Let’s escape for the week to the wonderful island of Tsarabanjina, in the exceptional Mitsio archipelago in Maldives. Deep blue water, sandy beaches and villas surrounded by tropical plants: Welcome to Constance Tsarabanjina. A relaxing atmosphere created between luxury and simplicity, an intimate retreat which respects the environment, a fully preserved Malagasy island. While heading there for a wonderful escape may be out of the question for some time now, you can still enjoy a taste of paradise with of these two delicious recipes that use coconut, courtesy of Constance Tsarabanjina.
Maldives Tuna Curry
Ingredients (Serves 4)
- 500 g tuna
- Peanut oil: as required
- 1 onion
- 10 karipulay leaves (Curry leaves)
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
- 4 cloves of chopped garlic
- 3 pandan leaves cut in two
- 3 green cardamom seeds
- 2 teaspoons chilli powder
- 2 teaspoons curried fish powder
- 120 ml coconut
Heat a little oil in a pan. Put some onion in it with the garlic, ginger, curry and pandan leaves. Add the chilli powder and stir with a wooden spatula. Stir in the tuna, cut into 2 cm cubes. Sauté the pieces so they are well coated with the spices. Add salt, the fish curry powder, the green cardamom, half of the coconut milk, a little water and let it cook gently. Stir it from time to time. When the tuna is cooked, add the remaining coconut milk, and allow it to simmer for another minute. Check the seasoning and set it aside.
Finishing and presentation: Arrange the tuna curry in bowls or soup plates, add a few sprigs of fresh coriander and some strands of pepper.
Traditional Tsarabanjina Coconut Cake
Ingredients (Serves 4)
- 250 g grated coconut
- 250 g butter
- 4 eggs
- 75 g powdered sugar
- 1 carton condensed milk
- 1 vanilla stick
Whisk the butter and the sugar in a bowl. Separate the whites from the yolks and mix the yolks one by one into the butter/sugar mixture. Add the grated coconut, the flour, and the condensed milk. Mix it well until it forms a smooth strand. Put in the egg whites that have previously been whisked. Line some small round 5 cm-diameter moulds with aluminium foil and butter the bottom and the sides. Pour the dough in and bake it. Cook it for an hour at 150°C. Check how it is cooking with the tip of a knife. The blade should still be clean! Remove the cake and allow it to cool down completely before taking it out of its mould.
The garnish: Make some Chantilly cream to spread over the coconut cake. Grate some fresh coconut and roll the cake in it.
Finishing and presentation: Use a nice cinnamon stick to skewer the coconut cake and accompany it with a little caramel juice.