It has started. Everyone has gotten busy with holiday decorating, shopping, baking, and get togethers. Are you hosting? Will you be a guest? Will the parties be a formal dinner or more of a dessert and appetizer kind of thing?
Growing up Hindu, we did not celebrate Christmas. But we did celebrate the warm, generous spirit of Christmas. Living in a predominantly white, Christian-based faith community, my parents did not want us to feel like were missing out on the “fun” stuff. We put up an artificial Christmas tree, decorated the house with lights, and sang in our school holiday programs. We looked for the perfect gifts for our family members and friends, baked cookies and and anxiously waited for Santa to fill our stockings. Although we did not celebrate the religious portion of this holiday, we certainly celebrated the “American” portion of this holiday. This is another one of the beautiful things about being American. This holiday really does have a wondrous, magical power that heightens our spirits regardless of our background or faith. Maybe it has something to do with all of the pretty lights everywhere 🙂
So, back to all of the parties that go along with the holiday season. What will you be serving? Will you be taking a dish to share? The recipe I am sharing with you this month is an appetizer that we had at many, many weekend parties. Tuna chop is a tuna patty that you can serve with a squeeze of lemon or with red and green chutney (very appropriate colors for Christmastime). My mom used instant mashed potatoes as the binder (American pantry item short cut), but you can use real mashed potatoes. The reason she said the instant mashed potatoes worked well was because there weren’t any lumps. So, if you are going to use real mashed potatoes, make sure they are completely smooth. Another ingredient is Fish Masala. This is a spice blend you can purchase at an Indian grocery store. The primary spices in this blend are coriander, red chilis, turmeric, mustard, garlic, ginger, cumin, and fennel. Please enjoy!
Tuna Chop
Ingredients:
2 – 6oz cans tuna packed in water 1 medium onion (finely diced)
1 green chili (seeded and finely diced) 2 tsp. garlic ginger paste
1 tsp. salt 2 tsp. fish masala (find at Indian grocery store)
Cinnamon powder Golden raisins (optional)
½ cup mashed potatoes 1 egg
½ cup breadcrumbs Vegetable oil
Directions:
1. Brown onions and green chili in 2 tbsp. of vegetable oil over medium heat.
2. Mix in drained tuna. Next, add the garlic ginger paste and fish masala and salt. Cook for about 3-4 minutes to allow for moisture to evaporate.
3. Sprinkle a small amount of cinnamon powder over the mixture and stir in. At this time, also mix in a few golden raisins if desired. Set aside to cool.
4. While tuna is cooling, set up dredging station. Whisk one egg and 1 tbsp. of water in a shallow dish. Put breadcrumbs in another shallow dish.
5. Combine ½ cup of mashed potatoes with tuna mixture.
6. Take about 2 tbsp. of the tuna and potato mixture and make a small patty. Dip both sides in egg wash, coat with breadcrumbs, set aside. Repeat with the rest of the mixture. This will make approximately 10-12 patties.
7. Heat up 2 tbsp. vegetable oil in a pan. Pan-fry the patties for about 2 minutes on each side. Serve warm with a squeeze of lemon and red and green chutney.
