PITA WITH MAS HUNI
> SERVES 2 AS A LUNCH OR SNACK <
In the Maldives—the Laamu Atoll, to be precise—where the skipjack tuna for this recipe is caught, the fishermen eat mas huni almost daily: a spicy tuna salad with coconut, lime, and fresh curry leaves. And when I say “spicy,” I really mean it. This recipe calls for only one red chile, but the local islanders tend to use multiple and will happily serve this salad for breakfast.
1 small red onion, diced
1 red chile, seeded and finely chopped
2 limes, juice of 1, wedges of 1
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup (90 g) freshly grated coconut*
½ bunch of cilantro (or 2 fresh curry leaves), finely chopped
Two 6-ounce (160 g) tins of tuna in water, drained
4 pieces of pita bread, sliced open
A few leaves of iceberg lettuce
1. Put on plastic gloves (or wrap sandwich bags around your hands) to protect your hands from the hot chiles. Work the red onion, chile, lime juice, and salt together in a bowl. In the Maldives, the ingredients are kneaded by hand to allow the flavors to blend.
2. Add the coconut, cilantro, and tuna and mix with a spoon until all the ingredients are combined and the tuna has a flaky texture. Set aside.
3. Prepare the pita breads according to the package directions or heat them to your liking using a toaster or toaster oven.
4. Fill the pitas with some lettuce and the mas huni and serve with the lime wedges.
*Note: If you prefer, you can use dried coconut flakes instead. Just add 2 tablespoons of coconut milk in addition to the flakes.
Credit Line: Recipe from The Tinned Fish Cookbook: Easy-to-Make Meals from Ocean to Plate—Sustainably Canned, 100% Delicious © Bart van Olphen 2019, 2020. Translation © The Experiment, 2020. Reprinted by permission of The Experiment. Available wherever books are sold. experimentpublishing.com
