Ceviche (Tongan Ota Ika)

Each Pacific nation has its own version of marinated (raw) fish in fresh coconut milk. Like the islands themselves, these dishes may look similar, but they are all quite different. Tonga's ota ika has a lot more vegetables than Fiji's kokoda, and is only briefly marinated.

fresh tuna loin or any subtle tasting fish such as snapper, diced into pieces about 1 cm (250 g)
1 small green capsicum, finely diced
2 small firm tomatoes, finely diced
1 small onion, finely diced
1 small fresh red chili, de-seeded and finely diced
4 limes or 2 lemons, freshly squeezed
1 can coconut milk not cream (use the Samoan variety as the Asian brands are too sweet)
sea salt

First marinate the diced fish in the lime or lemon juice for 45 minutes in the fridge.

Drain the fish and discard most of the excess liquid - retain a little to mix with the coconut milk.

Add all ingredients to a bowl with the marinated fish, add some coconut milk - only enough to cover the other ingredients. Add salt to taste.

Stir together gently and chill in the fridge for about an hour.

Serve additional chillies on the side if you have Fijian guests. Ota Ika is fantastic with a cup of locally grown Kingdom Koffie.