Fish Curry Recipe (Fish Masala)

This Fish Curry is satisfying, nutritious and packed with a burst of Indian flavors. Onions, tomatoes, spices & herbs enrich the taste & aroma of this Fish curry that is sure to delight the entire family. Chapati, roti, Naan or a bowl of steaming hot rice with this Fish Masala is comfort food at its best!

About Fish Curry

Fish curry is a staple in a lot of Asian countries and is made in various ways using different locally available ingredients like coconut, poppy seeds, tamarind etc. In this post I show you how to make it the easiest way with the most basic ingredients – the panty staples.

The coastal cuisines of India are incomplete without a delicious Fish Curry. Traditionally fresh caught fish were cleaned, minimally spiced & cooked in clay cookware that would impart delicious flavors.

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My Recipe

This fish curry is made much the same traditional way by sautéing onions, ginger garlic, tomatoes & ground spices. Later this onion tomato masala is simmered to cook down the ingredients & bring out the flavors. Marinated fish is seared on a pan and then cooked briefly in the prepared curry.

A lot of people add the fish directly to the simmering curry. But we personally prefer to marinate and sear first as this cuts down the fishy smell. Though this step is optional I highly recommend this if you are new to seafood curries & stews.

I prefer to blend the onion tomato masala to give the curry/gravy a thicker texture with superior flavors. This is what makes this dish the best!

This recipe uses a small amount of coconut. You can use fresh grated or frozen coconut or coconut milk. If you don’t consume coconut, you may simply leave out that or substitute with cashews.

This recipe is easily adaptable & you can play around with the ingredients. If you love tamarind in your Fish curry, feel free to add some while you make the curry. You can also squeeze some lemon juice before serving. To use amchur, add it at the finishing stage.

More Fish Recipes
Salmon Rice Bowl
Fish Pulusu
Salmon Curry
Fish Biryani
Fish Fry
Tandoori Salmon

Ingredients & Substitutes

Fish: While you can make a fish curry with any kind of firm flesh fish, I would suggest to use something you love. Because everyone has their own favourite fish and you may not compromise on that. The following fishes are a good choice and go well in a curry.

Mackerel
(Spanish mackerel or King mackerel)
Tilapia
Snapper
Mahi mahi
Halibut
Catfish
Cod
Grouper
Barramundi
Pompano/ pomfret
Basa
Seer fish

Ginger garlic paste is nothing but ground ginger and garlic in equal quantities. If you don’t have that, you can simply use them in minced or grated form. You can make it following my recipe here – ginger garlic paste or use a store bought paste. There is no substitute to this. However you may use dried ginger and garlic powder at the finishing stage.

Curry leaves impart a unique flavor to the dish. Do not use dried curry leaves. It is okay not to use them or simply use a Indian bay leaf.

Garam Masala is an Indian spice blend that is easily available in Asian stores. I do not have a recommended brand for that because I make my own following this recipe – Garam masala. It is important to use a flavorsome masala as it is the key ingredient that flavors your dish.

Fennel seeds are my favourite spice as it adds natural sweet tones and balances the pungent flavors of the other spices. You may skip if you don’t have.

Coconut milk: If you like more coconut flavors in your curry, add as much coconut milk as you want but note that it brings down the flavors. So increase the garam masala and other spices proportionately.

Photo Guide

How To Make Fish Curry (Stepwise Photos)

Make Masala Paste

1. Prep up the following ingredients for the masala paste

• ½ teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
• 2 medium onions sliced to make about 1 cup
• ½ tablespoon ginger and garlic ( ¼ tbsp each, minced or paste)
• 2 medium ripe tomatoes to make about ¾ to 1 cup chopped
• ½ teaspoon sea salt (adjust to taste)
• 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder (adjust as needed)
• ⅛ teaspoon turmeric
• ½ teaspoon fennel seeds (optional) (saunf)
• 2 tablespoons raw coconut (grated or ¼ cup coconut milk or 12 cashew nuts)

2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a pan and add cumin seeds. When they begin to sizzle, add onions & saute until golden, for about 7 to 8 mins.

3. Add ginger garlic and saute for 30 to 60 seconds, until fragrant. Add tomatoes and salt.

4. Saute until the tomatoes break down and the raw smell disappears.

5. Add coconut, red chili powder, turmeric and fennel seeds (optional).

6. Saute everything well until the onion masala begins to smell good. Ensure the raw smell has gone. Cool this completely.

Prepare Fish

7. This one and next step are optional but makes a huge difference. To a bowl add the following:

• 1.1 lbs (½ kg) Fish (any firm fish)
• ½ tablespoon ginger garlic paste (or ¼ tbsp each)
• ⅛ teaspoon turmeric
• ¼ to ½ teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt or as needed

Marinate fish well. Do not leave this marinated fish aside, just pan fry them right away.

8. Heat a non-stick or cast iron pan with 1 tablespoon oil. Place the fish on the pan and fry for 2 mins. Turn them to the other side and fry for another 2 mins, until the raw smell of ginger and garlic has gone. You don’t need to fully cook the fish here. (You can use the same pan used to fry the onions, I used a different one since I used a steel pan.) Set this aside.

9. Add the cooled ingredients to a blender jar along with 2 to 4 tbsps of water.

10. Blend to a coarse or smooth paste to suit your taste. We prefer coarse texture in our curry so I made a coarse paste. If you prefer a smooth texture, make a smooth paste.

Make Fish Curry

11. Add 1 to 2 tbsps. oil & heat on a low flame. When the oil turns slightly hot, add 1 sprig curry leaves (pat dry) and 1 to 2 slit green chilies. When the leaves splutter, add the ground paste. Mix everything well .

12. Sprinkle 1 to 1 ½ teaspoon garam masala. You can add more red chilli powder at this stage to adjust the heat or color. I added a bit more. Saute everything well until the masala smells good, for 2 to 3 mins.

13. Pour 1¼ cup water and mix well to make lump-free gravy. You may need to adjust the amount of water slightly to your preference.

14. On a medium flame cook until the curry turns thick and you see traces of oil on top. This may take about 5 to 7 mins. Taste test to adjust salt or garam masala. If you like to use tamarind, you can soak some tamarind in hot water. Extract and filter the juice to the gravy. We do not prefer tamarind so I have not used, the sourness from tomatoes is good enough.

15. Add the fish pieces to the gravy and cook for a few mins. Gently turn them with a turner and cook until they bulge, meaning they are cooked completely. If you are a beginner, take the fish to a plate and prick it with a fork. Fully cooked fish easily flakes at the prick of the fork.

Note: Make sure your curry is thick and to the consistency you prefer, before adding the fish. If you overcook after adding fish, they can easily disintegrate in the gravy.

If you want you may garnish with coriander leaves. Serve fish curry with rice or chapathi.

More Indian curry recipes
Mutton curry
Chicken curry
Chicken korma
Prawn curry

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