Kerala Fish Curry is a mild and delicate curry, with thick rich coconut cream. It's light, fragrant and fresh with sweet, sour and tangy undertones. Not your typical heavy curry, there’s no curry paste, but there is bags of flavour, just like my Chicken Kerala Curry and Slow Cooker Kerala Beef Curry.
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Why Make This Recipe
- Quick and easy to make in around 20 minutes, with minimal prep
- There’s no curry paste or curry powder, but there’s still spice
- Use any type of firm white fish – or even calamari rings, prawns, or chopped salmon
- It has rich, thick, luscious and creamy coconut cream sauce that perfect coats the fish
- Its fresh and fragrant, andto eat all year round, but particularly good in summer
- Its sweet sour and tangy all at once
- Perfect for those who don’t like oily curries with store bought pastes
- Perfect if you like a light, fresh and mild curry
- Easy to adjust the level of heat and spice to your liking
Ingredients
This Fish Curry Kerala Style is a simple South Indian inspired dish you can easily make at home with these ingredients – all of which you can find at you local supermarket (Coles and Woolworths if you’re in Australia)
Ingredient Notes
- Fish: Any firm white fish will suit this recipe. I used Kingfish which was perfect. Other varieties that would work well include barramindi, sweetlip, cod, snapper, sea bass, and halibut.
- Tamarind Paste/Tamarind Puree: These are the same thing. Tamarind paste/puree is widely used in many Asian dishes and its known for its tart, sweet and sour taste. It forms the basis of this dish. Find this in the Asian aisle of Coles and Woolworths in Australia. Otherwise you can buy it online, in health food shops and specialty Asian shops if you have one close by.
- Ginger and Garlic: I use the crushed garlic and ginger in a jar for convenience. Of course, fresh works too.
- Tumeric: This is what gives the fish its beautiful golden colour
- Chillies: Make sure to choose the long red chillies – these are the ones that aren’t too hot when you remove the seeds. Long red or green chillies would work, or a combination of both. I recommend taking the seeds out of the chillies as this is a delicate curry and doesn’t need a lot of heat.
- Coconut Cream: Buy the best quality coconut cream you can find as this does make a difference. You want the rich creamy almost velvet quality of the coconut milk.
- Chicken Stock Cube: half a stock cube is all you need to punch up the flavour of this curry. Using a whole one would be too much. Chicken stock powder could be used instead. If using this, I recommend ½ teaspoon.
How To Make This Recipe
- Chop and Coat the Fish in Spices: Chop fish into bite sized chunks. Add fish pieces, salt and half of the turmeric to a bowl and toss together until the fish is coated.
- Cook Onions and Capsicums: Heat the oil in a large non stick pan on medium high heat, and add roughly chopped onions and capsicums (peppers). Stir for a few minutes until they have just softened.
- Add Aromatics to Pan: Add the chillies into the pan, along with the grated ginger, garlic, ground cumin, and remaining turmeric. Let cook for a couple of minutes, turning gently with a spoon.
- Pour in Coconut Cream and add Tamarind Paste and Stock Cube: Add the coconut cream to the pan, stirring through for 1 minute. Add the tamarind paste, and crumble the (half) stock cube in. Stir until heated through (but not bubbling)
- Add Fish to Pan and Cook through: Add the fish pieces and cook for a few minutes, or until they turn white and tender.
- Serve straight away with your choice of rice.
Expert Tips
- Using Frozen Fish: Make sure the fish is fully defrosted before cooking. I like to defrost frozen fish by taking it out the night before and putting it into the fridge (make sure its cover in a bag or air tight container). Also be sure to pat the fish dry before chopping so as to remove excess moisture. Ideally fish should be free from excess moisture when you put it into the curry sauce to cook.
- If Using Calamari Tubes, Prawns or Salmon: Make sure they are defrosted and free of excess moisture before adding to curry sauce. If using raw prawns – remove heads, shell, tails and intestinal tract before cooking. If using Salmon, skinless salmon is better as the skin may turn rubbery. Ensure all seafood is about the same size when you put it into the curry sauce to cook so its cooks evenly.
- Serving Suggestions: I like to serve this with steamed jasmine rice, however you could also serve with brown rice as well
- Making it Low Carb: cauliflower rice is another option I often take. I buy the frozen bags from the supermarket and heat it in the microwave. Its very convenient and quick.
- How to Store Leftovers: Store leftovers in a container with lid in the fridge for 1 day or overnight. I prefer to store the curry and the rice separately so they rice doesn’t soak up the curry sauce. Reheat in the microwave for 60 to 90 seconds when ready to eat.
