East Indian Fish Curry
Made-from-scratch East Indian Fish Curry! Fish is simmered in a delicate coconut-based sauce made with a blend of East Indian bottle masala, a trio of key Mangalorean fish curry spices, fragrant curry leaves and tamarind. Serve with fluffy jasmine or basmati rice for the perfect pescatarian meal.
Have you ever tried an East Indian Fish Curry? If not, this version is simple, triple tested and has become a favourite fish curry of mine after Mangalorean Pomfret Fish Curry.
This medium spicy fish curry calls for a good handful of spices and aromatics, but once you start cooking, it’s done in 20 minutes.
A well-known aromatic fish curry from the East Indians of Mumbai with a blend of Mangalorean fish curry spices and East Indian bottle masala powder, garlic and green chilli along with a little coconut (can be made without coconut!) and a touch of tang from tamarind which cuts through the spiciness of the sauce.
Like most Mangalorean fish curries, once you gather the necessary spices, it is a breeze to make!
East Indian Fish Curry
Lovers of Mangalorean fish curries – rejoice! Remember I’m a foodie and I love to crack the code for other Indian fish curries side by side Mangalorean fish curries.
Here I am trying an East Indian Fish Curry that has similar ingredients to a Mangalorean fish curry but with a difference, being East Indian bottle masala powder.
Recently, I was gifted with some East Indian Bottle Masala, and I’ve been on a mission to create this East Indian classic using this homemade bottle masala powder. I tried this fish curry using staples I have in my pantry but couldn’t get the flavour quite right. I finally caved and asked the person who gifted the masala to copy her version – and boom! She told me two of her favourite versions and both sounded delicious!
Bonus: This recipe calls for East Indian Bottle Masala powder but that said, many Mumbaikars stock East Indian Bottle Masala powder – a traditional aromatic spice blend from the East Indians of Mumbai and is used to flavour fish, meats, vegetables and curries.
A bit about Today’s East Indian Fish Curry
Today’s fish recipe is an East Indian Fish Curry and a staple of East Indian cuisine made with East Indian bottle masala powder), Kashmiri chillies, coconut and a trio of Indian curry spices.
It takes a little time to make, but not more than any other Indian fish curry and you will be rewarded with a flavour balanced fish dish.
This recipe calls for a little shredded coconut; however, this curry can be made without coconut also. The version without coconut is called as ‘Chichavani‘.
Basically, if you take Mangalorean fish curry spices and blend with a little of East Indian Bottle Masala powder, add coconut and some fresh herbs, you end up with East Indian Fish Curry. So, it tastes pretty much like a Mangalorean Fish Curry with a slight difference in flavour, texture and colour.
And we love it!
“It’s not easier than a Mangalorean Fish Curry but it’s worth it!”
In this recipe, a mild flavoured firm fish such as, white pomfret or lady fish, is simmered in a freshly ground spiced coconut masala base. This masala base is purposefully made with a delicate balance of East Indian Bottle Masala powder and Mangalorean fish curry spices.
The main flavours come from spices typically associated with Mangalorean fish curries. Spices such as: Kashmiri chillies, coriander, cumin and turmeric.
This curry is made in a typical East Indian style using a little East Indian Bottle Masala powder, but it tastes very similar to a Mangalorean fish curry. If I didn’t know it was East Indian fish curry, I would think it was a Mangalorean one but with much less coconut than a Mangalorean Pomfret Fish Curry and no onion of course!!
Delicious East Indian Fish Curry without garnishes!
East Indian Fish Curry served with steamed basmati rice
best fish for East Indian Fish Curry
The best fish for this type of curry would be fleshy varieties that hold their shape during cooking.
The best choices include white pomfret, kingfish (regional Indian name surmai), Indian mackerel (do not use Australian blue mackerel as it is very oily for this curry), and whiting/kaane. Use Basa fish fillets, if that’s convenient, but cook the fish only until firm and just cooked.
The types of fish mentioned above are firm and absorb the rich aromatic spices of the curry without disintegrating into a flaky mess during cooking.
In this curry, I have used white pomfret from my local fish shop. This fish is delightfully textured, sweet and stays firm during cooking. You may use other fish mentioned above but be mindful not to overcook the fish.
This curry recipe is sufficient for 800g fish (650g-675g scaled and gutted weight) and is good to serve for a family of 4 along with hot steamed rice and a side of Ridge Gourd Foogath (Gosalem).
White pomfret straight from the fishmonger – gutted but yet to be cleaned
how to clean fish for East Indian Fish Curry
Pomfrets are sold as whole fish in Sydney and do not come cleaned.
Ask your fishmonger to gut the fish for you, as this makes your work much easier. Even if the fish is gutted, to get the fish ready for cooking, you will need to do the following:
- Rinse the fish under cold water (the video does not show this, but you get the idea).
