Kulhi Boakibaa (With Zeeba Premium Basmati Rice)

Kulhi Boakibaa with a warm cup of black tea - truly an unbeatable combination. Below is our updated version of this beloved local fish cake. This time, we’ve used a flavourful mix of canned tuna and smoked tuna for added depth, and instead of baking it in the oven, we’ve cooked it on the stove, making it even more accessible and convenient.

For our recipe, we used Zeeba Premium Basmati Rice provided to us by one of our partners, Pyramid. The rice cooks into soft, distinct grains with a naturally fragrant aroma, making it perfect for everyday cooking as well as special dishes.

Yield: One 9-inch round Boakibaa

Ingredients:

• ½ cup uncooked Zeeba Premium Basmati Rice
• 1 cup water (for soaking the rice)
• 2 tbsp water (for grinding the rice)
• 1 large onion (thinly sliced)
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 1 tsp finely chopped scotch bonnet (or to taste)
• 1 can tuna (drained)
• ½ cup thinly sliced smoked tuna
• ½ cup grated coconut
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• 2/3 tsp grated ginger
• 1 tsp salt (or to taste)
• 10 curry leaves (thinly sliced)
• 2-3 tbsp water (for the filling)
• 2 tsp oil

Instructions:

1. Add ½ cup uncooked Zeeba Premium Basmati Rice into a bowl along with 1 cup water and let it soak. You’ll need to soak it for at least a couple of hours. But if you can manage it, let it soak overnight.
2. Discard the soaking water, and wash and drain the rice well. Then add the soaked rice into a grinder and grind for around 1 minute on high speed, while scraping the sides every 20 seconds or so. Halfway through, add in 2 tbsp water, so it forms a thick, paste like texture. Don’t grind it too much. It should fall between not too coarse and not too smooth.
3. In a bowl, mix together 1 large onion (thinly sliced), 1 tsp finely chopped scotch bonnet (or to taste), 10 curry leaves (thinly sliced), and 1 tbsp lime juice. Use your fingers to really squash and squeeze everything together until the onion slices become soft and release their juices.
4. Then add 1 can tuna (drained), ½ cup thinly sliced smoked tuna, ½ cup grated coconut, ½ tsp turmeric powder, 2/3 tsp grated ginger, and 1 tsp salt (or to taste). Mix well again using your fingers. Have a taste to make sure you like the balance of ingredients, and adjust if needed.
5. Now mix in the ground rice. Then add 2-3 tbsp water (for the filling) because the mixture needs to be wet but not watery. This depends on how long you soaked the rice and the dryness of your mixture, so you can add a little more if needed. Mix again until everything is really well combined.
6. Heat up 2 tsp oil in a medium-sized pan for around 30 seconds. Make sure the oil coats the bottom of the pan evenly. Pour the mixture into the pan and spread it evenly. You can use a spoon to smooth the top by gently tapping it.
7. Cover the pan with a lid and cook on low heat until the bottom gets that nice golden brown boakibaa crust. For us, this took around 16–18 minutes. Then flip the boakibaa and cook for another 15 to 16 minutes without the lid on or until the bottom turns golden brown again (we did it by placing a plate over the pan, flipping it onto the plate, then sliding it back into the pan with the cooked side on top). Depending on how crispy you want the crust of the boakibaa to be, you can cook it for a little longer.