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Home » Fish » Goan Fish Curry

Goan Fish Curry

By Hank Shaw on August 24, 2015, Updated March 15, 2021 - 13 Comments

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5 from 2 votes
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Curries fascinate me, and mastering them is no easy feat. This Goan fish curry recipe has gotten me a little further along on that path.

It’s a from-scratch curry from Goa, on the western part of the subcontinent; Goa was once under the control of the Portuguese, and the cuisine shows it. You’ll see wine and lots of vinegar in their cooking, as well as a lot of seafood. I also make a Goan crab curry, too.

Goan fish curry in a serving bowl
Photo by Holly A. Heyser

Goan fish curry hinges on tart flavors, coconut and sometimes tomato. My rendition leaves out the tomato, but if you want it in there, add 1/2 cup of tomato puree.

Not all fish are suitable for this curry. You will want something that can stand up to simmering, which usually leaves out the stronger flavored fish like mackerel or bluefish or trout. I generally use striped bass, lingcod or halibut here on the West Coast, but chunks of catfish, carp, sturgeon or bass would do, too. Same with grouper, snapper, cod or even firmer fish like cobia or tuna.

Anything that will hold up to a bit of stewing will work.

Indian curry mixes are very personal, so feel free to tinker with this one as I tinkered with all the recipes I studied to come up with mine. But a few things should stay constant: You will want coconut, some chile heat, garlic and onions, and some turmeric. Everything else is up to you.

Goan fish curry recipe is tart, so I follow that region’s practice and use tamarind. You could use lime or vinegar, too. Tamarind paste can be found in Indian, Mexican or Middle Eastern markets, as well as in the “ethnic” section of some larger supermarkets.

The result is a warm, zippy Goan fish curry that’s light enough for seafood yet filling enough to satisfy. Serve this with either basmati rice or Indian flatbreads. For a quick hack, Mexican flour tortillas will do in a pinch.

Goan fish curry in a serving bowl
Print Recipe
5 from 2 votes

Goan Fish Curry

You can use any firm fish here. There are a few unusual ingredients here, like the fenugreek and the tamarind. Fenugreek will be in most spice sections of larger supermarkets. It adds a lot and I recommend you look for it at least, although you can leave it out.
Prep Time20 mins
Cook Time20 mins
Total Time40 mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 167kcal
Author: Hank Shaw

Ingredients

FISH

  • 1 1/2 pounds firm fish, cut into chunks
  • Salt
  • Juice of 2 lemons

CURRY MIX

  • 2 teaspoons black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon fenugreek (optional)
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • 2 teaspoons turmeric
  • 1 tablespoon ground coriander
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
  • 2 to 5 chiles, such as Thai, Tabasco, arbol or serrano
  • 4 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 1/2 inch piece of tamarind, or 1 tablespoon tamarind paste
  • 1/2 cup water (coconut water is nice here)
  • 1 can of coconut milk

TO FINISH

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or clarified butter (ghee)
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 2 to 5 jalapenos, sliced
  • 1/3 cup chopped cilantro

Instructions

  • Toss the chunks of fish in the lemon and salt and set aside as you chop the vegetables.
  • Put everything from the curry mix except the coconut milk into a food processor or blender and puree. If it's too chunky and gunks up your machine, add enough of the coconut milk to let the motor run smoothly. Set it aside.
  • In a deep-sided pan, heat the vegetable oil or clarified butter over medium-high heat. Cook the onions until they are soft, and a little browned on the edges, about 6 minutes. Add the sliced jalapenos and the fish and toss to combine. Pour over the curry mix and the rest of the coconut milk. It should be a thick gravy. If it's too thick, add a little water or some more coconut milk if you have some. Let this simmer for 10 minutes, then add the cilantro. Let this cook for 1 minute, then serve with rice.

Nutrition

Calories: 167kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 56mg | Sodium: 81mg | Potassium: 576mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 200IU | Vitamin C: 10.6mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 1mg
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Filed Under: Asian, Featured, Fish, Recipe

Avatar for Hank Shaw

Hank Shaw

Hey there. Welcome to Hunter Angler Gardener Cook, the internet's largest source of recipes and know-how for wild foods. I am a chef, author, and yes, hunter, angler, gardener, forager and cook. Follow me on Instagram and on Facebook.

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Comments

  1. Avatar for emilie montyemilie monty says

    February 23, 2019 at 5:03 pm

    What is the size of can of coconut milk you use for this recipe and also you mention substituting citrus for tamarind, which citrus would you use? thanks

    Reply
    • Avatar for Hank ShawHank Shaw says

      February 25, 2019 at 12:20 pm

      Emilie: I’d sub in limes or lemons, and the can is that standard one, about 1 pint or so. It’s about the size of a can of soup.

      Reply
  2. Avatar for Matt KiddMatt Kidd says

    December 11, 2017 at 11:43 am

    Thoughts on using this with shrimp/crawfish?

    Reply
    • Avatar for Hank ShawHank Shaw says

      December 11, 2017 at 12:42 pm

      Matt: It’d be fine with shrimp, but with crawfish I’d take them out of the shells first.

      Reply
  3. Avatar for SeanSean says

    August 24, 2016 at 9:20 am

    Can’t wait to make this with some striped bass. Looks great.

    Reply
  4. Avatar for AndrewAndrew says

    August 23, 2016 at 1:30 pm

    I’ve got some cabezon and ling cod in the freezer that I’ll need to try this recipe with. Last time I remember buying fenugreek was when my wife was trying to boost her milk supply for kid #3. A month or so later we realized that it was kid #4 causing the complication.

    Reply
  5. Avatar for JamesJames says

    October 6, 2015 at 2:13 pm

    Great website! Love your your recipes and passion for cooking, really enjoy putting my meal list together here.
    Thanks again!

    Reply
  6. Avatar for AngelaAngela says

    August 29, 2015 at 9:05 am

    Are you using fenugreek seeds or leaves in this recipe?

    Reply
    • Avatar for Hank ShawHank Shaw says

      August 29, 2015 at 10:04 am

      Angela: Seeds.

      Reply
  7. Avatar for Mary FrancesMary Frances says

    August 26, 2015 at 7:39 am

    This looks absolutely divine! I agree on curries being hard to master, but each attempt is more delicious than the last 🙂

    Reply
  8. Avatar for ZachZach says

    August 26, 2015 at 7:19 am

    I have done a similar recipe with catfish, and it is delicious. I actually used a sweet cream of coconut (similar to what you would use to make pina colada’s). Served with basmati rice, it’s a favorite here.

    Reply
  9. Avatar for Coco in the KitchenCoco in the Kitchen says

    August 25, 2015 at 2:48 pm

    Curries are a fav in our family, but rarely fish.
    This looks beautiful and easy.
    I’ve gotta get my hands on something wild-caught and cook some up tonight.

    Reply
  10. Avatar for Mad DogMad Dog says

    August 24, 2015 at 11:55 am

    That looks delicious. Goan cuisine is indeed fascinating and because of the Portuguese influence they use a lot of pork. There’s even a Goan Chouriço (chorizo).

    Reply

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Hi, my name is Hank Shaw. I am a James Beard Award-winning author and chef and I focus my energies on wild foods: Foraging, fishing, hunting. I write cookbooks as well as this website, have a website dedicated to the intersection of food and nature, and do a podcast, too. If it’s wild game, fish, or edible wild plants and mushrooms, you’ll find it here. Hope you enjoy the site!

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