This is a 2017 recipe that has been sitting quietly on the blog ever since, doing exactly what it was designed to do — delivering a deeply spiced, aromatic crust on a tuna steak with very little fuss. The marinade paste does all the work. You blitz it, coat the fish, and fry it. The result is something that tastes considerably more involved than it actually is.

The key ingredients are tamarind and dried Kashmiri chillies. Tamarind brings a dark, sour depth that cuts through the richness of the tuna; Kashmiri chillies bring colour and a gentle, building heat rather than anything fierce. Together with garlic, ginger, cloves, cumin, and turmeric, they produce a paste that clings to the fish and caramelises in the pan.

How to Make the Spicy Tuna Steak with Tamarind Paste

Make the paste by blitzing together 5 peeled garlic cloves, 5 dried Kashmiri chillies, 3 cloves, 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon turmeric powder, 12 black peppercorns, a 1-inch piece of fresh ginger, 1 tablespoon tamarind, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon brown sugar, a squeeze of lemon juice, and a big pinch of sea salt until smooth.

Marinate the tuna steak in lemon juice and salt for 10 minutes. Cover both sides generously with the paste — latex gloves are worth wearing if you're using your fingers. Shallow fry in vegetable oil until cooked to your preference. Top with fried onions and fresh coriander.

Serve with asparagus, sliced radishes, and red onion rings, as pictured; the freshness of the vegetables balances the intensity of the spiced crust beautifully.

For a lighter, Mediterranean take on tuna, my Pan-Seared Tuna Steak with Garlic Spinach and Lemon Drizzle is well worth a look.

Footnote:

This recipe is part of my Fish Recipes collection, and also features in the Curry-Adjacent section of the Curry Hub — spiced dishes that don't quite fit the curry label but belong in the same conversation.

Wonky photos, proper food, genuine adventures — The Flexible Chef