Looking for a quick rice and tuna recipe that you can make on a busy weeknight? This easy Indian one-pot meal is exactly what you need!
But first, I’ve got to ask – do you like canned tuna? I love the stuff! It’s a great thing to have in your pantry to whip up quick and tasty weeknight dinners. Plus, it’s an affordable protein option for when you’re on a budget.
Canned tuna often gets a bad rep for being unappetizing. Tuna right out of a can may not be very glamorous, but trust me, this rice and tuna recipe is the LBD (little black dress) of canned tuna. It’ll take your tuna from shabby to chic in 30 minutes!
About this Rice and Tuna Recipe
Traditionally, Indian meals usually consist of rice, thosai, chapati, or some other form of carbohydrate served with curry and various vegetables.
However, making multiple dishes on a busy weeknight can be really draining!
Instead of slaving away over the stove for hours, why not adapt Indian cooking techniques to make quick one-pot meals?
So that’s what I did. I followed the 5 basic steps of Indian cooking to make this one-pot meal with tuna, vegetables, and a variety of spices.
It offers the warmth and comfort of Indian cuisine, with a fraction of the effort.
About the Ingredients
Canned Tuna
Any canned tuna can be used here. I prefer using tuna in EVOO or organic olive oil, but you can also use tuna in vegetable oil or water.
One 5oz can of tuna goes a long way and can feed up to three people, as this recipe bulks it up with vegetables.
Curry Powder
I love using Baba’s fish curry powder for this recipe. It’s what we usually use at home to make seafood dishes.
Of course, this is a matter of personal preference. Feel free to use any curry powder you have on hand.
Vegetable Oil
Regular vegetable oil is great for this recipe. But if you’re health-conscious, feel free to swap this for olive oil.
In fact, we tend to use organic EVOO in a lot of our home cooking nowadays for health reasons, and the dishes turn out pretty much the same.
Rice
You can use any rice you like here – basmati, jasmine, parboiled, or even brown rice.
Long grain basmati rice tends to be on the pricier side, so we usually save it for special occasions. For everyday use, we go for parboiled or brown rice.
If you’re keen on cooking more Indian food or rice-based dishes, I highly recommend getting a rice cooker! It makes cooking rice so much easier!
Just measure out the rice and water according to the packet instructions, and switch on the rice cooker. You can walk away with no worries, as the rice cooker will switch to ‘Keep Warm’ automatically after the rice cooks.
Dry Tuna Curry
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
- 1/2 tsp fennel
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1 red onion, diced
- 2 green chillies, chopped
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 inch of ginger, minced
- 1 medium sized tomato, chopped
- Salt
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp curry powder
- 2 tsp chilli powder
- 1 carrot, diced
- 10 french beans, diced
- 5 oz. canned tuna, drained
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 tbsp chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Heat oil in a non-stick pan on medium highbefore adding mustard seeds, fennel and cumin. Fry until mustard seeds begin to pop
- Next, add the chopped onions and chillies. Sauté until onions brown, around 8 to 10 minutes.
- Add minced ginger and garlic, and sauté for 2 minutes.
- Then, add the tomatoes and ½ tsp of salt. Mix and cook until tomatoes become a little mushy.
- On medium-low heat, add turmeric, curry powder and chilli powder. Pour in some water, mix and cook for a few minutes until the raw smell of spices goes away.
- Once the spices are cooked, add the carrots, beans and remaining water. Mix, cover and cook for 10 minutes.
- After that, add the canned tuna, mix and cover again. Cook for another 10 minutes.
- Finally, taste and add more salt if needed before garnishing with chopped cilantro. Serve with rice and raita on the side (optional).
Rice Substitutes
This Indian tuna recipe goes great with rice.
If you don’t feel like having rice, that’s okay. It also goes great with parathas.
You can get ready-made frozen parathas from your local grocery store, and toast as many as you need on a hot griddle or frying pan as your tuna is cooking.
You can even use any leftover tuna as a filling for a quick sandwich.
Conclusion
If you’re looking for a quick and easy recipe you can make with pantry staples, this is perfect for you!
Try this rice and tuna recipe, and I guarantee that it’ll soon be a regular weeknight dinner for you and your family.
So next time someone seems skeptical about canned tuna, whip out this LBD and show them that canned tuna can be pretty glamorous too!
