Fish curry coconut milk Recipes

Learn how to make an easy Indian-style fish curry with coconut milk, one of my go-to fish recipes, especially when entertaining.

As you guys know, I am from Kerala and not vegetarian so that would mean I love fish. The gorgeous river fish so easily available there lends itself well to a variety of fish dishes, mostly served with rice, but some like fish moilee also go with idiyappam and palappam.

If you plan to make your own coconut milk, this fish curry would taste absolutely heavenly but store-bought coconut milk works in a pinch too (and is usually what I go for). You can choose to go with low fat coconut milk too, works well either way.

Regarding the fish, I usually go with King Fish for most of my recipes because it’s available fresh and sliced in the nearby Indian store (yes, I am calling Mustafa Centre an “Indian store” haha). Use any firm-fleshed fish and you will be fine. The spices can be adjusted to taste but in general, when cooking chicken or fish curry, be generous with the amount of spices so that the final dish doesn’t end up bland.

My meal the day I cooked this fish curry – plan rice, raw banana roasted in masala, dry usal with sprouted moong dal, banana chips from Kerala. YUM!

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Serves 4
Recipe: My own

INGREDIENTS:
250 gm of cleaned fish pieces, cubes or fillet
1 cup of sliced onions
1 tsp of black mustard seed (optional)
2 tbsp of oil (I use coconut oil)
1/2 tsp of turmeric powder
1 tsp of cumin powder
2 tsp of coriander powder
1/2 tsp of red chilli powder
1″ piece of ginger
1 tsp of red chilli powder (adjust to taste)
2 flakes of garlic
A few cubes of ripe tomato
2 cups of thick coconut milk (see notes)
A small bunch of chopped coriander leaves or curry leaves

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Heat the oil and add mustard seeds (if using). Wait until they pop and then add the sliced onions.
2. Fry until light golden brown.
3. Add the spice powders – chilli, coriander, cumin, turmeric – and the ginger and garlic to the fried onions.
4. Sauté for 20 seconds or so or until fragrant on low heat. Take care not to burn the spices at this stage.
5. Add the cubed tomatoes and mix well. The riper the tomatoes, the better.
6. Top up with 1 cup water and the cleaned fish pieces along with some curry leaves (If using coriander leaves or cilantro, add at the end, not now). I left the fish as thin steak pieces but you can cut them into smaller cubes too.
7. Bring this mixture to a boil.
8. Cook covered for about 15 minutes or until the fish pieces are cooked.
9. Once done, it should look a bit like below. If there isn’t enough water, you can adjust it by adding a bit with the coconut water.
10. Now add the coconut milk. I used thick store-bought coconut milk and this adds enough body to the gravy. If using homemade coconut milk, you may want to add lesser water in the beginning if you want to avid a watery gravy. If serving fish curry with rice, a watery gravy is not a bad idea anyway.
11. Mix well and bring to a gentle simmer. Do not boil after adding the coconut milk. Add salt and remove from heat.
12. Add coriander leaves at this stage, if you are using them.

STEP BY STEP PICTURES FOR FISH CURRY WITH COCONUT MILK

Heat the oil and add mustard seeds (if using). Wait until they pop and then add the sliced onions.

Fry until light golden brown.

Add the spice powders – chilli, coriander, cumin, turmeric – and the ginger and garlic to the fried onions.

Sautè for 20 seconds or so or until fragrant on low heat. Take care not to burn the spices at this stage.

Add the cubed tomatoes and mix well. The riper the tomatoes, the better.

Top up with 1 cup water and the cleaned fish pieces along with some curry leaves (If using coriander leaves or cilantro, add at the end, not now). I left the fish as thin steak pieces but you can cut them into smaller cubes too.

Bring this mixture to a boil.

Cook covered for about 15 minutes or until the fish pieces are cooked.

Once done, it should look a bit like below. If there isn’t enough water, you can adjust it by adding a bit with the coconut water.

Now add the coconut milk. I used thick store-bought coconut milk and this adds enough body to the gravy. If using homemade coconut milk, you may want to add lesser water in the beginning if you want to avid a watery gravy. If serving fish curry with rice, a watery gravy is not a bad idea anyway.

Mix well and bring to a gentle simmer. Do not boil after adding the coconut milk. Add salt and remove from heat.

Add coriander leaves at this stage, if you are using them. Serve with rice or any Kerala breakfast item you like, like appam, idiyappam, even parotta. You can customise the spice levels to your preference and even thrown in a couple of split green chillies if you like more heat.