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    TaraTeaspoon » Recipes » Chicken and Poultry

    Easy Coconut Curry Fish

    Published: May 16, 2016 · Updated: Sep 7, 2020 by Tara Teaspoon · This page contains affiliate and sponsored links. See my full disclosure

    Jump to Recipe Pin Recipe

    Homemade doesn't have to mean hard work! Coconut Curry Fish is a quick and tasty take on a classic Sri Lankan dish using supermarket basics.


    I love this recipe!
    It is one of those crave-inducing recipes that is super easy to whip together. Ideal on all fronts. It's almost so simple I want to keep it a secret; so people think I slaved away on a flavorful, sweet and savory curry all day. You guys! This takes less than half an hour to make!

    Easy Coconut Curry Fish

    Here's your coconut curry fish grocery list: a red onion, garlic, grape tomatoes, fish and coconut milk. That is, if you don't already have those things. The other ingredients are from your spice rack! Pretty sure you'll already have these spices from other recipes – fennel seeds, turmeric, basil and cayenne. I don't even count olive oil and salt. You have those.

    You saute the onion with the fennel seeds to start off. I do this to coax the flavor out of the fennel seeds. The oils in the seeds heat along with the olive oil and seep into the dish. Then the seeds themselves aren't crazy potent when you bite into one with everything else.

    I add the garlic a few minutes later with the tomatoes and spices, because I don't want it to cook too long and burn. The spices get their moment to heat up and release their flavor, and meld together.

    Easy Coconut Curry Fish

    The fish cooks very quickly. I like any kind of white fish here. That can mean tilapia, cod, flounder or even a trout or snapper. Find the kind of fish you like and just cook it until it's opaque. Thicker fish will take just a few minutes longer to cook through.

    I added the coconut milk at the end to just heat up and mix with the spice flavors. It retains it's sweetness and acts as the perfect sauce to eat with the fish and some rice.

    •TIP:  I also make this with chicken or shrimp. I cut the chicken into thin cutlets so it cooks in about the same time as tender fish. Let me know how you like this easy dinner!

    📖 Recipe

    Coconut Curry Fish in cast iron skillet

    Easy Coconut Curry Fish

    Tara Teaspoon
    Coconut milk adds delicious flavor to this Sri Lankan-inspired dish.
    4 from 2 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Work Time 25 minutes mins
    Cook Time 12 minutes mins
    Total Time 30 minutes mins
    Course Main Course
    Servings 4 Servings

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • ¾ teaspoon fennel seeds
    • 1 small red onion (sliced)
    • 1 clove garlic (minced)
    • 1 cup grape tomatoes (8 oz, halved)
    • ¼ teaspoon turmeric
    • ¾ teaspoon dried basil
    • ⅛ teaspoon cayenne
    • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
    • 4 fillets fish (tilapia, flounder or cod) (1 lb fillets)
    • 1 cup coconut milk

    Instructions
     

    • Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add fennel seeds and onion and cook 3 min. Add garlic, tomatoes, turmeric, basil, cayenne, salt and ½ cup water and bring to a simmer; cook for 6 to 7 min or until liquid is reduced by half.
    • Put fish into sauce and reduce heat to medium low, then cook for about 3 min until one side of fish turns opaque. Turn fish over. Add coconut milk, stir sauce gently and bring to a simmer; fish is done when it's opaque. Serve fish with sauce.

    Notes

    I also make this with chicken or shrimp. I cut the chicken into thin cutlets so it cooks in about the same time as tender fish.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 164kcalCarbohydrates: 6gProtein: 2gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 11gSodium: 592mgPotassium: 252mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 335IUVitamin C: 7.9mgCalcium: 28mgIron: 2.3mg
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    Tara Teaspoon

    I’ve been in food publishing for over 25 years, creating recipes & food-styling for magazines, books, television, food brands, & advertising. With two cookbooks under my belt and thousands of my recipes at your fingertips, I hope you'll be inspired to spend more time in the kitchen!

    More about Tara

    Recipe Tara Teaspoon. Photography Antonis Achilleos. Food Styling Paul Grimes. LHJ 5/2011. Prop Styling Paige Hicks.

    Comments

      4 from 2 votes

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    1. Mary says

      July 19, 2018 at 12:29 pm

      My children will love this one!

      Reply
    2. L molano says

      October 20, 2021 at 8:26 pm

      Meh....very meh. Not great not awful. Just meh...

      Reply

    Hi, I'm Tara Teaspoon!

    I’ve been sharing my original ideas for years. What began as a passion, turned into a publishing career as Food Editor at Martha Stewart Living and Ladies’ Home Journal magazines.

    Now I write cookbooks, and share delicious recipes and expert cooking tips with you here! Thanks for stopping by Tara Teaspoon!

    More about me →

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