Tuna Patties

Maldivian tuna patties are quite similar to Sri Lankan fish patties. A spicy tuna and potato filling is enclosed in a yummy pastry. Then it’s deep fried. You can omit the egg from the pastry if you want to. However, we think the egg makes it extra yummier and crispier.

Makes: around 25

Ingredients:

• 1 medium onion
• ½ scotch bonnet pepper
• 7 curry leaves
• 1 lime
• ½ tsp. grated ginger
• 1 tuna can (180 g)
• 1 cup boiled and mashed potatoes (approximately 275 g)
• 2/3 tsp. salt (or to taste)
• 1 ½ cups flour
• ¼ tsp. salt (for the pastry)
• 1 egg
• 9 tbsp. room temperature water (or as needed)
• 2 cups oil

Instructions:

1. Slice the onion, scotch bonnet pepper and curry leaves thinly.
2. Add the sliced onion and scotch bonnet pepper to a mixing bowl. Squeeze in the lime and using your fingers squash and squeeze the mixture until the onion releases its juice and becomes soft.
3. Add the ginger and curry leaves and mix again with your fingers.
4. Add the tuna can and mix again.
5. Then add the mashed potatoes and mix again.
6. Then add the salt gradually, making sure the seasoning is to your liking, and then mix with your fingers until the filling feels a bit smooth. Set this mixture aside.
7. Add flour and salt to a large bowl and mix to combine. Then add the egg and mix to combine again.
8. Gradually add the water while mixing with your fingers.
9. Then knead the dough until it becomes smooth and stops sticking to the sides of the bowl.
10. Divide the dough into equal sized balls. We divided it into 5.
11. Dust a surface and use your rolling pin to roll out one of those balls into a thin circular shape.
12. Use an inverted drinking glass to cut out circles from the rolled out dough and arrange the circles on a clean plate.
13. Place a teaspoon of the filling on one side of the circle and then fold it down the middle. Press the edges with your fingers to seal. Now you should have a sealed semicircle containing the filling. Place it on a plate and then press down on the edge with the tips of a fork to seal it some more and get the nice line pattern on the edge.  
14. Keep rolling the dough, cutting circles, filling and sealing them as described in the steps above until you run out of filling and dough.
15. Heat oil in a pot. Drop a little bit of dough into the oil to check the temperature. When it floats and you see bubbles forming around it, that’s your cue to start frying.
16. We fried ours in batches. Place the first batch in oil and fry until they turn golden. You’ll have to flip halfway through to get both sides cooked evenly.
17. When done, remove from oil, keep them in a strainer for a few minutes and them lay them over some kitchen towels to get rid of the excess oil.