- Trim the sides, top and bottom fins (video may be useful).
- Scale the top and bottom, particularly near the tail and head, as pomfret has very small scales in these areas, which will can come loose during cooking and float in the curry (not pleasant at all).
- Trim around the eyes and remove the crimson gills (video below might be helpful)
- Clean the stomach cavity well to remove any residual blood and internal debris (Video might help) and trim the tail or leave intact, if you prefer it that way. I prefer to trim the tail, so it does not disintegrate in the curry.
- Slice each fish into 2 or 3 slices, depending on its size (the video shows me cutting into 2 equal pieces because my pomfrets were only 240g each). Give all the pieces a final rinse. Dab inside and out with paper towel to remove all excess moisture – in the video, I have used 3 fishes, as the fishes were small (250g each). However, when the fishes are big (375g-400g each), you may cut them into 3 equal pieces (as shown below).
White pomfrets cleaned and rinsed
Each pomfret cut into 3 slices
ingredients for the East Indian Fish Curry
Curries have a reputation for being difficult to make, unless you have a helping hand from a jar of curry paste. Don’t be put off by the spices you see on spice palette below, as these are very common Indian spices and aromatics. Each has a role to play without which, a curry will not be a “real” fish curry.
With the exception of East Indian Bottle Masala powder, this curry can be made using spices that are available in my local Coles grocery store.
Have all the ingredients ready to go, before you start cooking, as the curry comes together quickly once the curry paste is prepared.
The spices in my East Indian Fish Curry masala paste are:
- Dried Kashmiri chillies – Commonly used in almost all South Indian curries, a little smoky as well as spicy, and can be found in some large Coles supermarkets and all Indian grocery stores. Great for giving a rich vibrant red colour to the curries without overwhelming chilli heat. Also responsible for the signature colour in curries like Mangalorean Pork Indad and Pork Vindaloo. Substitute with 1½ tsp. Kashmiri chilli powder, scale up or down to taste.
- Thai green chillies & chopped garlic – Adds a kick of heat and flavour. Add only what’s called for in the recipe and remove seeds from chillies, if sensitive to heat.
- Cumin, coriander and turmeric powder – a trio of standard spices used in Indian cooking and now even Western cooking. Check to make sure your ground spices are within their due date for best results.
- East Indian Bottle Masala powder – Although we are adding 3 tsp. East Indian bottle masala powder, this fish curry is incomplete if you don’t add some other spices. I tried experimenting without Kashmiri chillies and various combinations, but it just wasn’t the same. So, they’re all staying in!
- Coriander/cilantro – The Indian inspired herbal notes. Skip if you are not a fan of coriander.
- Shredded coconut – I have used 3 tbsp. shredded coconut because that’s a cupboard staple. Substitute: 5-6 tbsp. freshly grated coconut, if you have it handy.
Here’s how I make the curry paste – I blend the above ingredients to a smooth paste with some water (about 110mL-120mL).
I find it handy to use my chutney jar attachment for this small batch of curry paste because there are no whole spices to blend except for Kashmir chillies and there is only a small quantity of coconut. The large blender jar is too big and it’s a nightmare to scrape out a small amount of paste out of a large blender jar.
The curry paste above makes a flavourful base for this East Indian Fish Curry; however, many protein-based Indian curries start with sautéing aromatics to achieve the layers of flavour of an authentic curry. This one also follows the same technique.
Here are some touches that either add flavour, pop of colour and texture or make the dish aesthetically appealing:
- Tamarind (a tropical fruit) – Tamarind is almost always added to fish curries and is a sour element in this fish curry. It’s a cupboard staple in my home, and I stock a 500g block of tamarind. To use, I soak a marble size ball of dried tamarind in about 40mL – 50mL of hot water for 30 minutes to hydrate the tamarind (do this before you start prepping the fish and other ingredients to save time). After soaking, squeeze tamarind with hand until it is smooth and separates from the fibre. Press the mixture through a sieve and use only the liquid (Video below might help). Discard the fibre and seeds. Add it when called for in the recipe, as adding the tamarind to the blender could render the curry darker with brown hues. Best sub: ¼ – ½ tsp. store bought tamarind paste.
- Fresh Thai green chilli (optional garnish) – This is the garnish at the end, more for visual than to add flavour and spice. Can be omitted if you prefer.
- Coriander/cilantro (optional garnish at the end) – Omit if you are not a fan.
- Curry leaves – Sautéing them in hot oil in the beginning of cooking releases essential oils and flavour, infusing this fish curry with a unique flavour profile.
Watch how to make East Indian Fish curry
Making the East Indian Fish Curry!
This East Indian is not overly difficult and similar to making a Mangalorean fish curry except in this recipe, we are adding a little of the East Indian Bottle Masala powder to the blender for making the masala paste.
