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My husband and I recently went on a shopping trip at Marukai, our favorite Japanese market, and picked up some tuna to make Ahi Poke (POH-kay). I think the notion of fresh poke is one of the few reasons my husband doesn’t mind driving 50+ miles to take me shopping there. All I have to do is mention poke and he’s ready to go. And what made this shopping trip extra special was the ogo or Hawaiian seaweed that we found at the store. I felt like I hit the jackpot since I haven’t had fresh ogo in such a looooong time, which made this Ahi Poke extra special for us.
Ahi Poke
If you’ve never eaten poke, it’s basically a Hawaiian-style raw fish salad. There are tons of variations and most people in Hawaii make it to their taste. The most important part of poke, which means to cut or chunk, is to cut the tuna into 1/2″ cubes. I was lucky and found the tuna already cubed – thanks, Marukai! And if you’re even luckier to find ogo*, you’ll need to rinse this in a colander and coarse chop. If you can’t find ogo, don’t worry, you can omit this or order a Noh poke
*Freeze any leftover ogo and rehydrate with warm water as it will only keep for about a week or less in the refrigerator.
Once the tuna is cubed, add to a bowl with the ogo. Next, add a quarter of a thinly sliced red or sweet onion to the mix with chopped green onions, toasted sesame seeds, and toss lightly. Next, mix all the sauce ingredients and pour over the tuna mix. Toss the mix, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Note – I grate frozen ginger to add to the sauce mix. If using fresh ginger, decrease the amount used. You should just have a hint of ginger.
[Tweet “Love raw fish? Try this Ahi Poke #recipe #healthy @pinterventures”]
Just before serving, add chopped macadamia nuts and sprinkle a little more green onions for color and toasted sesame seeds. Now, grab your chopsticks, fork, spoon, or shovel and enjoy with a nice bowl of rice!
Note – The macadamia nuts are optional, but add a little crunch for texture. If using salted macadamia nuts, just rinse off and chop.
Ahi Poke
Print recipe
| Serves | 4 |
| Prep time | 40 minutes |
| Meal type | Appetizer, Lunch, Main Dish, Salad, Side Dish |
| Misc | Pre-preparable, Serve Cold |
Ingredients
- 1 cube fresh tuna (cut tuna into 1/2)
- 1/4 of a whole onion red onions (thinly sliced. Add more onions to taste.)
- 1/4 cup chopped green onions
- 1/2 - 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
- 2 - 3 tablespoons soy sauce (amount of soy sauce will depend on the brand and salt level)
- 1 - 1 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 - 1 1/2 teaspoon chili garlic sauce (optional)
Optional
- 1/2 cup ogo/seaweed (coarse chopped)
- frozen grated ginger (to taste)
- chopped unsalted macademia nuts (about 4-5 nuts)
Note
- The brand of soy sauce can affect the taste and salt level of the poke. It's best to add less and add more to taste. Add less soy sauce if you are eating the tuna without any rice.
- If using fresh ginger, do 2 -3 passes over the grater.
- If using salted macadamia nuts, rinse off salt and chop for garnish.
- If you don't like things spicy, omit the chili garlic sauce.
- Add more onions ot taste.
- Add more onions to tate
Directions
| Step 1 | |
| Cut tuna into 1/2" cubes and place in a large mixing bowl. Add in washed and coarsely chopped seaweed (optional), sliced onions, green onions, and sesame seeds. Set aside. | |
| Step 2 | |
| Mix together soy sauce, sesame oil, chili garlic sauce, grated ginger (to taste or about 5-6 passes across the grater). Add the sauce onto the tuna mixture and gently toss until well incorporated. Place poke into the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors marinate. Add chopped macadamia nuts just before serving (optional) with rice. | |
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your recipe says to mix all the sauce ingredients, but I don’t see them listed. What are they and how much do I use?
I apologize Marcia. The recipe card disappeared from the post. I added it back in so you can have the entire recipe.
Thank you so much!
wow This ahi poke sounds super delicious. I love this dishes a lot 🙂
YERRRPPPPP! THIS IS ALL MINE! 😉 There are so many POKI places opening around Los Angeles these days but I much prefer to ALWAYS make my own!
Homemade is always nice since you can make it to your personal taste. It’s just hard to find good fresh fish, so sometimes the poke places are a good option.
HE Erlene! Just dropping by to let you know I am featuring your Poke Recipe this Friday for the #P3Party! 🙂
Kim
I’ve never eaten poke but it sounds yummy! We went to Hawaii for our honeymoon and I have a soft spot in my heart for anything Hawaiian! Thanks so much for linking it up this week to Dishing It! & Digging It!
I know that I’m not that adventurous when it comes to food, and this is the first time I’ve heard of poke. I’m sure the flavors are delicious, but I’m not sure if I’d be brave enough to try it!
Thanks for sharing at the Friday Funday Blog Hop #FFBH!
I can see how this may seem adventurous, but it’s like sushi without the rice. It’s really yummy and one of my family’s favorite things to eat.
Oh Yum girl! Pinned for sure! My husband is going to love this!
Kim
Poke is so addictive. My dd said she can eat this everyday. Thanks for pinning.
Yummy! It looks delicious. ^^ I love this food. Thanks!
I honestly have never heard of Ahi Poke. I am not sure I have enough guts to try it. The flavor sounds fantastic and maybe I will finally try raw fish!! 😉
Thank you for sharing your recipe with us at #HomeMattersParty. We would love to have you again next week.
I love Japanese and this ahi poke looks absolutely perfect!
I love raw fish salads, this ahi poke sounds wonderful, love the addition of the macadamia nuts on top!
This ahi poke looks super delicious. I love light dishes like this:)
I have to say, I haven’t even heard of many of these ingredients. It looks really good, though.
Wow this looks and sounds delicious! I would love to try this recipe soon!
This has got to be good for you. I’m not a big raw fish eater, but I would definitely try this. All of the ingredients look delicious!!
I’m not a huge seafood eater, but that looks really good. I’ll have to share this with my husband who loves seafood, I bet he would like it.
If he likes sushi he should like this.
This looks really good. We were in Hawaii a few months ago, but didn’t try this. I will have to give it a try. I love all of the ingredients you used. Looks so good.
My family caught tuna a few months ago. That would have been perfect for this recipe.
This looks delicious! Tuna is my fave fish to eat, especially raw in sushi or sashimi. I have never tried Poke and consider this a travesty.