Dhon Riha (with Chaokoh 100% Coconut Milk)

Dhon Riha falls into that nice place between a Kirugarudhiya and full-fledged, spice-laden curry. This refined recipe is an improved take on our previous version, offering better balance and flavour while still being quick and easy to prepare.

For our recipe, we have used Chaokoh 100% Coconut Milk provided to us by one of our partners, Day Food. Its rich consistency and clean coconut flavour add a beautiful creaminess to the curry without overpowering the spices.

Serving size: 2 to 3

Ingredients:

• 1 medium onion
• 200 g tuna
• ¼ inch ginger slice (crushed)
• 1 garlic clove (crushed)
• ½ cup grated coconut
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground fennel
• 5 curry leaves
• 1 tsp salt (or to taste)
• 2 cardamom pods (seeds only)
• 1 inch cinnamon
• 2 fenugreek seeds (optional)
• 5 tsp water (for the spice paste)
• 1 cup water (for the curry)
• ¼ scotch bonnet (or to taste)
• 3-inch piece of pandan leaf
• ¼ cup Chaokoh 100% Coconut Milk

Instructions:

1. First, thinly slice 1 medium onion and divide it in half.
2. Cut 200g tuna into 1–1½ inch cubes. You can have them in the usual fish curry size.
3. Add ¼ inch ginger slice (crushed), 1 garlic clove (crushed), ½ cup grated coconut, ¼ tsp turmeric powder, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp ground fennel and half of your sliced onions to a bowl. Use your fingers to squash and squeeze the ingredients together.
4. Transfer the mixture to your grinder and add 5 curry leaves, 1 tsp salt, 2 cardamom pods (seeds only), 1 inch cinnamon, and 2 fenugreek seeds. Grind the mixture on high power for 20 seconds or until it becomes coarse. Then add 3 tsp water and grind for 20 more seconds on low speed. Add 2 tsp water and grind again for 1 to 2 minutes or until you get a smooth paste.
5. Then transfer the mixture into a pot and add 1 cup water, ¼ scotch bonnet (or to taste) and 3-inch piece of pandan leaf. Stir to combine and cook the mixture on low to medium heat until it boils (took us 6 minutes).
6. When the mixture starts boiling, add the tuna and stir to combine. Cook at medium-high heat for 2 minutes or until the tuna pieces lose their raw pinkish colour.
7. Add ¼ cup Chaokoh 100% Coconut Milk and your remaining onions. Give it a good stir and let it cook for 5 minutes or until the onions soften, and that’s it.

Note: It is quite usual for Dhon Riha to be made without cumin as it is known as a fennel-based curry. However, we like the taste of cumin in our Dhon Riha hence you'll find it in our ingredient list.