Goan Fish curry is made with fresh fish cooked in tangy, spicy, and flavorful coconut-based curry. This fish curry with coconut is from Goa, India. It is so easy to make and comes together in just 30 minutes. Perfect for busy weekends. Serve it with steamed rice or bread.
Similar to Mackerel fish curry, this spicy and tangy Goan fish curry recipe has all the delectable flavors of coastal cuisine. You may also like other seafood recipes like Prawns Ghee Roast, Fish Masala Fry, and Goan Prawn Rava Fry.
It is made with fish, tamarind, kokum, freshly ground spices and coconut. It pairs up beautifully with steamed rice. This simple fish curry recipe can be used to make any other fish curry.
You do not need any oil to make this fish gravy. The fish masala is heated until it comes to a boil, add fish and cook it on low heat.
About this Recipe
In this recipe post, I am sharing how to make Goan fish curry with step-by-step photos and a video recipe. This easy Indian fish curry recipe is from Goan cuisine.
Goa is an Indian state located along India's west coast on the shore of the Arabian Sea. We are staying in Goa for more than 20 years now.
I tried to keep this fish recipe authentic, the way the Goan Hindu household prepares it. This fish gravy has a mild flavor, use simple ingredients, and tastes absolutely amazing.
The ingredients are more or less the same in making this curry by Goan Catholics. The only difference is they add peppercorns and cumin to the fish masala.
This Goan curry tastes better the next day. Goan enjoys their leftover curry for breakfast with Pao or Poli (bread).
You may also like these other amazing Goan recipes from this website:
- Goan Prawns Rava fry
- Chicken Xacuti
- Chicken Cafreal
- Goan Kingfish Fry
Why You Need This Recipe
- Easy step-by-step instructions with a recipe video.
- Quick and easy to prepare - You can make this Goan curry at home within 30 minutes.
- This Goan curry recipe is easy to customize. The ingredients to make this fish recipe are easily available in your kitchen pantry. Check out the ingredient list below for alternative ingredients.
- Make ahead recipe - You can cook this curry in advance. It tastes even better the next day. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It stays good for 2 days.
- Healthy - No oil is used to make this fish gravy. In addition to this, fish is a good source of protein and essential fats.
- Gluten-free and dairy-free
Goan Fish Curry Ingredients
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Fish - I used fresh Bangda (Mackerel) fish to make the curry. Clean and rinse it well with water. The fish that I used to make curry is small in size so I made a few slits on it. You can cut it into two to three pieces if the fish is bigger in size. You can also any fish to make the curry like Surmai fish, Butterfish (Soundale), or Ravas fish to make this curry.
- Coconut - Freshly scraped coconut is used to make the curry. It adds creaminess to the fish gravy. You can substitute it with coconut milk.
- Flavoring - Salt, and turmeric powder.
- Red chilies - I used dried byadgi red chilies. You can also use dried Kashmiri red chilies. These chilies give bright red color to the curry and are mildly spicy. Substitute with Kashmiri red chili powder, and add it while grinding the masala.
- Coriander seeds - You can substitute whole coriander seeds with coriander powder. Add it while grinding the coconut masala.
- Tamarind - Gives a tangy touch to the curry. Soak the tamarind in hot water for 10-15 minutes. Remove the seeds and use them. You can substitute it with lemon juice or vinegar.
- Ginger and garlic - Fresh ginger and garlic give the best flavors. However, you can substitute it with store-bought ginger-garlic paste.
- Kokum - It is an integral part of traditional Goan recipes. Kokum is added as a souring agent at the end while simmering the curry. You can skip it if not available.
- Teppal or Tirphal - It is used mostly in Goa and Karnataka. It gives a distinctive aroma and flavor to the fish gravy. They are dried berries, added in small quantities, after discarding the seed. You can skip it if it is not available.
For the detailed list of ingredients & their measurements, please check out the recipe card below.
How to make Goan Fish Curry
Preparations
- Marinate the fish with salt and turmeric. Keep it aside.
- For the masala - In a mixer or grinder jar, add coconut, Byadagi red chilies, coriander seeds, turmeric powder, tamarind, ginger, and garlic. Add little water and grind to a fine paste. Keep it aside.
