Curry Fish

Content… Which Fish Is Best? Recipe Ingredients How to Make It Recipe Variations Tips and Tricks Make-Ahead Instructions Serving and Storage Instructions FAQs What to Serve More Simple Curry Recipes to Try Conclusion Watch How to Make It

Which Fish Is Best for Fish Curry?

Any firm-fleshed white fish is great for this recipe. Mackerel, tilapia, snapper, cod, mahi-mahi, halibut, sea bass, catfish, or grouper are all great choices. Curry is ideal for economical fish that are stronger on the fish flavor. Curry sauce always overpowers the fishiness, especially if you marinate and sear the fish before adding it to the sauce. 🐟

Recipe Ingredients

• Fish Steak – Two to three pounds of fresh fish steaks are perfect for this recipe. You could even use frozen fish if you’d like.
• Seasonings – Curry powder, minced garlic and ginger, thyme, bay leaves, basil, paprika (regular or smoked), and parsley come together beautifully for this curry fish.
• Veggies – Onions, tomatoes, and red and green peppers all make an appearance in this particular curry.
• Coconut Milk – Full-fat coconut milk for the win, my friend. The higher the fat, the more flavor you’ll get from this ingredient.
• Hot Peppers – Spicy peppers like habanero, scotch bonnet, or chili peppers are optional here, but I highly recommend them if you can handle the heat. 💥

How to Make Curry Fish

Prep the Fish

• Season fish with salt, curry powder, white pepper, and ½ teaspoon garlic, and set aside. You may do this just before cooking but for best results, season the fish and store it overnight in the refrigerator before cooking the following day. (Photos 1-2)
• Sear – In a cast iron skillet, heat oil over medium heat until it’s hot. Then, add the fish and brown on both sides – 3-5 minutes or until the fish is nicely browned. You can skip these steps if you’d like, but note that they do cut down on the fishy flavor. (Photo 3)
• Set Aside – Remove the fish and set it aside. Drain most of the oil, leaving only about 2 tablespoons in the pan.

Make the Curry

• Saute – Add onions, minced garlic, ginger, thyme, curry powder, and bay leaf, stirring for about 2-3 minutes, allowing the flavors to blossom. Then, add the tomatoes and cook for another 3 minutes. (Photos 4-6)
• Coconut Milk – Pour the coconut milk and water in and continue cooking for about 3-5 minutes. (Photos 7-8)
• Add Heat – Next, throw in the hot peppers, if you’re using any, along with the bell pepper, basil leaves, and smoked paprika. (Photo 9)
• Add Fish – Return the fish to the pot with its accumulated juice. Bring everything to a boil, adjust the salt, and cook for about 10 minutes. (Photo 10)
• Finishing Touches – Finally, add the chopped parsley, adjust the sauce thickness, and season with water or broth.
• Serve warm, and enjoy. 😁

Recipe Variations

1. Turn this Jamaican fish curry into an Indian curry fish! Add some Indian flavors to the mix, like Kashmiri chili, fenugreek, and tamarind paste, to make this dish taste more like an Indian curry. You can find all those ingredients at your local Indian (or possibly Asian) grocery store.
2. Customize the veggies, and feel free to swap out the veggies for any that suit your taste. Carrots, peas, and any other veggie you like will work well here.

Tips and Tricks

1. Fish steak is preferable when it comes to the cut of fish you use for this recipe. Ask for this cut at your grocery store’s seafood counter. But if you can’t find any, don’t sweat it. Regular filets will also work.
2. Use a cast iron skillet to brown the fish if you have one. It works like a charm for browning them up perfectly without burning. 
3. Make the homemade curry spice mix! I said it before, but it bears repeating. The difference in flavor using the homemade blend compared to the store-bought stuff is like night and day. 🌓

Make-Ahead Instructions

You can make this dish the day before if you’d like. Simply reheat it on the stovetop over medium heat until it’s warmed through.

Fish will last a month or two in the freezer but can lose its texture after that. 😬

Serving and Storage Instructions

Serve curry fish warm over a bed of steaming rice. You can store leftover fish in an airtight container in the fridge for three days.

Reheat it in the microwave or stovetop, but don’t overheat it. The goal is to warm the fish up, not to cook it even more, which could make it turn tough.

FAQs

What Goes With Curry Fish

Rice and curry were made for each other, and you can make any kind of rice you like. I usually do simple white rice or rice pilaf, but other tasty options include yellow rice or coconut rice.

Watermelon salad is a surprising pairing that also tastes amazing alongside this curry. And, of course, don’t forget some dipping bread for that curry sauce. I love flatbread or Indian fry bread with curry fish.

More Simple Curry Recipes to Try

1. Jamaican Curry Shrimp
2. Jamaican Curry Goat
3. Chickpea Curry
4. Beef Trip and Beans
5. Curry Channa and Aloo

Conclusion 

A weeknight meal that only takes 30 minutes to make and is a total flavor explosion? Now that’s a recipe you should add to your weekly meal plan! Don’t forget to let me know how you liked it in the comments after you give it a try. 🤗

Watch How to Make It

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This blog post was originally published in March 2018 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video.