Here’s how to make it. Once you have measured out the ingredients and ground the masala paste, it takes less than 20 minutes:
Here’s a sketch of we are trying to achieve at each step:
prepare the tamarind first
If using dry tamarind, hydrate by soaking in hot water for 30 minutes before prepping the fish and other ingredients. After 30 minutes, squeeze with your hand (use a glove, if you like) until smooth. Pass through a sieve, use only liquid and discard fibre and seeds (Video above might help). Sub with ½ tsp. store bought tamarind paste.
prepare the fish (Video will help)
While the tamarind is soaking, rinse the fish under cold running water.
Trim top, bottom and side fins. Descale fish with your knife and trim the tail or leave intact. Wash the stomach cavity to clean any traces of blood and other debris. Wash fish under cold running water (In the video, I have used a wooden bowl as it’s convenient). Dab excess water using paper towel.
Slice each fish horizontally into 2, 3 or 4 slices depending on the size of your fish. Set aside.
make the masala paste (Video may help)
Place garlic, green chillies, coriander/cilantro, East Indian Bottle Masala, Kashmiri chillies, the ground spices (coriander, cumin, turmeric) and shredded coconut in the small blender jar. Add little less than ½ cup water (115mL) and blend to a smooth paste. Set aside.
Sauté aromatics and curry paste
Heat oil in a medium-size saucepan over medium low heat. Add curry leaves and splutter. Add ground paste and sauté for 1-2 minutes to bloom the spice flavours. Add a splash of water, if required to avoid from scorching.
You will see that the paste will darken slightly as you sauté the ground paste.
Tip: If in doubt, video above will be helpful!
Add tamarind juice and salt
Stir in tamarind juice and salt. Wash the blender with about 275mL water (little over a cup). If in doubt, adjust consistency of curry by adding enough water to make a curry to your desired consistency. I add 270mL. Stir to combine and bring to the boil. Simmer for 2 minutes stirring from time to time.
Adjust the consistency of curry
The consistency of the curry should be not too thick or not too runny. You should end up with just enough curry to soak up the fish slices. Too thick curry and you will not have enough curry to serve over rice, too thin and you will end up with a messy pool of curry at the base of your rice!!! I hope this is clear as mud!!
Add prepared fish
Add sliced fish and stir gently. Bring to a gentle boil, uncovered. Using gloves, hold the saucepan by the handles and rotate gently to redistribute the curry around the fish. Reduce heat and simmer covered for 3½ – 4 minutes depending on the thickness of your fish slices or until just cooked. Hold the saucepan by the handles and rotate gently halfway through cooking. Remove from heat. Uncover and rest for 5 minutes.
Spoon into serving dish and serve
Transfer fish very carefully into a serving dish. As an optional step, you may garnish with slit green chillies and freshly chopped coriander for additional flavour and a pop of colour. Then serve over hot steamed white or basmati rice. I prefer this fish with jasmine rice.
Recipe Note: A combination of East Indian Bottle Masala, Kashmiri chillies and turmeric may result in different hues of red, but the curry will still taste lovely!! You will notice that in the two images below – I got a deeper red colour a few times during trials and yet sometimes I ended up with orange hues!!!
Perfectly cooked East Indian Fish Curry
what to serve with East Indian Fish Curry
Traditionally, most South Indian fish curries are served with plain white rice. It is just as delicious served with steamed jasmine rice or white basmati rice.
For health reasons, I use brown basmati rice, and this curry goes quite nicely with brown basmati rice.
This fish curry pairs well with Indian flatbreads, however, if the fish you are using has bones, I would not recommend serving this curry with flatbreads.
On the other hand, if you are using boneless fish or basa fish fillets, then, by all means, please serve with any Indian flatbreads, as this delicious curry will be mopped up well with any flatbreads.
There you have your East Indian Fish Curry. We all know fish is good for you, and we should eat more of it. So, now you’ve got a brand-new exciting way to cook fish, what are you waiting for??! Try it! And if you do, I’d love to know what you think about it in the comments below! – Catherine Lavina X
East Indian Fish Curry with Basmati rice! Yummy!
East Indian Fish Curry
Ingredients
- 2 medium white pomfrets 550g – 800g (Note 1)
- Marble size ball of tamarind 8g
- 5 tbsp. oil pantry staple
- 1 strand curry leaves
- 1½ tsp. salt or to taste 10g
- 2 tbsp. freshly chopped coriander leaves for garnish optional
- 2 slit green chillies for garnish optional
For the masala paste
- 3 medium garlic cloves, peeled and roughly sliced 15g
- 2-3 fresh green chillies (Note 2)
- 2 tbsp. freshly chopped coriander leaves along with stem
- 3 tsp. East Indian Bottle Masala 6g or to taste
- 3 Kashmiri chillies or 1½ tsp. Kashmiri chilli powder or to taste (Note 3)
- 1 tsp. coriander powder 2g
- 1 tsp. cumin powder 2g
- ¼ tsp. turmeric powder approx. 1g
- 3 tbsp. shredded coconut 20g or 5 tbsp. freshly grated coconut (Note 4)
Instructions
- Make the tamarind pulp – Soak tamarind in 50mL hot water for 30 minutes before you prep other ingredients. Squeeze with your hands and separate pulp from the fibre and seeds. Pass through fine sieve. Discard the solids and use only the juice in Step 4. Set aside to use in Step 4.
