A spicy curry bursting with the flavors from coconut milk is my weakness. No matter which cuisine it belongs to, the mere look of the curry makes me a happy person. But I lean a little more toward this recipe that is admired at home: fish pieces dunked into a spicy and creamy tomato and onion curry flavored with coconut milk. You can’t miss this fish curry if you love seafood, like me. It also gets a slight tangy taste from the use of tamarind, which takes the flavor of this dish to another level. Simple and comforting, a bowl of coconut milk fish curry with some steamed rice on the side is the definition of a food coma for me.
SERVES 4
1 lb (454 g) fish fillets (see Note )
3 tbsp (45 ml) vegetable oil
20 curry leaves
1 cup (160 g) finely chopped onion
2 dried red chiles, broken into half
2 green chiles, slit in half
2 tsp (6 g) ginger-garlic paste
½ cup (90 g) finely chopped tomato
2 tsp (4 g) ground coriander
½ tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp Kashmiri red chile powder
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Salt
1 tbsp (32 g) tamarind paste
1 cup (240 ml) coconut milk
1 tbsp (2 g) chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish
Steamed rice, for serving
Wash the fish fillets and set them aside.
Start the curry: Heat the oil in a medium-sized skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the curry leaves and onion, increase the heat to medium-high and fry until the onion turns translucent, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the broken dried red chiles and green chiles to the pan and cook for another 1 minute. Next, add the ginger-garlic paste and cook until its raw smell is gone, 3 to 4 minutes.
Add the tomato and ½ cup (120 ml) of water, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. The tomato should become mushy. Once the tomato is mushy, add the coriander, turmeric, Kashmiri red chile powder, black pepper and salt to taste. Now, add ½ cup (120 ml) of water and the tamarind paste, and cook the curry for 3 to 4 minutes. Then, add the coconut milk and bring the mixture to a boil. Once the mixture comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Gently add the fish fillets and cook for another 7 to 8 minutes. Do not overcook the fish; otherwise, it will become chewy. Garnish the curry with fresh cilantro and serve hot with steamed rice.
NOTE
You could use any fish fillets of your choice for making this curry.
