30-Minute Kerala Fish Curry
This 30-Minute Kerala Fish Curry with Coconut Cream delivers the vibrant, coastal flavours of Southern India in a flash. Tender white fish is gently poached in a fragrant, creamy sauce made from toasted whole spices, tomato, and coconut. A quick, healthy, and impressive one-pan meal.
Ingredients
- 30g neutral oil or ghee
- 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
- 1 red onion, thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, finely grated
- 2cm piece fresh ginger, finely grated
- 1 long green chilli, sliced
- 5 green cardamom pods
- ½ teapsoon fenugreek seeds (see notes)
- ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 long stem fresh curry leaves, leaves picked & stem discarded (about 12-15 leaves - see notes)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- ½-1 teaspoon Kashmiri chilli powder (see notes)
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- 2 ripe truss tomatoes, finely diced
- 200ml coconut milk or cream (Use a good quality such as Ayam)
- 500 - 600g firm white fish fillets, cut into 4-5cm pieces
- Sea salt & cracked black pepper, to taste
TO SERVE
- Steamed basmati rice
- Crispy curry leaves (see notes)
- Toasted shredded coconut (see notes)
- Fresh coriander sprigs
Instructions
toast the seeds
- Heat oil in a saucepan over medium-high. Add mustard seeds and cook until they pop.
saute the aromatics
- Add sliced onion, grated garlic, grated ginger, sliced chilli, cardamom pods, fenugreek seeds, fennel seeds, curry leaves, and salt. Cook for 3-4 mins until softened.
add ground spices
- Stir in ground coriander, cumin, chilli powder, and turmeric. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
build the sauce
- Add diced tomato. Cook for 6-8 mins until it breaks down. Add ¼ cup water and cook for 2 more mins.
poach the fish
- Pour in coconut cream and stir. Gently add fish pieces. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low and cook for 4-5 mins until fish is just cooked through.
season & serve
- Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately over steamed basmati rice, garnished with crispy curry leaves and toasted coconut.
Notes
- COOKS NOTES:
Oven Temps: Oven temperatures are for conventional, if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C.
Measurements: We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon = 5 ml, 1 tablespoon = 20 ml & 1 cup = 250 ml.
Herbs: All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed.
Vegetables: All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified.
Eggs: We use extra-large size and eggs are 55-60 g each, unless specified. - Fish:
Use firm white fish fillets (e.g., ling, barramundi, snapper). Cut into 4-5cm pieces. - Curry Leaves:
Fresh are essential for authentic flavour. Find them in supermarket herb sections or Asian grocers. Freeze leftovers. - Fenugreek Seeds:
Find them in the Indian section of large supermarkets, gourmet food stores, or green grocers. If you cannot source them, you can omit them from the recipe. - Spice Level:
Control heat by deseeding the green chilli and adjusting the amount of Kashmiri chilli powder. - Kashmiri Chilli Substitute:
- Use a mix of 3 parts sweet paprika to 1 part cayenne pepper.
- Variations:
For a chicken curry, add diced thigh after step 3 and cook for 10-15 mins before adding coconut cream. For egg curry, add peeled soft-boiled eggs with the coconut cream. - Toasting Coconut:
Toast shredded coconut in a dry pan over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, stirring constantly until golden. Immediately transfer to a plate to cool. - Crispy Curry Leaves:
Heat 2-3cm of neutral oil in a small pan over medium heat. Carefully add 5-6 fresh curry leaves at a time (they will splutter). Fry for 5-10 seconds until dark green and crisp. Remove immediately with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel.