This unique Bengali fish curry recipe, features a light and fragrant coconut sauce with mustard and poppy seeds. It’s a quick and easy curry to make at home and one of the tastiest ever!
1.5lbwhite fish(700g) (cut into large chunks) (fish suggestions below)
Garnishes
¼cupcilantro(chopped)
¼cupradishes(finely diced)
¼cupcelery(finely diced)
Instructions
For the Bengal curry paste
Add the dried chillies, cumin seeds, poppy seeds and coriander seeds to a dry frying pan and toast for 1 minute until the cumin seeds start to jump around. Remove from the heat and add to a spice grinder and grind into a fine powder. Stir in the turmeric, salt and sugar and 1/2 cup of the coconut milk and set aside.
For the curry
In a wok or deep sauce pan, heat the oil over a moderate temperature until just hot. Add the curry paste along and fry for 1 minute, until the oil separates.
Pour in the remaining coconut milk, 1/4 cup water, chopped chillies, potatoes and tomato and stir well. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to low and simmer gently, uncovered for 12 minutes until creamy. The potatoes should be cooked too.
Stir in the tamarind liquid and then carefully add the fish chunks and simmer for 5-10 minutes (depending how large your fish pieces are), covered, without stirring until the fish is cooked through.
Remove from the heat and serve scattered with cilantro, celery and radish with plenty of fluffy basmati rice or Indian breads.
Video
Notes
Ingredient Substitutions & Tips
Fish – where you are in the world dictates the fish you can use. Here’s a rough guide to the types of fish you might want to consider.
North America - Pollock, Cod, Firm Tilapia, Bass, Grouper, Haddock and Halibut, Mackerel and Mahi Mahi
UK - Cod, Haddock, Whiting, Bream, Monkfish, Grey Mullet and Mackerel
Australia - Flathead, Barramundi, Blue Warehou, Whiting, Snapper, Mackerel and Basa
India - Rohu or Rui Maach, Hilsa/Ilish or Pomfret, Mackerel
Alternative vegetables - Instead of adding potatoes, you may want to add some other vegetables. Try green beans, cauliflower, pumpkin or squash, cooked and drained spinach or fresh English peas.
Tempering the sauce – To add pungency to the sauce, add a mustard paste. Simply grind 1tsp of mustard seeds in a pestle & mortar and then mix in 1tsp mustard oil and 2 tbsp water. Drizzle this into the finished curry sauce just before serving.
Pre-frying the fish – In Bengal, fish is often fried before cooking in the sauce. Simply scatter over a little turmeric to coat (about ½ tsp) and marinate for 30 mins. Then fry in about 1-inch of vegetable oil for 2-3 minutes each side. Alternatively, you can brush with oil and air-fry in a single layer for 4-5 minutes.
Instead of Tamarind, you can squeeze over a little fresh lime or lemon juice.
Garnishes – In addition to the garnishes in my recipe, you could also fry a few fresh curry leaves in mustard oil and scatter them over, or use fresh cilantro or mint. You can also scatter a little dried fenugreek leaves (methi Kasoori).