A taste of INDONESIA
Made up of thousands of islands, Indonesia is a unique country with an eclectic cuisine influenced by China, India and the Middle East. Discover its spicy, aromatic flavours with Eleanor Ford’s new recipes
Spice Islands tuna
In the Spice Islands of Eastern Indonesia, simple preparations triumph over complex spice pastes. Here, tuna is marinated in the soft tangy pulp of the tamarind fruit. In the heat of the pan, it caramelises to a gentle sweetness. Choose tuna steaks with visible streaks of fat which will keep the tuna succulent as it cooks.
SERVES 4 PREP 5 mins plus 1 hr marinating COOK 2 mins EASY 4 tbsp tamarind paste
2 tbsp soy sauce
4 x 125g tuna steaks, skin removed and sliced 3cm thick vegetable oil, for frying
Mix the tamarind and soy sauce and coat the tuna fillets in the sauce. Cover and leave to marinate at room temperature for up to 1 hr. Discard any excess marinade before cooking.
Set a frying pan over a high heat and add a thin layer of oil. When it is shimmering hot, carefully lay in the tuna fillets. Cook for just over 1 min on each side – this should leave a dark and sticky caramelised crust and the insides rare and tender. Serve with the pineapple relish, right.
GOOD TO KNOW omega-3
PER SERVING 209 kcals • fat 8g • saturates 1g • carbs 1g • sugars 1g • fibre none • protein 32g • salt 1.2g
Sour & spicy pineapple relish
A chunky fresh relish, with the sour-spice balanced by sweet fruit. It is sensational with anything, especially seafood.
SERVES 4-6 PREP 5 mins plus resting NO COOK EASY V
1 small ripe pineapple (about 350g prepped weight) 2 large red chillies, deseeded and finely chopped 1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp rice wine or white wine vinegar
Peel and core the pineapple, then chop into small chunks. Crush the chillies to a rough paste with the sugar and salt using a pestle and mortar. Loosen the mixture with vinegar and stir through the pineapple. Taste it – depending on how sweet or sour your pineapple is you may want to add more vinegar to balance the flavours. Leave to sit for at least 15 mins before serving so the flavours meld.
GOOD TO KNOW vegan • low fat • gluten free
PER TBSP 20 kcals • fat none • saturates none • carbs 4g • sugars 4g • fibre 1g • protein 0.1g • salt 0.2g