This curry is the simplest of all. Made by the Goan & Mangalorean communities, you can also find similar recipes in many Konkan and coastal regions.

This fish curry is made by grinding spices and coconut together with tamarind paste and then I like to strain it so it’s velvety smooth. In many authentic recipes, the fish or shrimp is inserted into this bubbling gravy raw and cooks in the sauce, however I like to lightly fry my fish first as my family prefers it this way. You can try it any way that you like. I also use whatever fish I can find that is fresh in the market. In this post I used Kingfish slices, but you could use any other fish that you like. This is also great with shrimp & crab!

Print Recipe

Fish Curry

Ingredients

  • 1 lb fish – filleted or whole
  • Sprinkle of Salt
  • 1/2 tsp Chilli powder
  • 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
  • Masala
  • 6 Kashmiri Chillies
  • 1 inch piece Tamarind soaked in 1/2 cup hot water
  • 1 tbsp Cumin seeds
  • 1 tbsp Coriander seeds
  • 1/4 cup Ginger
  • 1/4 cup fresh Garlic
  • 1/4 cup Onion
  • 1 tsp coarse Salt
  • 1 – 2 cups Water for grinding
  • 1/2 tsp Turmeric
  • 1/2 cup shredded fresh or frozen Coconut
  • 2 green Chillies slit horizontally
  • 4 – 5 Kokam petals
  • 5 Triphal or Tephlam seeds optional
  • Salt to taste

Instructions

  • Marinate the fish with the salt, chilli & turmeric powder and keep aside
  • Soak the red chillies in hot water overnight
  • Remove the stems and grind with all the other ingredients adding water a little at a time
  • Once you have a smooth paste, strain it, reserve all the liquid and add the solids back into the food processor with more water and strain again
  • Repeat this process a few times till all the solids have turned into a smooth gravy
  • Heat some oil and shallow fry the fish on both sides and remove
  • Add the gravy to the pot and also this to come to a rolling boil
  • Add the fish back in and allow to cook completely covered
  • Add the green chillies. Kokam and triphal seeds