This is the dish for a fantastically flavorful weeknight meal, my friend. You don’t need any special cooking techniques, and it comes together in literally half an hour. Plus, if you’re not a big fan of dishes with a strong fishy flavor, the bold spices from the curry have got you covered. 😉 More on that secret weapon. My homemade Jamaican curry powder is what makes this dish! You can totally use the store-bought variety, but I highly recommend trying the homemade version. The flavor is spectacular, you can customize the spices, and there are no sneaky preservatives or hidden ingredients. 👌
Recipe Ingredients
Fish Steak – Two to three pounds of fresh fish steaks are perfect for this recipe. You could even use frozen fish if you’d like. Seasonings – Curry powder, minced garlic and ginger, thyme, bay leaves, basil, paprika (regular or smoked), and parsley come together beautifully for this curry fish. Veggies – Onions, tomatoes, and red and green peppers all make an appearance in this particular curry. Coconut Milk – Full-fat coconut milk for the win, my friend. The higher the fat, the more flavor you’ll get from this ingredient. Hot Peppers – Spicy peppers like habanero, scotch bonnet, or chili peppers are optional here, but I highly recommend them if you can handle the heat. 💥
How to Make Curry Fish
Prep the Fish
Season fish with salt, curry powder, white pepper, and ½ teaspoon garlic, and set aside. You may do this just before cooking but for best results, season the fish and store it overnight in the refrigerator before cooking the following day. (Photos 1-2) Sear – In a cast iron skillet, heat oil over medium heat until it’s hot. Then, add the fish and brown on both sides – 3-5 minutes or until the fish is nicely browned. You can skip these steps if you’d like, but note that they do cut down on the fishy flavor. (Photo 3) Set Aside – Remove the fish and set it aside. Drain most of the oil, leaving only about 2 tablespoons in the pan.
Make the Curry
Saute – Add onions, minced garlic, ginger, thyme, curry powder, and bay leaf, stirring for about 2-3 minutes, allowing the flavors to blossom. Then, add the tomatoes and cook for another 3 minutes. (Photos 4-6) Coconut Milk – Pour the coconut milk and water in and continue cooking for about 3-5 minutes. (Photos 7-8) Add Heat – Next, throw in the hot peppers, if you’re using any, along with the bell pepper, basil leaves, and smoked paprika. (Photo 9) Add Fish – Return the fish to the pot with its accumulated juice. Bring everything to a boil, adjust the salt, and cook for about 10 minutes. (Photo 10) Finishing Touches – Finally, add the chopped parsley, adjust the sauce thickness, and season with water or broth. Serve warm, and enjoy. 😁
Recipe Variations
Tips and Tricks
Make-Ahead Instructions
You can make this dish the day before if you’d like. Simply reheat it on the stovetop over medium heat until it’s warmed through. Fish will last a month or two in the freezer but can lose its texture after that. 😬
Serving and Storage Instructions
Serve curry fish warm over a bed of steaming rice. You can store leftover fish in an airtight container in the fridge for three days. Reheat it in the microwave or stovetop, but don’t overheat it. The goal is to warm the fish up, not to cook it even more, which could make it turn tough.
What Goes With Curry Fish
Rice and curry were made for each other, and you can make any kind of rice you like. I usually do simple white rice or rice pilaf, but other tasty options include yellow rice or coconut rice. Watermelon salad is a surprising pairing that also tastes amazing alongside this curry. And, of course, don’t forget some dipping bread for that curry sauce. I love flatbread or Indian fry bread with curry fish.
More Simple Curry Recipes to Try
Conclusion
A weeknight meal that only takes 30 minutes to make and is a total flavor explosion? Now that’s a recipe you should add to your weekly meal plan! Don’t forget to let me know how you liked it in the comments after you give it a try. 🤗
Watch How to Make It
[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”qXZkAiPZ” upload-date=”2020-08-02T09:20:56.000Z” name=”Curry Fish” description=”Curry Fish – spicy, savory fish meal simmered in aromatic spices and herbs with coconut milk and homemade curry powder. An extremely delicious weeknight meal just in time for the Lenten season.” player-type=”collapse” override-embed=”false”] This blog post was originally published in March 2018 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video.
