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Fish Curry Indian

Kerala-Style Fish Curry with Coconut Milk Recipe

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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 310
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 tbsp coconut oil or neutral oil
  • 1 tsp mustard seeds
  • 1 small onion, thinly sliced
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
  • 1 to 2 green chilies, slit lengthwise
  • 1 tsp ground turmeric
  • 1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • ½ tsp ground cumin
  • 1 cup (240 ml) full-fat coconut milk
  • 1 cup (240 ml) water
  • 1 tbsp tamarind paste
  • ½ tsp salt, plus more to taste
  • 1 lb (450g) firm white fish fillets, cut into large chunks
  • 8 to 10 fresh curry leaves (optional)
  • Small handful fresh cilantro, for serving

Method
 

  1. Heat oil in a wide pan over medium heat. Add mustard seeds and curry leaves if using. Once seeds pop, stir in onion, chilies, garlic, and ginger. Cook until onion softens, about 5 minutes.
  2. Sprinkle turmeric, chili powder, coriander, and cumin over the onion mixture. Stir and toast for 30 seconds until fragrant.
  3. Pour in coconut milk, water, tamarind paste, and salt. Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat and cook uncovered for 10 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly.
  4. Gently add fish chunks to the simmering sauce. Spoon some sauce over the top, cover, and cook 5 to 7 minutes until fish flakes easily with a fork.
  5. Ladle curry into bowls, garnish with cilantro, and serve hot over rice.

Notes

For the poaching step, the exact time depends on the thickness of your fish. The table in the tips section above gives more detail. Let the curry sit off the heat for just a minute before serving so the fish finishes cooking gently from the residual warmth.