Goan Fish Curry
The tropical climate and beaches of Goa have long since been a magnet for travellers from all over the world, with a reputation in particular for attracting the hippie crowd and British backpackers … and Aussies! Of all the region’s dishes, along with Vindaloo perhaps one of the most well known is Goan Fish Curry. Pronounced go-an (as opposed to “groan” without the “r”!), it’s an aromatic curry with a blend of spices, garlic, ginger and onion along with fresh tomato and coconut. And unlike other popular Indian curries, such as everybody’s favourite Butter Chicken and Tikka Masala, Goan Fish Curry has a touch of tang to it which cuts through the richness of the sauce. Here’s a little preview of what’s coming your way….
About this particular Goan Fish Curry recipe
This Goan Fish Curry recipe is marginally more involved than most of the basic homestyle and online recipes you’ll see which typically have thin sauces and lack real depth of flavour in the sauce. This version specifically aims to achieve the same character and layers of flavour like you get at good Indian restaurants. Specifically, this is a copycat of Malabar South Indian Restaurant in Crows Nest, Sydney, a long standing institution known for its excellent authentic Southern Indian food!
Goan Fish Curry Paste
The foundation of Goan Fish Curry is a curry paste which, once you gather the necessary spices, is a breeze to make. Here’s what you need – but don’t fret if you see spices you don’t recognise, I have substitutions!
Kashmiri chilli – this is an Indian chilli that is a little smoky as well as spicy, and at the time of writing I believe it’s only found in Indian and some Asian grocery stores (some have Indian sections). The Kashmiri Chilli gives the curry sauce a bright red colour without overwhelming chilli heat. If you can’t find it, sub with smoked paprika + chilli powder (pure chilli powder, not US Chili Powder which is a blend) or cayenne pepper). Flavour wise this is actually pretty close, you just won’t get quite the same red colour; Fenugreek – another Indian specific cooking spice that calls for a trip to the Indian store. It actually kind of smells like maple syrup, though doesn’t taste like it when raw. It’s not a key ingredient so if you can’t find it, just leave it out; Tumeric – this warm earthy spice with an intense yellow colour gives the curry a warm yellow glow. Widely available at ordinary grocery stores nowadays; Coriander, cumin and ground cloves – three common spices in both Indian and Western cooking; Fresh garlic and ginger – staples in most Indian cooking again. Finely grate it to get all the juicy flavour; Tamarind – this sour paste is the sour element in Goan Fish Curry. It’s not overly sour, it’s just a background flavour but noticeable – and it’s one of the things that sets it apart from other Indian curries.Tamarind paste is made from the pulp of tamarind, a tropical fruit. It’s also used in South East Asian cooking – such as everybody’s favourite Pad Thai, Massaman Curry and Beef Rendang. Best sub: Ketchup plus white vinegar. I know, it sounds weird, but this combo replicates the thickness and sourness of tamarind. It’s the sub I use for Pad Thai and the results are phenomenal – and if you browse reader feedback, there’s plenty of positive comments around this sub.
Here’s how I make the curry paste – with a blender stick in a tall mason jar (I’m sure it came with a milkshake container, but I can’t locate it!).
This is a handy way to make small-batch curry pastes that is easy to scrape out. It’s a nightmare trying to scrape the paste out of a blender jug! If you use a food processor, use a small one – it doesn’t need to be super powerful because there’s nothing hard in the curry paste. If you don’t have any of these, you can use a mortar and pestle or, as a last resort, finely grate the onion into a wet paste then just mix it up with the other ingredients.
