Fijian Kokoda Recipe

Name: Fijian Kokoda
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Pacific
Ingredients: 500 g skinless, boneless mahi-mahi or snapper fillet, sold for eating raw and previously frozen to kill parasites, cut into 2 cm cubes; 120 ml lime juice; 200 ml coconut cream; 2 tomatoes, about 250 g, seeded and diced; ½ cucumber, about 150 g, diced; ½ red onion, about 60 g, finely diced; 1 red chilli, seeded and finely chopped; 2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander; ½ tsp salt

Fijian Kokoda

Raw white fish cured in lime juice, then mixed with coconut cream, tomato, cucumber and chilli and served very cold.

20 min prep and cooking plus 15 min chilling 35 min start to finish Serves 4 servings Easy

The Case for Fijian Kokoda

Cure the fish in lime juice for 15 minutes, then stop. Kokoda is a ceviche-style dish from Fiji in which the acid turns the surface of the raw fish opaque and firm, and the longer it sits, the chalkier it gets. Fifteen minutes is enough; the middle stays tender.

Use very fresh, firm white fish sold for eating raw and frozen first to kill parasites, which lime juice does not, such as mahi-mahi or snapper, cut into 2 cm cubes so the lime reaches every side. Then squeeze out the juice and fold in the coconut cream, which turns the sharp, citrusy base into something soft and rounded.

Tomato, cucumber, onion and a little chilli add crunch and heat. Serve it straight away, cold, in a bowl or in coconut shells. If the dish stands, the cucumber waters the sauce, so add the vegetables last, just before it reaches the table. Pile it into small bowls or hollowed coconut shells and eat it with a spoon alongside boiled cassava or taro.

Build the Meal Around Fijian Kokoda

Boiled cassava
Steamed rice
Crisp lettuce
Cold lager

How to Make Fijian Kokoda

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Put the fish in a bowl with the lime juice and salt. Stir, cover and chill for 15 minutes until the fish turns opaque.
Drain off most of the lime juice and discard it.
Stir in the coconut cream, tomatoes, cucumber, onion, chilli and coriander.
Taste and add salt or lime if needed. Serve immediately in small bowls.

Related guide: Prep, cook and total time.

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A Few Notes

Use fish that was very fresh and kept cold from purchase to plate.

Cut the cubes evenly so they cure at the same speed.

Add the vegetables just before serving to keep them crisp.

Swaps and Variations

Dried chilli flakes can stand in for the red chilli. Heat varies a great deal between chillies and between jars, so start with a small pinch and add more to taste.
Lemon is the everyday swap for lime in this kind of dish — the acidity plays the same role even though the flavour is not identical.

Leftovers

Best eaten straight away. Do not store.

Common Questions

How long does Fijian Kokoda take to make?

20 minutes of preparation and of cooking, plus 15 minutes of chilling, so allow 35 minutes from start to finish. The recipe serves 4.

The Numbers per Serving

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central figures (SR Legacy). A calculation, not a laboratory analysis: brands, cuts and how you measure change the real numbers. How the figures are worked out.

265Calories

28gProtein

9gCarbs

13gFat

1gFibre

6gSugar

380mgSodium

Gluten-Free Low-Carb Keto No Added Sugar

Fijian Kokoda

Build the Meal Around Fijian Kokoda

How to Make Fijian Kokoda

A Few Notes

Swaps and Variations

Leftovers

Common Questions

The Numbers per Serving

Your notes on this recipe

Cooked this? Keep a note for next time

Build the Meal Around Fijian Kokoda

How to Make Fijian Kokoda

A Few Notes

Swaps and Variations

Leftovers

Common Questions

The Numbers per Serving

Your notes on this recipe

Cooked this? Keep a note for next time

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