This South Indian-inspired Fish Curry with Prawns will have you salivating! A simple & quick curry that’s aromatic with the right spices
Indian curry at home in approx. 30 mins!
This Indian-inspired South Indian Fish Curry curry promises so much flavour. We’re talking about garlic, ginger, onions, curry leaves, chillies, turmeric, dried herbs and spices, coconut milk and tamarind.
Just thinking about all these aromatic ingredients in one dish makes my mouth water. Let’s not forget about the chunky pieces of fish and…. plump prawns. Yes, I had to add prawns because I couldn’t help myself. I mean, what seafood lover is going to complain about finding prawns in their curry?
At first glance, this recipe may look a little complicated because of the long list of ingredients. However, it’s relatively quick and simple. We’re making the curry from scratch, but with a little help from our food processor. So, this gorgeous curry will be ready on the table in approximately 30 minutes!
Expect a unique-tasting curry that’s a little tart, a bit sweet and deliciously savoury. The beautifully balanced flavour goes perfectly with seafood. It’s also a lighter curry that’s not too rich, which I appreciate. Serve this gorgeous curry with rice, roti or naan and your tastebuds will certainly thank you!
South Indian Fish Curry curry
In August 2018, we booked our trip to visit South India and stay in Kerala for 7 days. Unfortunately, we had to cancel our trip just a week prior because of the devastating floods that hit that area.
It was one of the worst floods South India had experienced and it was all over the news here. Sadly, hundreds of people lost their lives, and they evacuated around a million people from the area.
We ended up extending our trip to Sri Lanka, which we had planned to visit after Kerala. After a week in Colombo, we visited other parts of Sri Lanka.
We still haven’t been to India, but are still keen to visit one day. I was so excited about our planned trip in 2018 that I read about South Indian dishes. This was how I discovered their fish curry.
Disappointed we didn’t make it there, I brought a little of India to our house by attempting to make their fish curry after our trip from Sri Lanka. I’m so glad I did because we love this curry and I’ve made it often. After a few years, I’ve tweaked a few things to make it easier to prepare at home. It still tastes authentic and delicious as the first time I made it.
Crazy about flavourful curries? We are too! Check out these recipes:
Indian-style Mango Chicken Curry
Red Duck Curry with Lychees
Thai Prawn and Pumpkin Curry
Easy Homemade Butter Chicken
Ingredients for Indian Fish and Curry
Firm white fish – I used snapper fillets, but any firm white fish such as bream, barramundi, flathead or perch would work. Ask your fishmonger to remove the skin and bones for you.
Prawns – I used frozen peeled prawns, which were conveniently deveined and cleaned before packaging. If using frozen prawns, thaw them in the fridge before use. The weight of the prawns called for in this recipe is for ‘prawn meat’, so if you’re using prawns with shells, peel and clean them before weighing them.
Curry leaves are so fragrant and I love cooking with them. They have a gorgeous peppery and citrus aroma. I rarely have trouble finding them, as supermarkets and greengrocers usually have them stocked near the herbs section. Don’t tempt to substitute curry leaves for curry powder because they’re not interchangeable.
Tamarind puree – (tamarind concentrate or paste) is what makes this dish sour. You can find a jar of tamarind puree in the international section in supermarkets or at Asian grocery stores. Some supermarkets also stock them.
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How to make Indian Fish and Curry
Step-by-step guide with photos
Place all the dried spices ingredients in a small frying pan over medium-high heat. Dry roast, stirring or shaking the pan regularly for 1 to 2 minutes so they won’t burn. Allow the spices to cool for 5 minutes.
Transfer the spices into a spice grinder or mortar and pestle and work/process until it’s fine powder consistency. A small powerful food processor would work too, but the spices will be coarser.
Heat oil in a large deep frying pan over medium-high heat. Place in the garlic, onion, ginger, curry leaves and chillies, stirring quickly for 1 to 2 minutes or until fragrant. Add in the dried spices, tomatoes, and turmeric, then stir for 2 minutes.
Pour in the coconut milk and water, then bring to a boil. Stir in the tamarind, sugar and salt then decrease the heat to low. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or until the sauce thickens.
Increase the heat to medium-high, then add in the fish and prawns. Stir gently just until the seafood turns opaque (3 to 4 minutes). If the curry is too thick, add a few tablespoons of water. Have a taste of the curry and add more tamarind, salt, or sugar to your liking if needed. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the coriander. Serve with rice, roti or naan bread.
Leftovers – Allow the fish curry to cool completely at room temperature, then transfer into a sealed container and store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
I’ve used a third-party application to calculate the calories and nutritional information, so please use this as an approximate guide only.
Cooking measurements are in Australian standard spoon and cup measurements. For specific details and conversions, visit our Australian Cooking Measurements page.
I would love your feedback and support if you made this recipe. To do this, please rate this recipe and provide a comment by scrolling down this page or by clicking that green circle on the bottom left. An email address is required (for spam), but it won’t be published. I would also love to see your dish, so don’t forget to tag me on my Instagram account ‘3catsfoodie’
Cheers – Cat T
Indian fish curry with Prawns
Ingredients
FOR THE SEAFOOD
- 400 gm firm white fish (chop into bite-sized pieces) (NOTE 1)
- 300 gm large raw prawns (NOTE 2)
FOR THE DRIED SPICES
- 4 whole dried cloves
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tbsp coriander seeds
- 1 tbsp mustard seeds
FOR THE PAN
- ¼ cup vegetable oil (or canola)
- 4 garlic cloves (minced)
- 1 medium brown/yellow onion (finely chopped)
- 40 gm fresh ginger (finely grated)
- 10 fresh curry leaves (NOTE 3)
- 2 small fresh red chillies (sliced thinly)
- 180 gm cherry tomatoes (approx. 10, chopped in half)
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 400 ml coconut milk (canned)
- ½ cup water
- 1 tbsp tamarind puree (NOTE 4)
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- ⅓ cup finely chopped coriander
- salt, sugar or tamarind (to taste)
Instructions
- Place all the dried spices ingredients in a small frying pan over medium-high heat. Dry roast, stirring or shaking the pan regularly for 1 to 2 minutes so they won't burn. Allow the spices to cool for 5 minutes.
- Transfer the spices into a spice grinder or mortar and pestle and work/process until it's fine powder consistency. A small powerful food processor would work too, but the spices will be coarser.
- Heat oil in a large deep frying pan over medium-high heat. Place in the garlic, onion, ginger, curry leaves and chillies, stirring quickly for 1 to 2 minutes or until fragrant. Add in the dried spices, tomatoes, and turmeric, then stir for 2 minutes.
- Pour in the coconut milk and water, then bring to a boil. Stir in the tamarind, sugar and salt then decrease the heat to low. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or until the sauce thickens.
- Increase the heat to medium-high, then add in the fish and prawns. Stir gently just until the seafood turns opaque (3 to 4 minutes). If the curry is too thick, add a few tablespoons of water. Have a taste of the curry and add more tamarind, salt, or sugar to your liking if needed. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the coriander. Serve with rice, roti or naan bread.
