Goan Fish Curry Recipe

Goan fish curry is one of the most popular curry that is loved by people all over the world. What makes the curry different is the unique masala blend made with fresh coconut, spices, cooked in a onion tomato base. Enjoy with roti, goan pao or rice, this Goan fish curry makes a satisfying meal.

Goan Fish Curry Recipe

We have visited Goa three times now, and this Goan fish curry is a family favorite to order. We have had it so many times, that the flavours still linger around. It was so flavourful, slightly spicy, tangy and filled with coconut flavour.

Jump to:

• About Goan Fish Curry Recipe
• Ingredients
• Step by Step Pictures
• Expert Tips
• FAQ
• 📖 Get Recipe

I found that Goan fish curry is very similar to the curry which we make at home. In my hometown, Nagercoil, we use coconut as the base just like this recipe, there are only few variations in ingredients. Check my Meen kuzhambu recipe.

I have been wanting to update goan fish curry for quite a while now. Finally made it last week and the result is a creamy coconut flavoured fish curry to serve with some rice.

About Goan Fish Curry Recipe

Goa's cuisine has Konkani roots and was influenced by both the Sultanate rule that came before the Portuguese and the 451 years of Portuguese rule. This Goan Fish Curry is the dish that Goa is best known for. It is a coconut-based dish that is typically served with rice. The masala which I made is iconic to Goan sea food.

It is made with coconut, Kashmiri red chillies or Byadagi chillies, ginger, garlic, coriander, cumin, pepper. This masala paste is used in most of the sea food curry starting from fresh fish, or prawns. Check my Kolhapuri chicken curry recipe.

What makes Goan fish curry masala special is the orange tint it gets from the chillies. The curry is not that spicy because we used Byadagi chillies. But it taste so flavourful and aromatic.

Similar Recipes

• Goan Chicken Curry Recipe
• Goan Pao Recipe - Goan Pav Bread Recipe
• Goan Chicken Xacuti Recipe
• Masala Fish Curry Recipe
• Black Pepper Fried Fish Recipe

Goan fish curry has two speciality ingredients used. One is kokum, which is used as a souring agent. And the next one is teppal or tirfal, it is a spicy citrus berry used for flavour.

I used kudampuli for my fish curry since I didn't have kokum. But it did the job well and I enjoyed the flavour better. Some people even add coconut vinegar for sour taste. Check my Kudampuli meen curry.

This curry has freshly ground coconut as their base. For extra creamy texture, you can add ½ cup of coconut milk in the end. But to me it is practically unnecessary.

Like all fish curry, Goan fish curry taste better as it rests. So it is always better to make a huge batch and store in fridge so you can reheat and enjoy the following days. You can enjoy this with rice, or Goan Pao Recipe - Goan Pav Bread Recipe.

Ingredients

• Fish - you can use any firm-fleshed fish that holds their shape well. Fish like seer fish, king fish, pomfret or even mackerel can be used. You have to add turmeric, salt and lemon juice to fish for marination.
• Coconut - freshly grate coconut form the base of the goan fish curry.
• Turmeric - turmeric is added to fish and as well in the curry. It mixes with the chillies to form the orange colour.
• Chillies - you need to use byadagi chillies or kashmiri red chillies for this dish. It adds the iconic orange colour without making the curry spicy.
• Ginger and Garlic - fresh ginger and garlic is added along with coconut when grinding.
• Spices - I used coriander seeds, cumin seeds and black pepper to grind along with coconut.
• Coconut Oil - For making any fish curry, I like to use coconut oil to cook.
• Curry leaves and chillies - Both adds flavour when sauted in the coconut oil which compliments the Goan fish curry.
• Onions and tomatoes - finely chopped onions adds sweetness and tomatoes add tangy taste.
• Tamarind - You can use regular tamarind, kokum or kudampuli in this recipe for sour taste. Soak them in hot water for 15 minutes before adding.

Step by Step Pictures

Marinating Fish

1) Take fish pieces in a bowl. Add salt, turmeric, lemon juice and mix well. Leave aside to marinate until we make the curry.

• 500 grams Firm white fleshed fish (Seer fish or King fish)
• ½ teaspoon Turmeric Powder
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice

Goan Fish Curry Masala

2)These are the ingredients which you need for making the iconic orange tinted Goan fish curry masala.

• 1 cup Fresh Coconut
• 10 no Byadagi Red Chillies (Kashmiri Red Chillies)
• 2 tablespoon Coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon Black Pepper
• ½ teaspoon Turmeric Powder
• 3 cloves Garlic peeled and left whole
• 1 inch Ginger peeled and sliced

3)Take all the ingredients given for grinding in a blender.

4)Add some water and make this into a very smooth paste. Set aside.

Make Goan Curry Base

5)Heat coconut oil in a deep pot. Add in curry leaves, green chillies, onions and saute for 2 minutes until the onions turn translucent.

6)Now add in tomatoes and cook that for 3 to 4 minutes until the tomatoes soften.

7)The tomatoes should soften a bit by now.

8)Add in the coconut paste which we made earlier.

9)Pour some water into the blender jar swirl it well to remove any coconut paste stuck in the blender and pour this water into the pan.

10)Before you start cooking, make sure to Start by soaking kokum or kudampuli in hot water for 15 minutes. Add in the soaked kudampuli along with water now.

11)Season the curry with salt. Mix this well. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Adding Fish

12)Let the curry come to a full boil.

13)Once the curry starts to boil, add in the marinated fish into the curry.

14)Give the curry a good mix.

15)Cook the fish on medium high heat for 6 to 8 minutes.

16)Now turn off the heat and let the curry sit covered for 15 minutes before serving.

17)Enjoy with roti or rice.

Expert Tips

• Use fresh fish for making the curry, which is totally a game changer.
• You can adjust the red chillies as per your taste and spice tolerance.
• ½ cup of coconut milk can be added into the curry for extra creamy texture.
• Instead of kudampuli, you can use tamarind, kokum instead.
• When grinding coconut, make sure you grind them till smooth. Use a blender instead of food processor.

Storage and Serving

Like all fish curry, Goan fish curry taste better as it rests. So it is always better to make a huge batch and store in fridge so you can reheat and enjoy the following days. You can enjoy this with rice, or Goan Pao Recipe - Goan Pav Bread Recipe.

FAQ

Q: Which fish is best for Goan fish curry?

The most popular dish is kingfish (also known as vison or visvan). Pomfret, shark, tuna, and mackerel are a few more.

Q: What makes Goan fish curry different?

The curry base is coconut, whole spices, ginger, garlic and tamarind which makes the Goan curry different. Kashmiri chillies are specifically used because they give the food mild heat and adds orange colour.

Q: What is traditional Goan food?

The staple diet of most Goans is rice and fish curry, Once you try it, you'll understand why.

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If you have any questions not covered in this post and if you need help, leave me a comment or mail me @aarthi198689@gmail.com and I'll help as soon as I can.

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