This easy fish curry with coconut milk has a rich and creamy sauce, lots of vegetables and perfectly cooked white fish. Garnish to taste and serve with naan for soaking up all that deliciousness!
Hi friends! Today I’m sharing a super easy curry recipe … fish curry with coconut milk. I tested this one a bunch of times to get it just right! Oh, the things we have to do, right??
I absolutely love any type of curry. I’ve shared a bunch of recipes with you all before, like chickpea cauliflower curry and zucchini noodle curry soup.
Today though? A super relishing, belly satisfying recipe for fish in coconut milk! This one has a little heat and is oh so hearty.
This recipe is easy enough for busy weekdays or fancy enough for weekend entertaining. Whip this up, place on the table and watch everyone dig!
It can be enjoyed as it, but I love with lots of naan for soaking up every last bit of that delicious sauce.
Best Fish to Use for Curry
A simple white fish works lovely in curry. I tend to prefer those over oilier fish, like salmon, for instance, in this type of dish. I’ve made with cod and haddock. Halibut or tilapia would work great too!
You can use fresh or frozen (just thaw before using).
A note on fish, though: varieties of fish can vary in density. Halibut, for example, is more ‘steak-like’ and denser than, say, cod. Even within a variety, the fillets can range from on the thinner side to the thicker side. And the cut (or section) of the fish can affect the thickness. An end or ‘tail’ piece would be thinner than what a centre cut would be.
Bottom line: Whatever you use, just heat until the fish is completely cooked through and easily flakes when prodded with a fork. If you think it’s done and decide to check, only to find out it’s not cooked, no worries. Just continue cooking until it is.
How to Make Fish Curry With Coconut Milk
Full details are in the recipe card below, but here are the basics:
- In a pan, melt some coconut oil over medium heat.
- Once the oil is melted, add onion and cook until slightly softened.
- Next, add aromatic ginger.
- Then, add garlic. Cook the ginger and garlic for a minute.
- Stir in curry paste.
- Crushed red pepper flakes are added next.
- Next, add potatoes, bell pepper, a sprinkle of salt & pepper and lime leaves. Stir everything so that the veggies get a nice coating of that curry paste mixture.
- Pour in stock and bring to a simmer. Cook until potatoes are almost fork-tender.
- Coconut milk goes next, simmering for a little. Then, add cod fillets (submerge them in the sauce).
- Spoon a little sauce over top so that they cook through. Tuck ’em into their nice little curry bath, LOL. Heat until fish is cooked through and flakes easily with a fork.
- Take those lime leaves out (they’ve done their part) and carefully remove fish with a fish spatula.
- Stir in a cornstarch slurry to thicken that coconut-y deliciousness.
- Warm through just a little until the sauce has thickened.
- Spinach goes next. The heat is off at this point and the residual heat in the pan will wilt the spinach. By doing this, the spinach will still retain some of it’s beautiful green colour.
- Add cooked cod fillets back to the curry.
- Garnish as desired and enjoy!
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Delicious Garnish Options
- Fresh herbs, like cilantro, basil or mint (any one or a combo of them)
- Thinly sliced chili pepper or crushed red pepper flakes
- Minced green onion
- Squeeze of lime juice
- Sprinkle of zested lemon
Sides to Serve with Fish Curry
- Naan
- Poppadums
- Rice
- Quinoa
- Couscous
- Raita or yogurt
- Nice big wedge of lime
More Recipe Tips
Seafood broth or stock was used here to infuse flavour and help speed up the cooking time of those potatoes. Don’t have seafood broth on hand? Use vegetable broth or even water.
Full-fat coconut milk was used and that’s what I recommend here.
The fillets used in this recipe were about 4 ounces each. If your fillets are larger, they make take longer to cook, just cook until the fish is cooked through and flakes easily with a fork.
I used 1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes in this curry. If you aren’t a fan of spice, you can omit. Alternatively, if you are, add more.
I used baby potatoes, but you could totally use a regular ol’ potato; just cut into bite-sized chunks.
More Easy Seafood Recipes
- Easy Fish Stew Recipe
- Traditional Newfoundland Cod au Gratin
- Honey Mustard Salmon
- Dairy Free Seafood Chowder
Hope you love this fish curry with coconut milk as much as we do!
If you make this Indian fish curry, be sure to leave a comment below. Love to know how you enjoyed!
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Fish Curry with Coconut Milk (made in one pan)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil (or olive oil)
- 1 yellow onion , peeled and diced
- 3 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger , minced
- 1 to 2 tablespoons curry paste (or curry powder)
- ½ to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (or to taste, optional)
- ½ pound baby potatoes , cut into bite-sized chunks (about a cup)
- 2 bell peppers , medium dice (colour of your choice)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 kaffir lime leaves (optional)
- 1.25 cups seafood broth or stock
- 13.5 ounce full-fat, unsweetened coconut milk (about a 400 millilitre can or a little more than 1.5 cups)
- 1 pound boneless and skinless cod fillets (about 4 ounces each, or use haddock fillets)
- 1.5 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1.5 tablespoons cold water
- 2 to 3 cups baby spinach (loosely packed)
Garnish and Serving Ideas (optional)
- Cilantro , chopped
- Chili pepper , thinly sliced
- Green onion , thinly sliced
- Lime wedges
Instructions
- Heat coconut oil in a large sauté pan (I like to use a 12-inch enameled cast-iron pan, about 2.5 to 3 inches deep) over medium heat.
- When coconut oil is melted, add onion and cook, stirring often, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Add garlic and ginger, stir in, and cook 1 minute more.
- Stir in curry paste and crushed red pepper flakes (if using).
- Add baby potatoes, bell peppers, salt, black pepper and lime leaves, stirring to coat in curry paste mixture.
- Pour in stock or broth. Bring to a medium simmer and cook, with cover ajar, for about 10 minutes or until potatoes are almost fork-tender.
- Stir in coconut milk. Reduce heat so you have a light simmer and cook, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Stir every minute or so and ensure that any 'caked' on bits at the top of the pan gets scraped into the mix. That's delicious!
- One at a time, make 4 little wells in the curry mixture and place cod fillets into them so that they are mostly submerged in the sauce. Spoon sauce over top of each fillet.
- Cook, uncovered, 8 to 10 minutes or until fish is cooked through and flakes easily with a fork (time will vary depending on the thickness of the fish).
- Remove and discard lime leaves. Then, carefully transfer fish to a plate, being careful not to break up the fish.
- In a cup, combine cornstarch and cold water. Whisk until smooth and blended. Pour into pan and stir. Cook 1 to 2 minutes until sauce has thickened slightly.
- Stir in spinach and cook until just wilted (you can turn the heat off now if you like; the spinach will wilt with the residual heat in the pan).
- Return the cooked fish to the pan. Garnish, if desired, with cilantro, chili pepper and green onion. Serve. Enjoy as is or with rice, quinoa or couscous. Great with lime juice squeeze over top.
Notes
- The fillets used in this recipe were about 4 ounces each. If your fillets are larger, they make take longer to cook, just cook until the fish is cooked through and flakes easily with a fork.
- I used baby potatoes, but you could use a regular ol’ potato; just cut into bite-sized chunks.
Nutrition (ESTIMATE ONLY)
Nutrition estimate (if provided) is based on 1 Serving.
Nutrition information (if provided) is provided as a courtesy and should be considered an estimate only. Ingredients can vary and Girl Heart Food makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are guidelines only.
