Kerala Fish Curry with Coconut Milk Recipe
This dish is typical of Kerala, reminiscent of everything Kerala: sea food, coconut milk, raw mango, coconut oil and spices. Oh so yum!
Ingredients
- ½ Kilogram 500g/1 lb Mahi Mahi Fillet (See Recipe Notes)
- 1 tablespoon Chopped ginger
- 3-4 Shallots/Red Pearl Onions medium-sized; Sliced thin
- 2-3 Serrano Pepper or equivalent amount of Green Chillies; adjust to taste; Roughly chopped
- ½ tsp Ground Turmeric/Turmeric Powder/Haldi
- ½ tsp Cayenne/Indian Red chilli Powder; adjust to taste
- 1 teaspoon Paprika Optional; adjust to taste
- 1 teaspoon Ground Coriander/ Coriander Powder
- ½ teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper/Black Pepper Powder; adjust to taste
- 1 Raw Mango sour; Roughly chopped
- 10-12 Curry Leaves; divided
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil ; divided
- 1 cup Coconut Milk See Recipe Notes
- Salt to taste
Equipment
- Medium-sized Pan
- Chopping board and knives
- Measuring cups and spoons optional
To Serve
- Steamed/Boiled Rice
Instructions
how to make kerala fish curry with coconut milk
Prep work
- Cut the fish fillet into pieces.
- Cut the raw mango into medium-sized pieces.
- Chop ginger, Serrano pepper/green chillies.
- Slice shallots
Cooking- Add chopped ginger, sliced shallots, serrano pepper pieces, ground turmeric, cayenne pepper, Paprika, ground coriander, ground black pepper, 5-6 curry leaves, and salt into the pan & crush them all together with 2 teaspoon coconut oil.
- Add the chopped mango pieces to the crushed spices along with some water and bring to a boil.
- Add the fish pieces and a little water (about ½ cup). cover and cook the fish pieces.
- Once the fish pieces are cooked well and most of the water has evaporated, add coconut milk. Remove from the heat. Drizzle a teaspoon of coconut oil and garnish with curry leaves.
- Serve hot with steamed or boiled rice.
Notes
- Crushing the spices with your fingertips brings out the best flavors. Wash your hands immediately after this to avoid stinging.
- In case you do not find raw mango, you can also use fish tamarind/Malabar Tamarind. I have also used regular tamarind as well.
- Typically, thick coconut milk is used. You can use freshly pressed coconut milk, or from a can. I have also used the "Maggi Coconut Milk powder (4 heaped tablespoon) mixed with a cup of water. you are using fresh coconut milk, make sure to turn off the heat before adding the thick coconut milk. This prevents the coconut milk from splitting and turning grainy.
- If you are using Kodumpuli, rinse it a couple of times, and soak it in water for a few minutes to soften it, before adding it to the curry.
- 1 CUP = 250 ML. (US cups are typically 240 ml. You can use US cups with no significant change to the dish).
- 1 TEASPOON = 5ML; 1 TABLESPOON= 15 ML
- Adjust the serving size to your individual dietary needs.
- If you are using frozen fillet, make sure to thaw it completely.