Nestled in the South Pacific, surrounded by an endless expanse of ocean and blessed with a warm, tropical climate, Fiji features a wealth of fresh produce. This makes the country’s cuisine bright, vibrant and full of fantastic flavors and fragrances. Fiji is also a wonderfully multicultural nation, and diners can discover an amazing array of influences from across the world, especially India. Diners can experience a selection of Fiji’s most famous signature dishes at Radisson Blu Resort Fiji Denarau Island’s world-class restaurants.
Kokoda (traditional Fijian seafood ceviche)
Fiji is famous for its seafood, and kokoda showcases the amazing freshness of its marine produce. This traditional ceviche-style dish features raw fish marinated in lime and blended with coconut cream, tomato, chili, onion and coriander. Served cold, this is a wonderfully light and refreshing treat to be enjoyed at any time of day.
Recipe (serves 4)
Ingredients:
- 400 g walu (Spanish mackerel) or tuna
- ½ cup lime or lemon juice
- ¼ cup coconut cream
- 2 tbsp freshly diced tomato
- ¼ cup freshly diced onion
- 2 tbsp chopped coriander
- 1 tbsp sliced spring onion
- 1 green or
red chili (finely chopped with pith and seeds removed) - To taste salt and ground black pepper
Method:
- Cut the fish into small pieces and mix with the lime juice.
- Leave it to marinate for up to four hours in the fridge.
- Drain the fish and toss it through the coconut cream
- Mix with the remaining chopped ingredients.
- Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.
Note: Kokoda is best enjoyed with a cold, crisp glass of white wine, such as a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.
Slipper Lobster with Coconut Poached Mahi-Mahi and Fried Dalo
The true art of Fijian cuisine lies in pairing the finest ingredients from the land and sea. This exquisite dish achieves this balance to perfection, by delicately poaching the fresh mahi-mahi – a brightly colored tropical fish – in coconut cream, and serving it with dalo (also known as taro) and succulent slipper lobster. Simply sublime!
Recipe (serves 1)
Ingredients:
- 1 slipper lobster
(halved and cleaned) - 200 gr mahi-mahi fillet
- 100 ml coconut milk
- 1 small onion
- 1 tomato
- 1 lemon
- 1 clove of garlic
- 200 gr dalo (taro)
- 50 ml extra virgin coconut oil
- 200 ml cooking oil (for frying)
- To taste salt, pepper and chilli
- To garnish fresh coriander
Method:
- Peel the dalo and cut into finger-sized pieces. Boil or steam until soft.
- Preheat the oil in a pan.
- Fry the cooked dalo until it turns golden brown.
- Season with salt and a little pepper, then set aside.
- Cut the onion and tomato into small cubes.
- Sauté with coconut oil and add a dash of lemon juice, chili and salt to taste.
- Add the coconut cream and some water, and let it simmer for 3 minutes.
- Place the mahi-mahi fillet in the coconut broth and simmer on a slow heat for 8-10 minutes.
- Season the slipper lobster with salt, lemon juice and chili, and brush with coconut oil.
- Grill the open side first for 3 minutes, then finish in a preheated oven (180 degrees C) for 8 minutes.
Fijian Cassava Cake
Cassava is an essential ingredient in Fijian cuisine, consumed by households on a daily basis and grown in many gardens. This delicious dessert is a must-try dish for any visitor to Fiji, and the fact that it contains only three ingredients – cassava, coconut and brown sugar – means that it is also very easy to recreate at home!
Recipe (26cm cake, serves 4 portions)
Ingredients:
- 500 gr cassava (peeled)
- 2 dried coconuts
(or 200 ml coconut milk - canned works just fine) - 100 gr brown sugar
- Butter to coat the cake tin
Method:
- Use a grater to scrape the cassava into fine pieces – smaller than grains of rice.
- Do the same with the coconut, then squeeze the milk out of the coconut.
- Mix the scraped cassava with brown sugar to achieve a nice brown color.
- Add coconut milk to create a thick mixture.
- Rub the inside of a 26cm round cake tin with butter to prevent sticking.
- Put it into a preheated oven (160 degrees C) and bake for about 45 minutes.
- Remove when the cake has a firm but moist and soft feel.
It should be brown on top with a thin skin. - Cut yourself a slice and enjoy!
Try our recipes and share your best results with us on social media with #RadissonBlu!
