Hey there!
Poké is a traditional Hawaiian dish, or more of a bowl, commonly comprised of raw fish, sometimes tofu, sticky sushi rice, some crunchy vegetables and a soy-sesame based marinade. The flavours are combination of salty/savory, soft vs crunchy, fresh and light and then you get some heartiness from the rice and a touch of spice. So, it’s delicious and satisfying in every way. If you like sushi, I’m convinced you will love this! Also you can add to it and make it all your own!
How this meal came to be for me – My husband, my favorite person in the entire world…drives me insane! He goes on these diets, full throttle, highly restrictive yet all over the place. Sometimes he declares “NO CARBS!’ and then asks me “Is this a carb? Is that a carb?” lol I think he gets mixed up between carbs and gluten-free and I’m sure he’s mixed up about which of the two he is doing that particular week. Other times it’s “ONLY FISH for dinner!” or “NO CHEESE in this house!”
“Are you eating lunch today?”, I ask.
“No! I’m fasting”. Ok, now he’s fasting.
So the other day, he tells me, his personal chef, that from now on he wants to eat “SUPER healthy and NOT TOO MUCH!”
“I thought I was doing that already.”, I replied
I made lentil soup for dinner and he asked, “Is this healthy?” No this soup is actually hiding a hamburger and fries inside. How bad could lentil soup possibly be?
Now, he’s discovered these thin rice cakes and he just loves them, eats them all the time. “They’re only 25 calories each!! Crunch, crunch, crunch…”
“Those are empty calories!” I tell him. “Your hair is gonna fall out! You need real food!” Sometimes I tell him he’s gonna get scurvy. He laughs it off but I actually worry that he’s not getting enough vitamins and minerals from his one meal + 4 rice cakes! Hence, the madness and the inspiration for this meal.
So where did I turn to get started on this… Why I simply found a few how-to videos on YouTube and took it from there!
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Wanna know more about Poké?
Wikipedia says: Poke began with fishermen seasoning the cut-offs from their catch to serve as a snack. Traditional poke seasonings have been heavily influenced by Japanese and other Asian cuisines. These include soy sauce, green onions, and sesame oil. Others include furikake (mix of dried fish, sesame seeds, and dried seaweed), chopped dried or fresh chili pepper, limu (seaweed), sea salt, inamona (roasted crushed candlenut), fish eggs, wasabi, and Maui onions. Other variations of poke may include cured octopus, other types of raw tuna, raw salmon and various kinds of shellfish.
Traditional Hawaiian poke may consist of cubed raw fish, maui onions, Inamona (a condiment made of roasted, salted candlenut), Limu (algae), soy sauce, green onions, or sesame oil.
| Prep Time | 15 Minutes |
| Passive Time | 15 mins |
| Servings |
People
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- 2 Tbsp Toasted Sesame Oil
- 4-5 Tbsp Soy Sauce
- 2 Tbsp Mirin
- 1 Tsp Veganaise or Mayo (Optional but amazing!)
- To taste Toasted sesame seeds (Optional)
- To taste Siracha (Optional)
- To taste Cilantro stems (leaves reserved for garnish) Thinly chopped (Optional)
- 4 Small Toasted Nori sheets (small ones) Thinly sliced or chopped
- 600 Grams Sushi grade salmon or tuna ( or tofu for vegans) Cut into cubes – any size as long as they’re even
- 3 Cups Cooked sushi rice (aprox) See notes Prepared according to instructions and allowed to cool a bit
- 3-5 Tbsp Rice wine vinegar
- 1 Tsp Sugar or Coconut sugar
- 2 Toasted Nori sheets (small ones) Thinly sliced or chopped (Optional)
- 2-3 Green onions Chopped, Green and White parts
- 1 Avocado Sliced
- 2 Tbsp Lime juice
- To taste Fresh Cilantro leaves
- To taste Toasted Nori seaweed sheets or Furikake Thinly sliced
- 1/2 To taste English cucumber Thinly sliced
- To taste Toasted sesame seeds
- Kimchi
- Pickled carrot
- A handful Blanched edamame beans Bought them frozen and quickly boiled them
- Cubed mango
- Siracha mayo
Ingredients
Marinade
Fish
Rice
Possible garnishes/sides
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- Cook sushi rice according to package instructions or use a rice cooker.
- In a small bowl combine vinegar and sugar. Once rice is slightly cooled mix in the mixture gently. Add sliced Nori. Set aside, covered to keep warm.
- In another bowl combine the ingredients for the marinade – soy sauce, sesame oil, Mirin, cilantro stems, siracha and mayonnaise (if using). Pour marinade over fish and set aside in the fridge to marinate for up to 2 hours or you can serve immediately.
- Assembly – Scoop rice into a bowl (rice should be warm but not hot), top with marinated fish and desired garnishes / vegetables.
The garnishes and sides listed are delicious and commonly found in various Poké recipes. Everything listed is of course optional but they really enhance the flavour and add texture to the dish so I highly recommend adding them. Other great options would be adding an acidic fruit element like chopped pineapple or mango cubes!
It’s best if you toss your raw veggies in some rice vinegar and sesame oil, just to moisten them and flavour them up!
