Asian-inspired pan-fried tuna, served with rice and salad

Craving something fresh, vibrant, and packed with flavour?

This Asian-inspired pan-fried tuna is the perfect mix of simplicity and elegance. Ready in no time, but impressive enough to feel like a restaurant dish!

The tuna gets a beautiful golden sear on the outside while staying tender and juicy inside. It’s paired with fluffy rice, a bright seaweed salad, and a refreshing edamame and cucumber salad that adds crunch and balance to every bite.

The mix of textures and flavours ( salty, sweet, tangy, and umami) makes this dish a total win for busy weeknights or a light, feel-good dinner. It’s healthy, colourful, and absolutely delicious.

Ingredients: (for 2 portions)

• 140 g long-grain rice
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 40 ml soy sauce
• 20 ml sesame oil
• 50 g seaweed salad (optional – usually found in supermarkets in the sushi or seafood section)
• 1 tablespoon sambal sauce (or any spicy chilli sauce that you like)
• 1 lime
• 100 g cooked edamame (optional – usually found in supermarkets in the sushi or seafood section)
• 2 tuna steaks
• 1 medium cucumber
• 20 g butter
• Salt and pepper
• 400 ml water
• a little bit of sunflower oil
• Italian seasoning mix or any other mix of spices you like

Preparation:

Peel the garlic and press it through a garlic press. In a pot, add a little sunflower oil and the crushed garlic. On medium heat, sauté it for about 30 seconds, stirring continuously, then add the rice. Toast the rice for 1–2 minutes while stirring, then pour in the water, season with salt and pepper, and cover with a lid. Let it cook for about 10-15 minutes, or until the rice is tender. Stir occasionally and make sure the water doesn’t reduce too much: if it does, gradually add a bit more to prevent the rice from sticking to the pot. After about 10-15 minutes, remove the lid and let it cook uncovered for another 5 minutes to absorb the remaining liquid.

Turn off the heat and set the pot aside, keeping it covered with the lid to let the rice rest and finish steaming.

In a bowl, mix together: 20 ml of soy sauce, juice from half of the lime, sesame oil, salt, and pepper. Cut the cucumber in half lengthwise, then slice it evenly. In another bowl, combine the cucumber slices, edamame beans, sambal sauce, and the prepared dressing. Toss everything well until evenly coated. Leave aside.

In a non-stick pan, melt the butter. Season the tuna steaks with salt and pepper on both sides. Once the butter is melted and hot, add the tuna and sear it for about 2–3 minutes per side. Pour in the remaining soy sauce and quickly glaze the fish, turning it a few times to coat evenly. Remove the tuna from the pan and set aside.

Now it’s time to plate everything up! Spoon a few generous scoops of rice onto each plate and sprinkle your favorite seasoning mix on top. Add a few spoonfuls of the cucumber and edamame salad, then place a tuna steak alongside.

Serve the remaining salad and the seaweed salad on the side so everyone can add as much as they like: it’s all about customising your perfect bite!

If you try the recipe, let me know how you liked it! 😊

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