Goan Fish Curry Sauce
And here’s what you need for the curry sauce in addition to the curry paste:
Black mustard seeds – they look like poppyseeds but have a slight wasabi-like bite to them. Not spicy, more a fresh zing. It’s about $1.50 in small packs at Indian grocery stores – I go to Indian Emporium in Dee Why on the Northern Beaches, Sydney. Also sold in the Indian food section at some Woolworths (Australia) $1.70, and online!Not a key ingredient in this recipe so don’t stress if you can’t find it. Sub (starting with best): brown mustard seeds, yellow mustard seeds, 1/4 tsp mustard powder, 1/2 tsp Garam Masala (different flavour, but is intended to make up for absence).Also used in: South Indian Eggplant Curry, Dal, Samosa Pie;
Chilli powder – this is pure ground chilli that is spicy, not the blend sold in the US as “Chili Powder”. Sub with cayenne pepper; Fresh green chilli – these are more for visual than to add flavour or spice into the dish so these can be omitted if you prefer. Because these are large chillies, they are not very spicy; Coconut milk – full fat best, for flavour and sauce thickness. Ayam is my brand of choice – it’s got the highest coconut % and therefore best flavour (89%). Economical brands can have as low as 40% so the flavour is nowhere near as good.Alternatives: Evaporated milk, cream or light cream (though you do lose the coconut flavour, there’s tons of flavour from the spices!);
Tomato pulp – use tomato polpa / pulp if you can find it (it’s finely chopped tomato, I use Mutti) otherwise tomato passata (aka tomato puree or strained tomato) or even canned crushed tomato will work just fine here; Whole tomato – cut into chunks for stirring into the sauce; Tomato paste – for thickening and a touch of extra tart; and Sugar – to balance the sour flavours. If you use an economical coconut milk (ie lower coconut %) then you may need to dial it up a touch.
Best Fish for Curry
You can use virtually any fish in this curry – white fish fillets, salmon, trout. See below for a list of recommended common fish. This curry is also a very good way to use economical frozen fish because unlike for dishes like Ceviche and Poke Bowls, sashimi-grade freshness is not paramount here. The same rule of thumb goes for say Moqueca (Brazilian Fish Stew) and my Chinese Rice Soup.
For white fish, firm-fleshed fish are ideal, such as:
Spanish mackerel (king mackerel in the USA is very similar) – this is what I used, excellent value tilapia snapper barramundi cod (all types) mahi-mahi halibut basa ling
Specifically, curry is very good for economical fish, “fishy” fish and freshwater fish that can sometimes have a bit of a muddy flavour because the strong flavour of the curry sauce will disguise any shortfall in fish flavour. Fun fact: you’ll find that fish dishes in inland areas of China and other Asian countries that only have access to freshwater fish are mostly served with very strong flavoured sauces – to disguise that muddy flavour. 🙂 Not everyone has access to sparkling fresh saltwater fish!
Fish best avoided include:
Fish that easily goes dry if cooked too long – tuna, bonito, swordfish, marlin, kingfish Very oily fish – sardines, mullet, herring Delicate-textured white fish – flathead, gemfish/hake, sole (not ideal as they can break up easily, but are still OK if you’re careful)
How to make Goan Fish Curry
And here’s how to make it. Once you’ve measured out the ingredients, it takes less than 20 minutes:
What to serve with Goan Fish Curry
As with all south Indian curries, the traditional way to serve this is with white basmati rice, though it’s perfectly acceptable and just as delicious served with plain white rice, jasmine or brown rice (brown basmati rice is terrific!). If you’re going low carb or want to cut calories, then cauliflower rice works, though nothing beats the real thing. 🙂 If flatbreads are your thing, a side of my Naan (5 years in the making, this recipe!) for mopping the plate clean would be wonderful. Otherwise this general-purpose Easy Soft Flatbread makes a great alternative. For something fresh, a favourite is a cool, refreshing Yogurt Cucumber Salad. The minted lemon yogurt dressing with the juicy bites of cucumber is literally made for Indian food. Indian Tomato Salad with Mint Raita is another super-fresh salad to cool that Kashmiri chilli heat. For something a little different and in the spirit of South Indian food, give this Cabbage & Carrot Salad with Coconut a whirl! Going all the way to create the ultimate Indian feast? Try Samosas or Pakoras for the perfect appetiser/entree!
Sides for Goan Fish Curry
We all know that fish is good for you, and we should eat more of it. So now you’ve got a brand new exciting way to cook fish, what are you waiting for??! 😇 Try it! And if you do, let me know what you think! – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
More curries to spice up your life!
Life of Dozer
A photographer at the dog beach – Unleashed Northern Beaches – caught this photo of Dozer on the weekend! I loved it so much I bought it, and I think I’ll even get it framed. 🙂
