South Indian Fish Curry
Flaky and succulent salmon, with a savoury, spicy, slightly tangy, and aromatic base, comes together in a pan to create this mouth-watering and delicious South Indian Fish Curry!
Ingredients
- 70 ml Vegetable Oil neutral tasting oil
- ½ tsp Cumin Seeds
- ½ Black Mustard Seeds
- 1 Red Onion thinly sliced
- 1½ tsp Ginger & Garlic Paste see notes
- 1 Green/Red Chili finely sliced
- 2 Tomatoes finely diced
- 400 g Salmon Fillets room temperature
- 1½ tbsp Coconut Milk
- 2 tsp Ground Black Pepper
- 2 tsp Salt
- 10 ml Lemon Juice
- 15 g Fresh Cilantro/Coriander finely chopped
Spice Mix
- ½ tsp Turmeric Powder
- 1 tsp Cumin Powder
- 1 tsp Smoked Paprika Powder/Paprika Powder
- 1½ tsp Garam Masala
- 2 tsp Ground Coriander
- 1-3 tsp Chili Powder depending on heat preference
Instructions
- Heat oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the cumin seeds and mustard seeds. You should hear a sizzling or popping sound as the cumin and mustard seeds crackle. Then, add the sliced onions and sauté until they turn light brown.
- Add the ginger-garlic paste, the sliced chili and spice mix and sauté for another 10-20 seconds.
- Next, add the tomatoes and cook until they become soft and mushy.
- Add the salmon fillets directly to the pan and mix the fish gently with the tomato spice mixture and let it cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour in the coconut milk, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper, and mix everything well. From this point, be gentle when stirring to avoid breaking the fish.
- Cover the pan with a lid, lower the heat to medium, and let it cook for 10 minutes. At the 5-minute mark, remove the lid, turn the fish over, and gently mix everything. Cover again and continue cooking for the remaining 5 minutes.
- Uncover the lid and check if the fish is fully cooked. If needed, flip the fish over, cover the pan again, and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Once the fish is done, add the chopped coriander leaves, mix gently, and let the curry simmer for 1–2 minutes. Remove the pan from heat and plate the fish curry.
- Serve warm with white rice, chapati or even naan!
Notes
GINGER & GARLIC PASTE
For the ginger and garlic paste, you will need 30 grams of peeled ginger and four garlic cloves. Blend them together with a little water (about 20–30 ml) to help with blending, or pound them (without water) into a paste using a mortar and pestle. For this South Indian Fish Curry recipe, you only need 1 1/2 teaspoon of the paste. Store the remaining paste in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week, and use it to make my cheesy keema puff pastry or coconut butter chicken.
SUBSTITUTIONS
Fish
The best fish to use are salmon, cod, Spanish mackerel, or any mild-flavoured fish that isn’t too delicate. It’s also best to use fish fillets with the skin on for this recipe because the skin holds the fillet together and prevents it from breaking into pieces. You can always remove the skin later if you prefer not to consume it.
Tamarind or Lemon?
Usually, tamarind is used in South Indian fish curry instead of lemon juice. However, I know that for some, tamarind might not be easily accessible in local supermarkets, and for others, it might not be something used on a daily basis. So, to make this recipe easier and more accessible, I used lemon instead, as it is far more common and frequently used in many households.
STORAGE
The curry will keep well for 2 days in the refrigerator. Store the leftover curry in an airtight container. When ready to consume again, add 100 ml of water and heat it up in a pan on medium heat until the curry comes to a boil (stir occasionally to prevent burning at the bottom of the pan!).