- Prepare fish (Note 5) – Rinse the fish with cold water. Trim top, bottom and side fins using kitchen scissors. Descale fish using a knife and trim the tail or leave intact (I trim mine as it can overcook and shred during cooking). Slice each fish horizontally into 2 or 3 pieces depending on the size of your fish. Rinse the stomach cavity to remove any traces of blood and other debris (video might help). Wash fish again with cold running water to ensure its completely free of scales and other matter. Dab excess water using paper towel. Set aside.
- Blend the Masala (Note 6)– Blend ingredients under the heading “For the masala paste” with ½ cup water (120mL-125mL) to a smooth paste. Set aside.
- Sauté aromatics and curry paste – Heat oil in a medium-size saucepan over medium high heat. Add curry leaves and splutter. Reduce heat, add ground paste and sauté for 1-2 minutes. Add a splash of water, if required, to avoid from scorching.
- Add tamarind juice and salt – Stir in tamarind juice and salt. Wash the blender with 1 - 1¼ cup of water and add to the saucepan. Stir, then bring to the boil. Simmer on low for 2 minutes, so it’s bubbling gently, stirring every now and then.
- Add prepared fish – Add fish, stir gently, bring to a gentle boil uncovered. Reduce heat and simmer covered for 3½ - 4 minutes depending on the thickness of your fish slices. Hold the saucepan by the handles and rotate clockwise gently halfway through cooking to redistribute curry evenly around fish (Note 7). Remove from heat. Uncover and rest for 5 minutes.
- Spoon into serving dish and serve – Transfer very carefully into a serving dish. Garnish with slit green chillies (Note 8) and coriander/cilantro for a pop of colour, if desired. Serve with hot steamed white, basmati, jasmine or brown basmati rice.
Notes
- Fish - Firm white fish work best in this fish curry - some suggestions: White pomfrets (this is what I used, my local fishmonger sells them from time to time), sand whiting, king fish (Indian regional name surmai) and bream. Basa fillets also work well but be careful not to overcook the fillets. Use extreme caution while transferring to the serving dish, as basa fillets are very delicate and they can break up. Avoid - Very oily fish (sardines, mullet, blue mackerel and herring).
- Green chillies - I used 2 Thai green chillies, and they were good for my spice level. Scrape out seeds, if sensitive to heat.
- Kashmiri chilli - Remove seeds from all chillies or some, if desired. I like the little spicy kick from the Kashmiri chillies, so I do not remove any seeds.
- Coconut - For those who do not wish to add coconut, you may make this curry without any coconut. To do this, blend all the ingredients except the shredded coconut and make the masala paste by adding a little water and you will have a coconut-free fish curry. The curry will be delicious but will lack coconut flavour and the curry will be a deeper colour. The version without coconut is called as "Chichavani" by the coastal East Indians.
- Prepare fish - The video demonstrates cleaning fish that is already gutted by my fishmonger. This means, I am trimming top, bottom and side fins and removing any residual debris and blood matter from the stomach cavity. The video also shows how to trim around the eyes and remove any remainder of the crimson gills.
- Chutney jar - I find it very handy to use my small chutney jar attachment for this small batch of curry paste. The large blender jar is too big and it’s a nightmare to scrape out a small amount of curry paste out of a large blender jar.
- You may hold the pan by the handles and rotate 2 or 3 times when the fish is cooking to ensure that the fish pieces have enough curry around them during cooking.
- Green chilli optional garnish - Cut green chillies into half, lengthwise (deseed, if required).
- Original creation by the Deliciously Indian family, striving to replicate the East Indian Fish Curry. Most of the inspiration for this fish curry has come from a very kind person within the family. As I have been making fish curries for years, I have neither checked any YouTube videos nor any chefs cooking fish curries. For the most part, I have drawn from my own knowledge of making a Mangalorean fish curry to closely achieve the flavour of an East Indian Fish Curry.
Hi, I’m Catherine!
I’m all about creating tasty Indian dishes with whatever’s on hand, even when I’m short on time or budget. I love turning simple ingredients into flavorful delights. Join me on this culinary adventure where we’ll explore the magic of Indian cuisine, one delicious dish at a time!
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