Goan Fish Curryशितकोडी

Name: Goan Fish Curry
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Goan
Ingredients: 600g (4 steaks) whole pomfret or kingfish steaks, cleaned; 8-10 Kashmiri dry red chilies, soaked in warm water 15 minutes; 1.5 tsp coriander seeds; 1/2 tsp cumin seeds; 6-8 whole black pepper; 1/2 tsp turmeric powder; 6 garlic cloves; 1 inch piece fresh ginger; 1/2 cup grated fresh coconut or frozen grated coconut; 1 large onion, finely chopped; 1 cup coconut milk, thin or medium; 4-5 kokum pieces, soaked in 1/4 cup warm water; 2 tbsp oil; to taste salt; 2 green chilies, slit

⏱ Prep 25m🍳 Cook 25m🍽 Serves 4🌿 Non-veg

Video: Get Curried (YouTube)

This is the curry that Goan families eat with rice almost every day — a vivid red coconut gravy built on Kashmiri chilies for color and kokum for that essential sour note that sets it apart from any other coastal fish curry in India. Pomfret is the traditional choice, but kingfish, mackerel, or snapper all work with this base. The spice paste is ground fresh, and the whole dish comes together in under 30 minutes once you have your paste ready.

📍 Make it in Plano

This recipe is the same everywhere — but where you buy the ingredients and eat the dish is local to you.

Finding Desi spots near Plano…

Ingredients

▪whole pomfret or kingfish steaks, cleaned600g (4 steaks)
For the spice paste
▪Kashmiri dry red chilies, soaked in warm water 15 minutes8-10
▪coriander seeds1.5 tsp
▪cumin seeds1/2 tsp
▪black pepper6-8 whole
▪turmeric powder1/2 tsp
▪garlic cloves6
▪fresh ginger1 inch piece
▪grated fresh coconut or frozen grated coconut1/2 cup
For the curry
▪onion, finely chopped1 large
▪coconut milk, thin or medium1 cup
▪kokum pieces, soaked in 1/4 cup warm water4-5
▪oil2 tbsp
▪saltto taste
▪green chilies, slit2

🌍 Cooking abroad? Substitutions

Kokum (Garcinia indica) is the authentic souring agent here and gives the curry its distinctive reddish hue and fruity tang. Look for it at Indian or Goan grocery stores or online. If unavailable, use 1 tbsp tamarind pulp instead — the flavor shifts slightly but the dish still works well.
Fresh coconut (frozen grated coconut from Indian stores is excellent) is preferred for the paste. In a pinch, use 3 tbsp desiccated coconut soaked in warm water for 10 minutes, or 2 tbsp canned coconut cream blended into the paste.
Pomfret is rarely found outside South or Southeast Asia. Firm white fish like sea bass, halibut steaks, tilapia, or even cod work with this curry — just adjust cooking time based on thickness of the cut.

Method

1Grind all the spice paste ingredients together in a blender — soaked Kashmiri chilies (discard soaking water), coriander seeds, cumin, peppercorns, turmeric, garlic, ginger, and fresh coconut — with about 1/4 cup of water until you have a very smooth, fine paste. Set aside.
2Rub the fish pieces lightly with salt and a pinch of turmeric. Set aside for 10 minutes.
3Heat oil in a wide, shallow pan over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook for 5-6 minutes until softened and just starting to color.
4Add the ground spice paste and cook, stirring, for 5-6 minutes until the paste darkens slightly and the oil begins to separate around the edges.
5Pour in the coconut milk and 1/2 cup water. Stir well. Add the slit green chilies and the kokum along with its soaking liquid. Bring to a simmer and taste for salt.
6Gently slide in the fish pieces. Cook uncovered on medium-low heat for 8-10 minutes, turning the fish once carefully halfway through, until the fish is just cooked through and the curry has thickened slightly.
7Serve immediately with steamed rice. The curry tastes even better after resting for 30 minutes as the flavors settle.

A Desi.Net original recipe · part of our Indian Cuisine library. Confirm details and adjust to taste.