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AI-generated photograph: Sri Lankan fish curry in a shallow white bowl, pale gold coconut sauce around chunks of white fish, dark curry leaves, slit green chillies and coriander, a neat mound of basmati rice to one side

Home · Recipes · Sri Lankan white fish curry with coconut

South Asian · Dinner

Sri Lankan white fish curry with coconut

coconut-poached cod · curry leaf · lime

AI-generated photograph

Chunks of white fish gently poached in a coconut sauce fragrant with curry leaves, cinnamon, mustard seeds and fresh chilli, with a squeeze of lime. Bright, warming and lighter than it tastes.

Contains: fish and mustard, as written. This recipe contains fish and mustard, from the mustard seeds. Coconut milk is not counted as a tree nut under UK rules. Leave out the mustard seeds for anyone with a mustard allergy.

Ingredients

  • 600g firm skinless white fish, such as cod or hake loin, cut into 4cm chunks
  • Half a teaspoon ground turmeric
  • Half a teaspoon salt, then more to taste
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 2 tablespoons (30ml) vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
  • Half a teaspoon fenugreek seeds
  • 12 to 15 curry leaves, fresh or dried
  • 1 onion, thinly sliced
  • 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • A thumb-sized piece of ginger (about 20g), peeled and cut into thin matchsticks
  • 2 green chillies, slit down one side
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 2 teaspoons ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon chilli powder
  • 2 tomatoes, chopped
  • 1 x 400ml tin coconut milk
  • To serve: 300g basmati rice
  • A small handful of fresh coriander (about 15g)

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Let's cook

  1. Put the fish in a bowl with the turmeric, salt and half the lime juice. Turn the pieces gently to coat them and leave them in the fridge while you make the sauce.
  2. Heat the oil in a large, wide pan on a medium heat. Add the mustard seeds and, once they start to pop (after about 30 seconds), add the fenugreek seeds and curry leaves. Stand back, because the leaves spit.
  3. Add the onion and cook for 8 minutes until soft and golden. Add the garlic, ginger, green chillies and cinnamon stick and cook for 2 minutes more.
  4. Stir in the ground coriander, cumin and chilli powder for 30 seconds, then add the tomatoes. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring, until they soften into a thick paste.
  5. Pour in the coconut milk and 100ml water and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for 5 minutes so the flavours come together. Meanwhile, start the rice: rinse it until the water runs almost clear, put it in a pan with 550ml water and a pinch of salt, bring to the boil, cover, turn the heat to its lowest and cook for 10 minutes, then leave it covered off the heat for 5 minutes.
  6. Slide the fish into the sauce in one layer. Spoon the sauce over it, cover the pan and simmer very gently for 5 to 7 minutes, without stirring, until the fish is white all the way through and flakes when you press it.
  7. Add the rest of the lime juice, taste and add salt if needed. Take out the cinnamon stick. Scatter with coriander and serve with the rice.

Tips

  • Do not stir once the fish is in, or it will break up. Gently shake the pan instead.
  • Fresh curry leaves are sold in the world foods aisle or Asian shops. Freeze what you do not use; they keep their flavour well.
  • Cool any leftover rice within an hour, keep it in the fridge and eat it within a day. Reheat it until it is steaming hot.

Swaps

  • Milder: use 1 green chilli and half a teaspoon of chilli powder, or paprika in place of chilli powder.
  • Cheaper: frozen white fish fillets work well. Defrost them in the fridge overnight and pat them dry first.
  • No fish: use 2 x 400g tins of chickpeas, drained, and simmer them for 10 minutes in the sauce.

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Our own recipe. The photograph is AI-generated.

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