Canned tuna curry rocking classic Indian flavours that is just as good with rice and flatbread as it is spooned over a buttery jacket potato!
Whilst this dish sounds unusual, it is absolutely delicious, it's also quick and will go from your kitchen cupboard to your table in under 30 minutes.
Indian-Influenced Tuna Ruby Murry
Regular visitors here will know that I have a fondness for an Indian fish curry or two. Dishes like my Goan mackerel curry, Bengali macher jhol and Keralan fish curry are some of my favourite dishes.
This tinned tuna curry is joining them as a favourite, but for very different reasons, and it comes from a very different place.
Whilst strolling around our new home town, we stopped at the local market for lunch and grabbed a baked potato. They had a special topping on that day, which was tuna curry.
I thought it sounded silly, but my wife decided to try it and loved it; I had a nibble and was pleasantly surprised.
So this is filling a request from my wife! It's quick, simple and made from a pretty basic set of spices that most people who rustle up the odd curry will have at home.
Kashmiri chilli powder provides a gentle heat and plenty of colour; cumin, coriander, turmeric, a bit of cardamom, and fenugreek provide the solid bedrock of Indian flavours for the very simple masala-style tomato curry sauce.
So essentially, this is a sub-30-minute, delicious, store-cupboard curry that you may very well have all the ingredients for already. What are you waiting for?
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use tuna in brine or oil?
Ordinarily, both of these are better options for most recipes, but here, tuna in spring water is a much better option.
Tuna in brine is way too salty for this curry, and it ends up with the curry tasting all sorts of wrong. Tuna in oil, so long as it is not olive oil, works a little better. But using ghee results in a much nicer dish.
Do I have to use tinned plum tomatoes?
No, chopped tomatoes work ok, although they tend to be a little more "watery" and will need cooking down a little longer at stage 9.
Can I use cardamom pods?
Yes, if you don't have cardamom powder, crush 2-3 green cardamom pods to break them open a little and add them at step 3.
Can I make this in advance?
Yes, this curry reheats wonderfully, although you may need an additional splash of water. It will be fine in the fridge for 2-3 days in an air-tight container.
It also makes for a fine cold/room temperature filling for a tuna sandwich or baguette.
Serving Suggestions
Like most Indian curries, this canned/tinned tuna curry is superb with some simply cooked rice and some flatbreads.
I've opted for some plain white rice and chapatis in the pictures on this page. But some tandoori naan bread and a pilau rice would work equally well.
As we have established, further up the page, this spooned over a baked potato works fantastically.
But other potato options like my jeera aloo or aloo methi both work exceptionally well.
Equipment Used
I only mention specific brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.
- Hob/stovetop.
- 25cm or 10" frying pan.
- Chopping board.
- Kitchen knife.
- Grater.
- Stirring and serving spoons.
- A combination of weighing scales and measuring spoons.
Indian Tinned Tuna Curry Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 125g Tins of Tuna in Spring Water 210g or 7oz Net Weight
- 1 Medium Onion 150g
- 1 Medium Green Pepper
- 2 tablespoon Ghee 35g
- 4 Garlic Cloves
- 15 g Ginger ½ thumb-sized piece
- 1 tablespoon Kashmiri Chilli Powder
- ½ teaspoon Ground Cumin
- ½ teaspoon Ground Coriander
- ¼ teaspoon Ground Turmeric
- 1 Pinch Cardamom Powder
- 200 g Tin Plum Tomatoes 7oz
- 1 Pinch Sugar
- ½ teaspoon White Vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1½ teaspoon Dried Fenugreek
Instructions
- Cut the onion in half, peel it and cut it into a 1cm (just under ½") dice.
- Remove the stem and seeds from the green pepper (discard them) and cut the pepper into a 5mm (¼") dice.
- Heat a 25cm or 10" frying pan over a medium-high heat and add the ghee. When the ghee melts, add the onions and green pepper, then cook for 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Peel the garlic cloves and cut them as finely as you can.
- Peel the ginger and grate it.
- Drain the tuna.
- After the onions have been cooking for 10 minutes, add the garlic and ginger, and cook for another minute, stirring constantly.
- Add the chilli powder, cumin, coriander, turmeric and cardamom powder and stir for 30 seconds.
- Pour in the tinned tomatoes, sugar, vinegar and season with the salt and pepper; stir and crush the tomatoes with a fork. Turn the heat down to low-medium, then cook for 5 minutes.
- Add the drained tuna to the curry sauce, crush in the dried fenugreek leaves, stir and cook for another 5 minutes to heat through and serve.If the curry is a little too dry, add a splash of the water you have drained from the tuna.