The coconut and tamarind sauce is creamy and the consistency is thin without being watery. The fish pieces are tender, flaky and pull apart gently with a fork. Served with simple basmati rice, fried shallots and fresh herbs its easy to create a hearty meal. This recipe is also great for making ahead and meal prep.
If you love making curries at home, this fish curry kerala style is a great one to try. There are no unusual ingredients to hunt down and each time I make this, I buy everything from my local supermarket. No special trip to the Indian grocer needed. There’s not a lot of prep, and you can get it on the table in under 30 minutes.
I just love making this kerala style fish curry in Summer because its so light and fresh with just the right amount of sweet, sour and tang to really make your tastebuds sing.
If you're looking for a change from heavier curries that use store bought curry pastes, this is a great alternative. While it may not be a truly authentic recipe, it is quick and easy to get on the table during the week, its packed with flavour and you can get all the ingredients at your local supermarket without going to specialty stores.
More Fish Recipes
- 20 minute Healthy Sweet and Sour Fish
- 20 minute Easy Spanish Fish Stew with Tomatoes
- Easy Fish Tacos with Pineapple Salsa
More Curry Recipes
- Slow Cooker Mango Chicken Curry
- 20 minute Easy Pineapple Chicken Curry
- Spicy Apricot Chicken Curry
- Slow Cooker Thai Green Beef Curry
Kerala Fish Curry
Ingredients
- 1.2 kg firm white fish - 2 ½ pounds
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons turmeric
- 1 teaspoon of ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 medium Brown onions - roughly chopped
- 1 medium Red and Green Capsicum - roughly chopped
- 2 long Red Chillies - sliced (the ones that aren’t too hot)
- 3 teaspoons Freshly grated ginger
- 2 teaspoons Crushed garlic
- 2 x 400 ml tin coconut cream - about 3 cups
- 2 tablespoons tamarind paste/puree
- ½ of a Chicken stock cube
Other
- 3 cups Cooked rice
- ¼ cup Shallots and coriander to garnish
Instructions
- Chop fish into bite sized chunks ( about 2cm by 2cm). Add fish pieces, ½ teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of turmeric to a large bowl and mix together gently until the fish is coated with the salt and turmeric. Fish will go a little yellow, that’s OK.
- Heat the oil in a large non stick pan on medium high heat, and add roughly chopped onions and capsicums (peppers). Stir for a few minutes until they have just softened.
- Add the chillies into the pan, along with the grated ginger, garlic, ground cumin, and remaining turmeric. Let cook for a couple of minutes, turning gently with a spoon.
- Add the coconut cream to the pan, stirring through for 1 minute. Add the tamarind paste, and crumble the (half) stock cube in. Stir until heated through (but not bubbling)
- Add the fish pieces and cook for a few minutes, or until they turn white and tender.
- Serve straight away with your choice of rice.
Notes
- Fish: Any firm white fish will suit this recipe. I used Kingfish which was perfect. Other varieties that would work well include barramindi, sweetlip, cod, snapper, sea bass, and halibut.
- Tamarind Paste/Tamarind Puree: These are the same thing. Tamarind paste/puree is widely used in many Asian dishes and its known for its tart, sweet and sour taste. It forms the basis of this dish. Find this in the Asian aisle of Coles and Woolworths in Australia. Otherwise you can buy it online, in health food shops and specialty Asian shops if you have one close by.
- Ginger and Garlic: I use the crushed garlic and ginger in a jar for convenience. Of course, fresh works too.
- Tumeric: This is what gives the fish its beautiful golden colour
- Chillies: Make sure to choose the long red chillies – these are the ones that aren’t too hot when you remove the seeds. Long red or green chillies would work, or a combination of both. I recommend taking the seeds out of the chillies as this is a delicate curry and doesn’t need a lot of heat.
- Coconut Cream: Buy the best quality coconut cream you can find as this does make a difference. You want the rich creamy almost velvet quality of the coconut milk.
- Chicken Stock Cube: half a stock cube is all you need to punch up the flavour of this curry. Using a whole one would be too much. Chicken stock powder could be used instead. If using this, I recommend ½ teaspoon.
Nutrition
Note: Sugars contained in this recipe are from naturally occurring sugars in fruits, vegetables or other natural sweeteners. Calories have been calculated for your convenience using My Fitness Pal and are based on the ingredients listed in the recipe card.
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