6 mg
Magnesium
66 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
42 µg
Vitamin C
24 mg
Vitamin D
0.6 µg
Vitamin B12
2.3 µg
Folate (DFE)
38 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: green chilli.
  • “—” 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

Serve with

  • With boiled taro, cassava or rice.

Food safety

  • Not recommended for pregnant people, young children or anyone with a weakened immune system.

Storage

  • Eat the same day.

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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