Goa Fish Curry is a warm and spicy fish curry full of Indian coastal flavors. Made from simple ingredients, it is ready in less than 20 minutes.
Goa, a coastal state in India, is popular for its fabulous beaches, tropical climate, and fantastic food. It is the smallest state in India, but because of its unique cuisine, and especially due to the use of simple ingredients and robust flavors, it is slowly becoming popular all over the world.
Just like Pork Vindaloo, another popular curry from Goa, this curry also has a slight spicy note, but the note in this recipe comes from the use of tamarind paste and not vinegar. However, you can use vinegar instead of tamarind if you don't have tamarind paste on hand.
I got this recipe from the chef of the beautiful resort where my husband and I spent an unforgettable holiday in Goa in 2009.
Serve this spicy fish curry from Goa with some hot steamed rice to pamper your palate. Believe me, this curry is unique and you will definitely love it, as it bursts with flavors.
Ingredients for my Goa Fish Curry
To marinate the fish:
Fish – You can use any firm white fish of your choice to prepare this Goan curry. I used pollock, but you can choose between salmon, cod, or tilapia.
The fish is marinated with salt, turmeric powder, and lime juice. Use freshly squeezed lime juice for the best flavor.
To make the masala paste:
This fish curry uses a freshly ground masala paste, which gives it a unique and refreshing taste.
For this you need whole spices like black peppercorns, cinnamon, and cloves.
You also need cumin seeds, whole coriander seeds, grated fresh coconut, dried red Kashmiri chilies, and garlic to make the paste.
I prefer to use dried red Kashmiri chilies, as they give the curry a fantastic bright red color without making it too spicy. You can use any dried red chili available to you. If you want a milder curry, you can reduce the dried chilies and remove their seeds.
You can either grate fresh coconut at home or buy it in the frozen section of an Indian grocery store. You can substitute fresh coconut with unsweetened desiccated coconut. However, you will need more water to prepare the paste.
Garlic is a must, as it gives a distinctive flavor that is hard to miss. I often peel and chill the garlic cloves in a glass jar for about 5-6 days, so I always have them available and save time peeling.
For the curry:
Vegetable oil – Use any cooking oil such as sunflower oil, canola oil, or light olive oil.
Green chilies - Adjust the green chilies to your taste.
Tamarind paste - Tamarind pulp gives this curry a nice tang. If not available, you could use lime juice or white vinegar instead.
Chili powder - You can substitute red Kashmiri chili powder with cayenne pepper powder.
Coconut milk - I used tetrapack coconut milk, but you can also use canned milk or freshly prepared milk. Coconut cream also works well.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve homemade Goa fish curry with hot steamed rice for an incredible Goan treat.
- You can also serve a burger bun similar to the traditional bread from Goa, Poi or Pav, along with this fish curry.
Storage Suggestions
- This delicious fish curry can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
- Reheat in the microwave or in a pan on the stove.
- Just add some water if the curry has thickened after cooling.
Ingredients for 4 people
To marinate the fish
- 1 pound fish (I used pollock)
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
- To make the ground masala paste
- 2 tbsp whole coriander seeds
- 2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 cup grated fresh coconut
- 6-8 whole dried red Kashmiri chilies, stems removed
- 4-5 garlic cloves, peeled
- ½ tsp black peppercorns
- 3-4 cloves
- 2.5 cm cinnamon stick
- ¾ cup water
- To make the curry
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 green chili, chopped
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 tomato, finely chopped
- 1 tsp red Kashmiri chili powder
- 2 tsp tamarind paste
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 2 ½ cups water
- 2 tsp salt (or to taste)
- 1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
Instructions
Marinate the fish:
Wash the fish with water. Drain well and place in a medium mixing bowl along with salt, turmeric powder, and lime juice. Mix well to coat the fish.
Set the bowl aside for 15 minutes.
Prepare the ground Goan masala paste:
Add coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fresh coconut, dried red Kashmiri chilies, garlic, black peppercorns, cloves, and cinnamon stick along with ¾ cup of water to a high-speed blender and blend into a smooth paste.
Prepare the curry:
Heat vegetable oil in a pan over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the marinated fish to the pan and fry for 2-3 minutes on each side until lightly browned. Remove the fried fish to a plate and set aside.
Add green chilies to the remaining oil and fry for 3-4 seconds. Then add the onion and fry for about 2-3 minutes until they become translucent.
Then add tomatoes and red Kashmiri chili powder to the pan and sauté for 1-2 minutes until the tomatoes are slightly mushy. While cooking, mash the tomatoes with the back of a ladle.
Now add the ground masala paste that we prepared earlier, along with 1 cup of water and tamarind paste to the pan and mix everything well.
Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 6-8 minutes, until the oil begins to separate at the sides of the pan.
Add coconut milk and 1 ½ cups of water and mix well.
Carefully add the cooked fish, season with salt, and bring the curry to a boil.
Reduce the heat to low and let everything simmer for 3-4 minutes.
Garnish with fresh coriander
Tips
- You can use any firm white fish of your choice to prepare this Goan curry. I used pollock cubes, but you can choose haddock, cod, or tilapia.
- To reduce the spiciness of the curry, you can reduce the amount of red chilies accordingly.
- Tamarind paste gives this curry a nice tang. If it's not available, you can use lime juice or vinegar instead.
- I used tetrapack coconut milk, but you can also use canned milk or freshly prepared milk.
- You can replace fresh coconut with unsweetened desiccated coconut. However, you will need more water to prepare the paste.