Poke is a popular dish in Hawaii that consists of cubed raw fish mixed with savory sauce ingredients and cooked and raw vegetables, often over rice or greens. It does not include curing ingredients like citrus juices, making it different from ceviche in which raw fish is chemically cooked using citrus juices. Unlike popular methods used in mainland North America, Hawaiian poke is mixed with salt, oil, and flavoring ingredients before assembly, whereas the mainland approach favors mixing the fish with sauces on demand with no marinating involved. When summer provides a wide assortment of fresh vegetables, it's a family favorite in my home.
As is often the case, you can tweak things a bit here. I love the flavors the marinating sauce bring to the tuna and wouldn't change a thing, though the variety and amount of hot sauce is really up to you. I love a spicy-sweet >Polynesian blend sold at Aldi, but whatever brings you joy is what you should pick. Choose seasonal produce that is fresh and fabulous and you will not be disappointed. That is, unless you are like my sweet dog, who is always hopeful he's going to get some of my poke bowl, but has to do without.
These bowls are meals unto themselves, so just pour a tall glass of your favorite summer beverage and you are good to go. If you must have something else on the table for nibbling, I suggest the freshest, juiciest, sweetest pineapple you can find. After all, this meal is all about giving a nod to Hawaii. And hey, the aforementioned dog does tend to get a piece or two of pineapple, so everyone's happy! Enjoy!
Hawaiian-Style Tuna Poke Bowls
- 8 oz. ahi tuna, cubed
- 2 T. soy sauce
- ½ tsp. finely grated fresh ginger
- ½ tsp. sriracha or similar hot sauce - I used a Polynesian sauce from Aldi
- 1 T. toasted sesame oil
- 2 c. cooked brown rice
- 4-5 baby turnips, sliced thinly
- 1 ripe avocado, sliced into strips
- 1 mini cucumber, sliced into strips
- 6 oz. grape tomatoes, sliced in half - I used some lightly citrusy green grape tomatoes
- 4 oz. mushrooms, prepared to your liking - I sautéed mine
- 2 T. thinly sliced green onions
- 2 T. fried onions
- Additional hot sauce for drizzling on top
To prepare the fish, toss the cubed tuna with the soy sauce, ginger, hot sauce, and sesame oil. Chill while you prepare the rest of the bowls.
Place 1 cup of brown rice in the bottom of two large serving bowls. Top with the turnips, avocado, cucumber, grape tomatoes, and mushrooms. Spoon half of the tuna mixture into each of the bowls.
Sprinkle the tops of the bowls with the green and fried onions and drizzle with additional hot sauce as desired. Serve immediately.
- Yields: 2 servings
- Preparation Time: 20 minutes