Polynesian Ika Mata Recipe

Ika mata is a traditional Polynesian dish which consists of raw fish, eaten in Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu, and New Zealand. The fish is cut into bite sized pieces and marinated in citrus juice and salt. After marinating, the fish is tossed with vegetables and coconut cream to finish. It is eaten with starchy vegetables like boiled cassava or green bananas.

Any type of fish can be used but the two preferred fishes are yellowfin tuna and maroro, a type of flying fish. Since the fish will be eaten raw, only freshly caught fish is used. The vegetables mixed into the dish vary by personal taste. Popular options are onions, cucumbers and peppers.

Ika mata is similar to ceviche where the addition of the lime cooks or denatures the fish proteins resulting in a firm fish that has neither a raw texture nor the dry flakiness it would have if it was cooked with heat.

Ika mata is the common preparation of raw fish in the Cook Islands. Other Polynesian islands also enjoy ika mata but the same dish may have different names such as oka i’a in Samoa and poisson cru in the French Polynesian Islands. There are also island-based recipe variations.

Origin and Significance

Ika mata means raw fish in Maori. It is just one of many unique ways islanders eat fish. This dish is a staple in all the Polynesian islands.

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Polynesian Ika Mata Recipe

Yield: 4 Servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Additional Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

Ika mata is a traditional Polynesian dish which consists of raw fish. The fish is cut into bite sized pieces and marinated in citrus juice and salt.

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Ingredients

• Tuna (fresh) - 400g
• Lemons (juiced) - 4
• Coconut cream - ½ cup
• Red pepper - ½ cup
• Cucumber - 1 cup
• Red onion - 1/4
• Salt - to taste

Instructions

1. Wash and dice the tuna into bite size pieces.
2. Add to a clean bowl.
3. Add the juice of 4 lemons to the bowl of tuna, cover and let it chill in the fridge for 30-45mins.
4. Dice the cucumber, pepper and onion.
5. Cover and let them chill in the fridge until the tuna has finished marinating.
6. In a new bowl, add the marinated tuna and lemon juice along with 1/2 cup of coconut cream and mix.
7. Add all the diced cucumber, pepper and onion to the tuna and mix well.
8. Add 1 tsp of salt to taste.
9. Serve chilled.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 298Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 47mgSodium: 215mgCarbohydrates: 30gFiber: 3gSugar: 23gProtein: 31g

Nutrition is provided and calculated by Nutritionix. It is for general information purposes and is only a rough estimation.

Photo Credit: Arnaud 25