This authentic recipe will help you make a really delicious, spicy and tangy Kerala fish curry. Serve it with plain rice, matta rice, appam, puttu, idiyappam, parotta, paratha or any flatbreads.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 15 minutes
  • Cook time: 30 minutes
  • Total time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 3 · 3 to 4
  • Category: Main Course
  • Cuisine: Kerala

Ingredients

  • ½ to ¾ kg (1½ lbs) fish ((cut to 1 inch thick steaks, use any firm fish, read notes 1))
  • 2 tablespoons (30 ml) extra virgin coconut oil ((or use any other preferred))
  • ¾ to 1 cup (110 grams) shallots / small red onions ((read notes 2))
  • 1 inch (15 grams) ginger (peeled)
  • 4 (15 grams) large garlic cloves
  • ½ cup (1 medium) tomato ((crushed/ fine chopped))
  • 2 green chilies (/ serrano peppers slit)
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric
  • 2 to 2½ tablespoons Kashmiri red chili powder ((or use any other mild chili powder or cut down for low heat))
  • 1½ tablespoon coriander powder
  • ½ teaspoon methi seed powder / fenugreek seed powder ((omit if you don't have))
  • 1 to 1½ teaspoon sea salt ((or any other, adjust to taste))
  • 3 kudampuli ((Black/Malabar tamarind, sub with 5 to 6 kokum or tamarind))
  • 270 ml (9 oz) canned coconut milk ((or use 1¼ cup grated raw coconut, read notes))
  • 2 tablespoons (30 ml) coconut oil
  • ¼ teaspoon brown mustard seeds ((optional))
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons shallots (or small onion sliced)
  • 2 dried red chilies ((broken, optional))
  • 2 sprig curry leaves ((divided))

Method

  1. Rinse kudampuli under running water and soak in ¼ cup hot water. Crush or process onions, ginger and garlic to a coarse mixture in a food processor. (don't puree, may fine chop)
  2. Add oil, curry leaves, green chilies, crushed ginger, garlic, and shallots/ onions to a wide pot/ braiser. Saute until the onions soften for 6 to 7 mins.
  3. Add the crushed tomatoes & saute until they breakdown. Stir in the chili powder, coriander powder, turmeric and salt.
  4. Add the soaked kudampuli and ¾ cup (180 ml) canned coconut milk + ¾ cup water [or 1½ cups homemade thin coconut milk (360 ml)]. Bring to a boil and cook covered for 3 to 4 mins.
  5. Gently slide in the fish pieces and swirl gently to coat the fish with the liquid. Cover and cook for 10 mins.
  6. Add the remaining ⅓ cup (80 ml) canned coconut milk (or ⅓ to ½ cup thick homemade milk) and continue to simmer until fully cooked through, for 5 mins. Taste test to adjust salt. This dish tastes best after resting a few hours or the next day.
  7. Temper: Heat oil in a small pan and add the mustard seeds. When they splutter, add the sliced shallots, curry leaves and red chilies. Fry until the onions turn deep golden but not burnt. Pour this over the finished Kerala fish curry.
  8. Serve with plain rice, appam, idiyappam, brown rice/ matta rice or your prefered grain. It also goes well with flatbreads.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.