The Red Snapper Poke is our riff on a cold fresh curry. We started with raw fish and asked ourselves, “What else goes into a curry?” The answer was ingredients like coconut milk, raw mango. So we took these elements, made a cold broth, dressed the raw fish with it, put on some tender coconut malai and served it all in the coconut itself. We then asked, “What do you eat with fish curry”, and the answer was rice. So we threw puffed rice on top. When you eat it, you get the texture of the raw fish, the crunch of the rice and the creamy, fatty broth. The poke was on the opening menu of O Pedro and became an instant icon. Everyone wanted to eat it and write about it.

  • Serves

    4

  • Cook Time

    30m

Ingredients

For Broth

  • 1 cup coconut milk
  • ½ cup chopped raw mango, peeled
  • 3 tbsp chopped onion
  • 2 tbsp cilantro stems
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1 Thai red chilli
  • Salt to taste
  • Lime juice to taste

To Assemble

  • 150 gm raw red snapper, cut into cubes
  • 4 tbsp tender coconut malai, chopped
  • 2 tbsp chopped red onions
  • 1 tbsp chopped cilantro stems
  • ¼ cup puffed rice

Preparation

For Broth

  1. Combine all ingredients in a blender till smooth. Season and strain.
  2. Chill in the refrigerator.

To Serve

  1. In a bowl, place the fish and pour in coconut broth. Stir and let stand for 10 minutes in the refrigerator.
  2. Fold in the malai, onion and cilantro stems.
  3. Transfer to a serving bowl. Sprinkle with puffed rice just before serving.
Hussain Shahzad

Hussain Shahzad

Hussain Shahzad, the Executive Chef at O Pedro, a Goa-inspired restaurant in Mumbai, is Scroll Food’s Chef of the Month for October. He started his career with the Oberoi Group of Hotels in Mumbai, before moving to New York, where he worked at the iconic Eleven Madison Park. His culinary adventures have taken him around the world and included a brief stint as a personal chef to Roger Federer. Before taking the reins at O Pedro, he was a part of the team at the award-winning The Bombay Canteen. A dynamic and bold chef, Hussain’s food philosophy is to showcase local produce using contemporary culinary techniques.

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