Simple Fish Curry – Easy, Flavourful & Quick to Make

This simple fish curry came about because I’ve been watching Alone lately — and all that fishing made me crave it. Years ago, when we lived in Far North Queensland, fish was cheap and plentiful, and we ate a lot of it. These days, we eat it far less often, but I decided to make this dish again — and I’m so glad I did. It’s quick, full of flavour, and made with coconut milk, curry powder, and fresh vegetables. A comforting, one-pan dinner that’s ready in about 30 minutes. If you’re after another quick dinner that’s just as comforting, my Lentil & Pumpkin Dal is both delicious and nutritious — and I’ve made that one hundreds of times.

Simple Fish Curry – Quick, Easy & Delicious

Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

This simple fish curry is quick, comforting, and full of flavour. It’s inspired by my time living in Far North Australia — a dish we used to eat often when fish was plentiful. Now we enjoy it occasionally, and it always brings back memories. Made with coconut milk, curry powder, and fresh vegetables, it’s a one-pan dinner that comes together fast and tastes even better with steamed rice.

Print Recipe

Ingredients

 

• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger grated
• 2 cloves garlic grated or finely chopped
• 1 red capsicum sliced
• A few stalks of broccolini diagonally cut
• A couple of big handfuls of baby spinach
• Cherry tomatoes halved
• Neutral oil enough to cover the base of the pan
• 1-3 teaspoons curry powder depending on your heat level
• 2 teaspoons fish sauce
• 1 can coconut milk or cream 400ml
• Small handful of curry leaves optional
• 1 teaspoon vegetable stock powder
• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 700 grams fish fillets
• Juice from half a lime or lemon

Instructions

 

Prep

• Since this recipe cooks up fast, I like to prep all the ingredients first. Slice the red capsicum and diagonally cut the broccolini. Halve the cherry tomatoes and wash the baby spinach. Grate the fresh ginger and garlic.

Start Cooking

• Begin by cooking your rice because the curry comes together quickly.

Sauté

• Warm up a frying pan over medium heat and add enough neutral oil to cover the base. Add the grated ginger and a big teaspoon of curry powder. Sauté for about 30 seconds, then add the garlic and sauté for another 30 seconds.
• Add fish sauce and coconut milk or cream. Stir well. If you have them, throw in a small handful of curry leaves. Then add vegetable stock powder and turmeric powder for colour.
• Once the mixture comes to a boil, add the prepared vegetables and lay the fish fillets on top. I prefer to keep the fillets whole. Sprinkle over brown sugar, cover with a lid, reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, and let it steam for about 8 minutes.

Reduce Sauce

• To finish the sauce, remove the vegetables and fish and boil the sauce for a few minutes to thicken it. Taste and adjust to your liking. I added an extra teaspoon of curry powder and the juice from half a lemon for acidity, but I usually use lime instead but was out of it.

Finish

• Return the fish and vegetables to the pan, sprinkle over the spinach and cherry tomatoes without stirring them in, just to warm them through. Cover the pan, turn off the heat, and let it sit for a couple of minutes while you get the bowls ready.
• Spoon the curry over a generous serving of rice. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

• Inspired by our time living in Far North Queensland when fish was cheap and plentiful.
• Great with white rice, basmati, or even jasmine rice.
• Hoki works well, but you can use any mild white fish fillet.
• Curry powder strength varies — start mild and taste as you go.