Goan Fish Curry Recipe

By
Denise D'silva Sankhé
Denise D'silva Sankhé is a Contributing Writer at Serious Eats.
Denise D'silva Sankhé

Denise is the author of The Beyond Curry Indian Cookbook: A Culinary Journey Through India. She wrote the popular Beyond Curry column for Serious Eats starting in 2012.

Learn about Serious Eats' Editorial Process
Updated August 30, 2018
20111127-Goan-Fish-Curry.jpg
Prasanna Sankhe.

Yes, curry is popular in Indian cuisine. Except it's not a singular dish that you will find across all tables. There are plenty of curries in India. Each region, each home, each religion has its own variations. This translates into a delicious abundance of liquid manna in shades of amber, red, yellow and green.

I've always been fascinated by the gushing reviews that "curry" gets in the west, especially in the UK. So on a recent trip to Britain, I was eager to try the dish that has put Indian cuisine on the world map, in its new home. I ordered the first chicken curry I saw on a menu. Suffice it to say that the only thing that I could recognize was the white rice accompanying the dish. This was no curry! The dish had barely enough gravy to smudge the bottom of the serving bowl. It did have spice, but it wasn't really amalgamated and the sweetness was disorienting.

For Indians, a curry is a fish, meat, or veggie preparation swimming in a sometimes-spicy, sometimes-mellow gravy. The copious amount of gravy is used to drape each grain of rice, till every morsel is bursting with the flavor of the aromatic spices.

There's enough space on the global table for all versions of curry, but here's a glimpse of an authentic version of Goan fish curry. The blend of spices and coconut brings out the mild sweetness of the tender fresh fish that is so abundant in Goa and around the coast of India. Serve it with steamed white or red rice.

Recipe Details

Goan Fish Curry Recipe

Active 30 mins
Total 30 mins
Serves 2 servings

Ingredients

  • 7 Kashmiri chiles

  • 1/2 medium coconut, scraped

  • 1 tablespoon coriander seeds

  • 1/2 tablespoon cumin seeds

  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

  • 10 medium cloves garlic

  • 1/2-inch piece ginger

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

  • 8 curry leaves

  • 2 slit green chiles

  • 1 small onion, slivered

  • 2 cups water

  • Salt

  • 1/2-inch thick fillets of any firm white-fleshed fish (like kingfish)

Directions

  1. Grind chiles, coconut, coriander, cumin, turmeric, garlic, and ginger in a spice grinder or blender until very smooth. Set aside. Heat oil in a large heavy-bottomed lidded saucepan over high heat until shimmering. Add the curry leaves and chiles and stir till they splutter and release their aroma, about 15 seconds. Reduce heat to medium. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned, about 5 minutes.

  2. Add the spice paste and keep stirring from time to time until it releases an aroma and the oil begins to float on top, about 5 minutes. Add water, stir, close the lid and bring the curry to the boil. Once boiled, check seasoning and add salt if needed. Reduce heat to low and slide in the fish fillets until they are totally immersed in the curry. Let the fish cook gently for 5 minutes without stirring. Serve immediately with steamed white rice.

Special Equipment

Heavy-bottomed [lidded] saucepan

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
584Calories
32gFat
56gCarbs
24gProtein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2
Amount per serving
Calories584
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 32g42%
Saturated Fat 17g86%
Cholesterol 55mg18%
Sodium 1127mg49%
Total Carbohydrate 56g20%
Dietary Fiber 12g42%
Total Sugars 27g
Protein 24g
Vitamin C 96mg479%
Calcium 154mg12%
Iron 5mg27%
Potassium 1028mg22%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

More Serious Eats Recipes