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    Home » Recipes » Main Dish Recipes

    Fish Curry With Coconut Milk

    Published: June 6, 2019 Updated: March 6, 2020 / By: Dawn | Girl Heart Food 37 Comments

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    Close-up of fish curry in a pan garnished with cilantro, chili pepper and green onion.

    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!

    Close-up of fish curry in a pan garnished with cilantro, chili pepper and green onion.

    Hi friends! Today I’m sharing a super easy curry recipe. I tested this fish curry with coconut milk 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.

    Ingredients for a fish curry recipe with coconut milk and vegetables.

    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. 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 typically 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.

    Raw cod fillets on a blue plate.

    How To Make Fish Curry With Coconut Milk

    Full details are in the recipe card below, but here are the basics:

    1. In a pan, melt some coconut oil over medium heat.
    2. Once the oil is melted, add onion and cook until slightly softened.
    3. Next, add aromatic ginger.
    4. Then add garlic. Cook the ginger and garlic for a minute.
    5. Stir in curry paste.
    6. Crushed red pepper flakes are added next.
    7. Next, add potatoes, bell peppers, a sprinkle of salt & pepper and lime leaves. Stir everything so that the veggies get a nice coating of that curry paste mixture.
    8. Pour in stock and bring to a simmer. Cook until potatoes are almost fork-tender.
    9. Coconut milk goes next, simmering for a little. Then add cod fillets (submerge them in the sauce).
    10. Spoon a little sauce over top of the fillets so that they cook through. Tuck them into their nice little curry bath, LOL. Heat until fish is cooked through, is opaque, and flakes easily with a fork.
    11. Take those lime leaves out (they’ve done their part) and carefully remove fish with a fish spatula.
    12. Stir in a cornstarch slurry to thicken that coconut-y deliciousness.
    13. Warm through just a little until the sauce has thickened.
    14. 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.
    15. Add cooked cod fillets back to the curry.
    16. Garnish as desired!
    Collage of steps to make fish curry with coconut milk and vegetables.
    Close-up of fish curry garnished with cilantro, chili pepper and green onion.

    Delicious Garnish Ideas

    • 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 lemon zest
    Close-up of fish curry in a pan next to sliced chili pepper and a whole chili pepper.

    Sides To Serve With Fish Curry

    Any of these pair lovely with fish curry:

    • Naan
    • Poppadums
    • Rice
    • Quinoa
    • Couscous
    • Raita or yogurt 
    • Nice big wedge of lime
    Spatula taking up a cod fillet from a pan of fish curry.

    Tips for Making This Recipe

    • 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).
    A forkful of curried white fish and red bell pepper.

    More Easy Seafood Recipes

    • Tomato Fish Stew
    • Traditional Newfoundland Cod au Gratin
    • Honey Mustard Salmon
    • Dairy Free Seafood Chowder

    If you make this fish curry recipe, be sure to leave a comment below!

    Fish curry in a pan garnished with cilantro, chili pepper and green onion.

    Fish Curry With Coconut Milk

    Dawn | Girl Heart Food
    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!
    5 from 19 votes
    Print Recipe Save RecipeSaved!
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 40 mins
    Total Time 50 mins
    Course Main Course
    Servings 4 servings
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients
     

    • 1 tablespoon coconut oil, or olive oil
    • 1 yellow onion, peeled and diced
    • 3 cloves garlic, minced
    • 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
    • 1 to 2 tablespoons red curry paste, or curry powder
    • ½ to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, depending how spicy you want it (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 freshly ground black pepper
    • 2 kaffir lime leaves, optional
    • 1.25 cups seafood broth or stock
    • 1 (13.5-ounce) can full-fat, unsweetened coconut milk, a 400 millilitre can
    • 1 pound boneless and skinless cod fillets, 4 pieces, each about 4 ounces (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 12-inch heavy-bottomed sauté (or deep) pan over medium heat.
      Note: The pan should have a lid for use later.
    • When coconut oil is melted, add onion and cook, stirring often, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes.
    • Add garlic and ginger, stir, and cook for 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 seafood broth or stock. Bring to a simmer, cover with lid slightly ajar and cook for 10 minutes or until potatoes are almost fork-tender.
    • Stir in coconut milk. Reduce the heat just a tad so you have a gentler/slower 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, for 8 to 10 minutes or until fish is cooked through and flakes easily with a fork (insert the tines of a fork into the thickest part of the fish at an angle and twist gently; it should flake easily). Note: Time can 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 for 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 to taste, if desired, with cilantro, chili pepper and green onion. Serve. Enjoy as is or with some cooked rice, quinoa or couscous. Great with lime juice squeezed 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).

    A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are estimates only.

    Keyword coconut milk curry recipe, one pan dinner, one pot dinner, seafood curry

    Tried this recipe?

    If you do make this recipe, thank you!! It would mean so much if you could leave a comment below. Love to know how you enjoyed it, and it helps other readers too!

    More Main Dish Recipes

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    • Sausage Stir-Fry

    © Girl Heart Food Inc. All photographs and content are COPYRIGHT PROTECTED.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Karen Quintero

      November 06, 2022 at 9:58 pm

      I made this curry for my family.
      It was amazing, thank you very much for this recipe.

      Reply
      • Dawn | Girl Heart Food

        November 07, 2022 at 9:09 pm

        Thank you, Karen!! I’m so happy you enjoyed it!!

        Reply
    2. Pam

      May 30, 2022 at 5:13 pm

      5 stars
      This curry was perfect! The flavors make it seem as though it would be more complicated than it was to make (my favorite!). We had it with halibut, rice, and naan and I will 1000% be making it again. It was so hearty, warming, and tasty. Another stellar recipe.

      Reply
      • Dawn | Girl Heart Food

        May 30, 2022 at 6:17 pm

        So happy to hear that it was a hit (love it with naan too)!! Thank you very much, Pam!!

        Reply
    3. Mai Mowaswes

      March 18, 2022 at 10:27 pm

      5 stars
      Sooooo yummy! And super easy to follow! Thank you for sharing! Def a new staple in our house. 🙂

      Reply
      • Dawn | Girl Heart Food

        March 19, 2022 at 6:29 pm

        Thank you so very much!! Happy you enjoy the recipe!!

        Reply
    4. Colleen

      June 19, 2019 at 12:15 am

      5 stars
      One pot, spicy, creamy, yes please! I love coconut curries, but always do veggie or chicken ones, so I can’t wait to try this with fish. Looks SO delish!

      Reply
      • Dawn - Girl Heart Food

        June 19, 2019 at 10:23 am

        Yay! Thanks Colleen! Enjoy 🙂

        Reply
    5. Lisa

      June 18, 2019 at 7:51 pm

      5 stars
      This looks deliciously easy! We love curries and fish in our house, so this seems like a totally winning combination! Can’t wait to try it out!

      Reply
      • Dawn - Girl Heart Food

        June 19, 2019 at 10:23 am

        Totally! Hope you love it! Thanks Lisa 🙂

        Reply
      • Isabel

        February 28, 2022 at 7:52 pm

        Second time I do this plate, delicious, easy, and my family love it, tks for the recipe.

        Reply
        • Dawn | Girl Heart Food

          March 01, 2022 at 8:15 pm

          Thank you very much!! So glad you and your family enjoy the recipe!!

          Reply
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    Hi, I'm Dawn! Welcome to Girl Heart Food, a food blog that's all about easy comfort food recipes (especially cheesy recipes) that'll satisfy your taste buds and make your belly happy. Have a look around and find something that'll inspire you to get into the kitchen and whip up something delicious to enjoy today!

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