Sri Lankan · lunch, dinner

Sri Lankan Tuna Curry (Malu Curry)

Sri Lankan Tuna Curry (Malu Curry) — from Ceylon Kitchen's cooking video Watch how it’s made · 4:29

Video by Ceylon Kitchen on YouTube · Open on YouTube

35 minServes 4237 kcal a serve
  • Pescatarian
  • Gluten-free ingredients
  • Dairy-free
  • Nut-free

Contains: Fish. Check labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes.

About 100 g of tuna per serve gives roughly 30 g of protein and more than a day's vitamin B12 and selenium, in a coconut-free gravy soured with goraka. Just 2 tbsp of oil for the whole pot.

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Ingredients 20

Method

Tap a time to watch that step in the video.

  1. Toss the tuna chunks with the salt, 1 tsp pepper and the turmeric and leave to marinate while you prepare everything else. 0:23
  2. Grind the goraka cream, garlic, cardamom and cloves to a coarse paste. 0:58
  3. Heat the oil in a clay pot or heavy pan. Add the mustard seeds, then the onion, curry leaves, pandan, green chillies and cinnamon and stir-fry until fragrant. 1:24
  4. Add the chilli powder, roasted curry powder, curry powder and the goraka paste and stir constantly for about a minute so the spices toast without burning. 2:15
  5. Pour in the water, add the fenugreek and salt to taste, and boil for 2 minutes over high heat. 2:47
  6. Add the tuna, mix gently and cook for 7–8 minutes over medium heat until just cooked through. Sprinkle over 1 tsp pepper, mix briefly and serve with rice. 3:09

Tip. Serves 4 (our estimate). It is fiery: halve the chilli powder for a milder curry. Goraka is sold at Sri Lankan grocers; 1 tbsp tamarind paste works instead. Keeps 2 days in the fridge.

The method is a summary in our words — the video shows every step.

One serve gives you 1 of 4

Energy237 kcal990 kJ
Protein31 g61% of a day
Fibre3.9 g14% of a day
Carbohydrate10 g6.3 g net · 3.1 g sugars4% of a day
Fat8.8 g1 g saturated11% of a day
Sodium730 mg32% of a day

Where the energy comes from one serve

  • Net carbs 11%
  • Protein 54%
  • Fat 35%

Low carb: under 26% of the energy is from carbs.

Vitamins & minerals % of a day, one serve · tap for more

Vitamin B12 High392%

9.4 µg a serve, mostly from yellowfin tuna (100%). Keeps nerves and blood cells healthy. Found almost only in animal foods and fortified foods (some plant milks, nutritional yeast), so vegans need a reliable source.

Selenium High170%

94 µg a serve, mostly from yellowfin tuna (98%). Part of the body's antioxidant enzymes and needed for thyroid hormones. Seafood, eggs, meat and Brazil nuts are rich sources.

Vitamin B6 High62%

1.1 mg a serve, mostly from yellowfin tuna (85%). Helps turn food into energy and make brain messengers. Chickpeas, fish, poultry, potatoes and bananas are good sources.

Omega-3 High60%

1 g a serve, mostly from oil (64%). Omega-3 fats support the heart and brain. Oily fish give EPA and DHA; walnuts, flax, chia and canola give ALA, which the body converts only a little.

Vitamin E High23%

3.5 mg a serve, mostly from oil (34%). An antioxidant that protects cell membranes. Nuts, seeds and plant oils such as olive oil are the main sources.

Magnesium Source18%

74 mg a serve, mostly from yellowfin tuna (67%). Takes part in hundreds of reactions — energy, muscles, nerves, blood sugar and bones. Nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grains are good sources.

Iron Source17%

3 mg a serve, mostly from yellowfin tuna (33%). Carries oxygen in your blood. Iron from plants absorbs better with vitamin C in the same meal — lemon, tomato or capsicum.

Vitamin A Source12%

111 µg a serve, mostly from chilli powder (78%). Keeps eyes, skin and the immune system healthy. Orange vegetables and dark greens give beta-carotene, which the body turns into vitamin A.

Vitamin K Source12%

14 µg a serve, mostly from oil (34%). Needed for blood clotting and bones. Leafy greens and herbs are very rich in it. If you take warfarin, keep your intake steady and talk to your doctor.

Potassium Source11%

540 mg a serve, mostly from yellowfin tuna (60%). Balances sodium to help control blood pressure and keeps muscles and nerves working. Beans, potatoes, leafy greens and fruit are rich sources.

Vitamin D Source10%

2 µg a serve, mostly from yellowfin tuna (100%). Helps you absorb calcium for bones and supports muscles. Few foods have much — oily fish, eggs, UV-exposed mushrooms, fortified milks. Sunlight is the main source.

Show the other 4
Zinc9%

1 mg a serve, mostly from yellowfin tuna (59%). Needed for immunity, wound healing, taste and growth. Meat, seafood, legumes, seeds and whole grains supply it.

Vitamin C6%

5.3 mg a serve, mostly from green chillies (56%). An antioxidant needed for collagen, immunity and iron absorption. Long cooking destroys some, so raw herbs, citrus and capsicum help.

Calcium4%

55 mg a serve. Builds bones and teeth and helps muscles and nerves work. Dairy, calcium-set tofu, sardines with their bones and some greens supply it.

Folate3%

14 µg a serve, mostly from onion (26%). Needed to make DNA and new cells — especially important before and in early pregnancy. Legumes and leafy greens are rich sources.

Estimated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central values; % of a day uses the food-label daily values. How this works

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Recipe and video by Ceylon Kitchen; the method summary, nutrition estimate and diet notes are Notbroken’s. General information about food, not dietary advice.