AI-generated image
Fish in coconut milk
Ika vakalolo: Fijian fish simmered in fresh coconut milk
Ika vakalolo is the Sunday and everyday fish dish of iTaukei Fijian homes, from the fishing villages of the Coral Coast to the outer islands of Lau. Fresh reef fish is gently simmered in lolo, fresh coconut milk, with onion, tomato, chilli and a squeeze of lemon, then served with boiled cassava, taro or rice. It is mild, creamy and ready in half an hour. A common mistake is stirring once the fish is in, which breaks the fillets; just spoon the sauce over. Chef's tip: lemon goes in at the very end so the coconut milk doesn't split.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lb firm white fish fillets (snapper, walu or cod)cut into large pieces
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 onionsliced
- 2 cloves garlicchopped
- 1 tsp fresh gingergrated
- 2 tomatoeschopped
- 1 small hot chillisliced
- 1 ¾ cups coconut milk
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp chopped coriander or spring onion (optional)
Shop this recipe on Amazon
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (7)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Season the 1 ½ lb firm white fish fillets (snapper, walu or cod) with half the ½ tsp salt.
3 minStep 2: Heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a wide pan over a medium heat and fry 1 onion for 4 minutes until soft. Add 2 cloves garlic, 1 tsp fresh ginger, 2 tomatoes and 1 small hot chilli and cook for 3 minutes until the tomato softens.
5 minStep 3: Pour in 1 ¾ cups coconut milk with the rest of the ½ tsp salt and bring to a gentle simmer.
3 minStep 4: Lay the fish in the sauce, spoon it over and simmer gently, uncovered, for 8–10 minutes until the fish is opaque all the way through and flakes easily.
10 minStep 5: Take off the heat, stir 1 tbsp lemon juice into the sauce around the fish and scatter with 2 tbsp chopped coriander or spring onion. Serve with cassava, taro or rice.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 380 kcal
- Protein
- 32 g
- Carbs
- 8 g
- Fat
- 24 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does fish in coconut milk take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Singapore chilli crab
Chilli crab was first sold from a pushcart on the Kallang river in the 1950s and is now the dish visitors queue for along Singapore's East Coast seafood strip. Big mud crabs are cut up, wok-fried and simmered in a thick, sweet, tangy and gently hot sauce of chilli, tomato and garlic, which is then silked with beaten egg. Everyone eats with their hands and mops up the sauce with fried or steamed mantou buns. It is a weekend or celebration meal, messy and loud. Buy crabs live or freshly cooked the same day from a fishmonger you trust. Discard any live crab that doesn't move, smells of ammonia or has a cracked, leaking shell. The common mistake is boiling the sauce after adding the egg, which scrambles it into lumps; pour it in a thin stream over a low heat. Chef's tip: ask the fishmonger to clean and quarter the crab for you, and crack each claw lightly with the back of a cleaver so the sauce soaks in.
Singaporean
Chraime
Friday night in Moroccan and Libyan Jewish homes, from Casablanca to Tripoli and now Paris and Tel Aviv, often begins with a plate of chraime before the main course. Thick fish steaks simmer in a brick-red sauce built from a frightening amount of garlic, sweet and hot paprika, chilli, caraway and cumin, loosened with oil and a squeeze of lemon. It is spicy, garlicky and very savoury, and the oily sauce begs to be mopped up with challah or other good bread. It is also eaten cold the next day. Chef's tip: cook the spices in the oil over a low heat until they smell toasty but not dark; burnt paprika tastes acrid and you cannot rescue it.
Moroccan
Rhode Island clam cakes
At beach shacks along Narragansett Bay and in Galilee, clam cakes are bought by the paper bag, half a dozen at a time, to dunk in a cup of clear clam chowder. They are not patties but craggy, golden fritters, crisp outside and soft inside, studded with chopped quahog clams. Chef's tip: use the clam juice as part of the liquid; it puts the sea flavour into every bite of batter.
American