WAIT!! Before you stomp out of here thinking, “eww! That doesn’t sound appetizing at all!”, just hang on! Fish curry is delicious, I promise! Don’t be afraid of the title- all it is is fresh, beautiful catfish filets simmered in a rich, thick sauce of coconut milk, chicken broth and warm Indian spices. Sounds pretty good after all, huh? My coworker, friend, pianist extraordinaire, and awesome home cook, Janna introduced us to fish curry. She served it to Joel at a Christmas party and he hasn’t shut up about it since. So, being the sweetheart that I am, I emailed Janna and asked her for her recipe so I could recreate it for Joel as a surprise. Believe it or not, this was my very first attempt at Indian food. And I have to admit I was pretty proud of myself after this one. I nailed it.
Joel was SO impressed with this dish- he said I could certainly make this as often as I wanted! Yay me! Yay Janna! 🙂 If you’ve never really tried curries or Indian cooking, I strongly encourage you to step out of your comfort zone and give this a try. Not only is it ridiculously easy, it’s extremely delicious. I can’t wait to make this again and again!
Fish Curry
2-3 fish filets (I used catfish but flounder, tilapia, or any other white fish will do), cut into 2-inch pieces
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt and pepper
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala powder
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 cup coconut milk
squeeze of fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon tamarind paste (if you can’t find this, just omit)
fresh cilantro, chopped
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat; saute the onion for about 5-7 minutes, until softened then add the garlic and saute for a few seconds more. Add the salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, turmeric, garam masala, curry powder, and cumin, chicken broth, coconut milk, lemon juice, tamarind paste and cilantro.
Bring to a simmer then reduce heat to low and add the fish, being careful not to over-stir (the fish will break apart). Cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally (very carefully) until the fish is cooked through. Serve over basmati rice. Serves 4.
Recipe source: adapted from my friend Janna
Fish Curry?! Wow! You are brave! For some reason anything involving seafood and curry makes me nervous lol. But yours looks amazing and the flavor profile sounds delicious! 🙂
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amy Reply:
May 5th, 2011 at 9:03 AM
Thanks Jess! I have to admit, I was a little nervous at first but once I stirred in all those great spices I could tell by the smell it was going to rock!
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Comment by Jessica — May 5, 2011 @ 2:17 AM
It would never even cross my mind to think the words ‘fish’ and ‘curry’ do not fit together! I love both and I love them together. Good job stepping out of your comfort zone, we should all do that more often!
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amy Reply:
May 5th, 2011 at 9:05 AM
Thank you! I’m really trying to get better at trying recipes that are outside of my little bubble! I think this dish was a great start! I can’t wait to try other Indian dishes!
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Comment by Nuts about Food — May 5, 2011 @ 3:03 AM
That looks absolutely amazing! I love fish and I love curry, you have just combined my two favorite foods! Just looking at it makes my mouth water!
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amy Reply:
May 5th, 2011 at 9:03 AM
Thanks so much!! 🙂
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Comment by Zeiss conquest — May 5, 2011 @ 4:03 AM
This looks really, really good – this coming from someone who likes her catfish deep-fried with a side of coleslaw!! Can’t wait to try it!
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Comment by Mother — May 5, 2011 @ 12:19 PM
We make my mom’s salmon curry and it’s fabulous! Even my kids love it (although we call it fish and rice so they don’t freak out!)!
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Comment by Hayley — May 5, 2011 @ 1:12 PM
I feel like the second people hear the word fish, they think of the fishiest smelling fish ever. And that sounds gross. But your fish curry looks awesome! The fish looks light and delish and perfect for the season! I’ll have to make this for myself, since there’s no way I could convince B to eat it… What a bum.
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Comment by Kim — May 5, 2011 @ 6:09 PM
I have a pound of catfish in my freezer waiting for inspiration. This looks great!
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Comment by branny — May 5, 2011 @ 7:26 PM
I just recently discovered how yummy fish curry is and can’t wait to try your recipe. We don’t have Tamarind Paste at the supermarket but I’m gonna get some from Amazon cuz I’ve seen it in many recipes and totally wanna try it!
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Comment by Cookie — May 6, 2011 @ 11:29 AM
we LOVE curry and have never tried it with seafood. thanks for sharing this recipe, i’ll keep it in mind!
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Comment by natalie (the sweets life) — May 6, 2011 @ 2:07 PM
At last, a way to prepare catfish that doesn’t involve deep frying! 🙂 Sounds delish!
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Comment by Kimby — May 11, 2011 @ 8:10 PM
Just made your Fish Curry and you were right, Amy — you NAILED it — FABULOUS flavor!
I was out of basmati rice, so I made a batch of “coconut curry rice” (using plain ol’ white rice), and it complemented the flavors well. (Will make it “per your recipe” as soon as the next catfish comes out of the lake — I don’t usually mess with success the first time I try a recipe, but sometimes ya gotta punt… :)) Thank you, Amy — and thank your friend, Janna, too — GREAT recipe!
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amy Reply:
May 19th, 2011 at 7:12 PM
Yay Kimby! I’m so happy you loved it! I’ve been dying to make it again! Thanks for letting me know! 🙂
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Comment by Kimby — May 19, 2011 @ 6:42 PM
[…] but not least, I’d like to share Fish Curry with you, which I spied on Sing For Your Supper.  Coconut milk. Curry powder. […]
Pingback by A Mixture Of Incongruous Elements « a little lunch — June 1, 2011 @ 9:49 PM
If you’re having a tough time finding a good garam masala for this recipe, I used RawSpiceBar’s freshly ground garam masala spice blend and it was wonderful in this dish.
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Comment by Lylah — September 18, 2015 @ 6:29 PM
The wood is screwed toehegtr (evenly spaced) with large 6” screws designed for joining landscaping timbers. The corners are then drilled using a long wood bit and 110v drill. Also drill three holes on long side and two holes on short evenly spaced. Hammer rebar into holes down into ground. You may want to trim rebar depending on length so it goes at least 2’ into ground below wood.
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Comment by Mahboub — October 10, 2015 @ 3:38 AM