For making the curry
- Transfer the prepared coconut masala to a deep bottom pan. Add water to adjust the consistency of the gravy and stir. The curry should not be too thick or too thin.
- Heat the curry at medium heat until it comes to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 3-4 minutes.
- Add the marinated fish, kokum, and teppal to the pan. Cook for 2 minutes on medium heat.
- Taste and add salt accordingly.
- Stir gently without using a ladle. Hold the handles of the pan with a clean kitchen cloth and swirl the pan gently. You can watch the video for details.
- Cook on low heat for 3-4 minutes or until fish is cooked. Remove from heat. Keep it covered for 10 minutes.
- Serve it with steamed rice.
Expert Tips
- Teppal and tirphal - If you are using it for the first time discard the seeds and add only the outer covering. Add these berries in small quantities. Discard them while eating. Skip if it is not available.
- De-seed the red chilies to reduce the spiciness of the curry.
- Marinating the fish helps to remove the smell from it.
- Be careful while adding salt to the curry. We added salt while marinating the fish. After adding fish to the masala, cook it for 2-3 minutes, taste the curry and then add salt as per taste.
- Do not use a ladle to stir the curry after adding fish to the curry. It will break the fish. Hold the handles of the pan with a clean kitchen cloth and gently swirl the pan.
- Do not overcook the curry. Always add fish at the end of cooking the curry. Fish will be cooked within 3-5 minutes. If you overcook the curry, the fish will disintegrate in the curry. (The timing may increase depending on the thickness of the fish).
Serving Suggestions
- This curry pairs best with steamed rice.
- You can also serve it with Pav, Poli, or Bread.
Storage Suggestions
- Store the leftovers within 2 hours of cooking.
- Transfer the leftover curry to an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator. Stays good for 2 days. Reheat and serve.
- You can freeze it for longer shelf life. Stays good for a week. Thaw, reheat and serve.
Other Seafood recipes that you might like
- Goan Prawns Rava Fry
- Mackerel Curry
- Prawns Ghee Roast,
- Fish Masala Fry
- Prawn Biryani
- Andhra Fish Fry
- Prawn Pepper Fry
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Goan Fish Curry
Equipment
- 1 Deep bottom pan
Ingredients
For the Masala
- 2 cups freshly scraped coconut
- 6-7 dried byadagi red chilies or Kashmiri red chilies
- 1.5 tablespoon coriander seeds
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- a small ball of tamarind
- 1- inch ginger
- 6-7 garlic cloves
For the Curry
- 5 fish (Mackerel Fish, medium size)
- salt to taste
- turmeric powder
- 3-4 kokum (skip if you do not have it.)
- 8-10 teppal and tirphal (skip if you do not have it.)
Instructions
Preparations
- Marinate the fish with salt and turmeric. Keep it aside.
- To make coconut masala - In a mixer or grinder jar, add coconut, Byadagi red chilies, coriander seeds, turmeric powder, tamarind, ginger and garlic. Add little water and grind to a fine paste. Keep it aside.
For making the fish curry
- Transfer the prepared coconut masala to a deep bottom pan. Add water to adjust the consistency of the gravy and stir. The curry should not be too thick or too thin.
- Heat the curry at medium heat until it comes to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 3-4 minutes.
- Add the marinated fish, kokum and teppal to the pan. Cook for 2 minutes on medium heat.
- Taste and add salt accordingly.
- Stir gently without using ladle. Hold the handles of the pan with a clean Kitchen cloth and swirl the pan gently. You can watch the video for details.
- Cook on low heat for 3-4 minutes or until fish is cooked. Remove from heat. Keep it covered for 10 minutes.
- Serve it with steamed rice.
Video
Notes
- Teppal and tirphal - If you are using it for the first time discard the seeds and add only the outer covering. Add these berries in small quantities. Once the curry is ready, discard them while eating. Skip if it is not available.
- Marinating the fish helps to remove the smell from it.
- We added salt while marinating the fish. Add salt to the curry after adding the fish to the masala. Taste it and add salt as per taste.
- While making fish gravy, do not use a ladle to stir the curry after adding fish to the curry. It will break the fish. Hold the handles of the pan with the kitchen cloth and gently swirl the pan.
- If you prefer a less spicy curry, deseed the red chilies before adding them to grind the masala.
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