My penchant for purism may be going down the tube, but I must say that I have tested this Tuna Tartare out as an hors d’oeuvre at two dinner parties thus far, and am pleased to report that it has been a resounding success … sour and sweet, fragile yet robust … in short an altogether seductive medley of flavours and textures, and super simple to construct.
First and foremost we are going to start with the preparation of the tuna, which I buy from Nature’s Soul, 27 Defence Colony Market, New Delhi 110024; please note that this tuna (IMAGE 1) is being sourced from the Andamans, and not being flown in from Japan.
The first step in the making of this Tuna Tartare is to soak the tuna very briefly (STEP 1), just a couple of minutes, in a solution of bottled water and apple cider vinegar (4 parts water and 1 part vinegar) to clean it, and then wrap in a cloth towel to dry (STEPS 2 & 3).
Then slice against the grain and slice again length ways, and then again into approximately 1cm cubes (STEPS 4 TO 8). Refrigerate until use.
Next you will make the dressing for the Tuna Tartare.
YIELD: ENOUGH FOR 150G OF TUNA ( 10 TO 12 SPINACH LEAVES)
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 2 teaspoons tahini
- 4 teaspoons Kasundi
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 4 teaspoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped coriander
- 4 teaspoons finely chopped onion
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
First gather and measure and prepare your ingredients (IMAGE 2). Then heat the olive oil over low heat (STEPS 1 & 2), add the mustard seeds (STEP 3), and as soon as they begin to pop, turn off the heat and let it cool (STEP 4).
Then mix the rest of the ingredients, and once cooled, add the mustard seed oil and mix thoroughly. Refrigerate until use.
And now on to the batter for the spinach tempura.
Gram Flour Batter
YIELD: 20 portions
- 1 cup gram flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/8 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
- 250 ml water
Gather all of your ingredients (STEP 1) and measure out; place the gram flour in a bowl (STEP 2), and then one by one add the rest of the dry ingredients and mix together (STEPS 3 TO 5). Then gradually add the water and whisk into a smooth batter (STEPS 6 & 7).
And finally onto the spinach tempura and assembly; please do make sure your spinach leaves are washed, thoroughly dried and at room temperature (STEP 1).
Then fill a heavy bottom wide surface pot with sunflower oil (STEP 2) and heat on medium heat until a little bit of batter turns a deep golden brown and crisp within 45 to 60 seconds; any faster than this and the batter will burn without crisping the spinach. Then dip the spinach leaves one at a time in the batter (STEP 3), letting all excess slide off (STEP 4), and place in the oil (STEP 5), flipping once after 30 seconds (STEPS 6 & 7), then removing with a slotted spoon (STEP 8), and placing on paper towels to degrease (STEP 9).
Serving the Tuna Tartare
Next, dress your tuna with the dressing, just enough to lightly coat (STEPS 10 & 11); do not drown the tuna in the dressing. Then place your spinach leaves on your serving plates (STEPS 12 & 13), spoon 1½ teaspoons approximately of Tuna Tartare onto the centre (STEP 14), and abracadabra, you have a winsome little small plate (FINAL IMAGE).
Above: Final Image