This is the recipe that made my husband overcome his dislike for curry fish. He even went as far as to say that this is the best fish he has ever eaten. I don’t know if this was to mamaguy his wife, but as you will see at the end of the video on YouTube he cleaned up his plate.
There are several variations of curry fish; today I will share the fried version. See my Version that does not require frying here. This recipe requires a little more effort, but totally worth the steps to develop each layer of flavor and achieve perfection.
In this version of curried fish, the fish is first marinated with fresh herbs and garlic. It is then lightly floured and fried. After frying, the fish is simmered in a fragrant and flavorful traditional curry sauce, which develops its flavors from tart mango, tomato, ochros, herbs including thyme, scallion, culantro and Caribbean seasoning peppers. The result is fiery (if you so desire), fragrant, and rich with flavors.
The tender fish and its sensational sauce poured over rice, corn, flour, cassava dumplings or boiled ground provisions makes it a filling and gratifying to all the senses
CURRY FISH RECIPE – INGREDIENTS NEEDED
SERVES 4 – 6
To wash and season fish
- 2 1/2 – 3 lbs fish steaks or small whole fish, (king fish, carite, red snapper, croaker, catfish, cutlass, sea bass)
- Juice of a lemon, to wash fish
- 3 tbs green seasoning
- 1 ½ tsp salt
To fry fish
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2-3 cups of oil, for frying
To curry
- 6 culantro leaves
- 6 cloves garlic
- Hot pepper, sliced, to taste
- 3 pimento peppers, optional
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 onion, sliced and divided
- Hot pepper slices, optional
- 4 tbs curry powder
- ½ cup water to cook curry
- ½ large green mango, cut into thin strips, optional
- 4 sprigs thyme
- 1 tomato, chopped
- 1 cup ochro, sliced (about 8)
- Salt & pepper, to taste
Water and/or coconut milk to create sauce
To finish
- 1 scallion, chopped, optional
- 2 leaves culantro, chopped, optional
- Pimento pepper, chopped, optional
Clean and rinse fish with cold water and the juice of a lemon; removing scales and other undesirables. If you are using whole fish, cut each fish into two pieces (optional) or make diagonal cuts on the sides. Drain.
Season fish with green seasoning (pre-made) and salt. Marinate for a minimum of 1 hr or overnight, covered in the refrigerator. If you don’t have pre-made green seasoning, just make a larger quantity of the seasoning blend below(add 3 scallions if you wish).
When ready to cook, remove the seasoned fish from the refrigerator and bring to room temp.
Heat oil in a wide skillet or frying pan. Flour fish, shaking off any excess.
Place in the hot oil and fry on both sides until golden brown. Remove from the pot and place on a paper towel to drain the excess oil.
To make the seasoning paste to add during the cooking process, mince culantro, garlic, hot and pimento peppers in a food processor or mortar and pestle. Set aside.
Heat oil in a wide saucepan over medium heat. Add onion (and hot pepper if using) and cook until edges become brown.
Add curry powder, cook for 2 mins and then add ½ cup water and cook for 3-5 minutes until water has evaporated and the curry is fragrant and grainy.
Add mango, if using, remainder of the onion, seasoning paste, hot pepper and stir fry for a minute. Add 1 cup water and cook for another 3-5 minutes or until the mango softens and the water separates from the oil.
Add 2-3 cups of water ( or coconut milk), salt and stir well to mix. Bring to a boil and add fried fish pieces, okra and tomatoes. Add chopped scallion, pimento and bandhania to finish and test for salt.
Do not turn fish, but pour sauce over fish in a basting motion during the entire process. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 7-10 minutes, or until the sauce thickens slightly.
Serve over freshly steamed jasmine rice, dumplings or ground provisions.
Curry Fish - Fried Method
Ingredients
To wash and season fish
- 3 lbs fish steaks or small whole fish (king fish, carite, red snapper, croaker, catfish, cutlass)
- 1 lemon juiced, to wash fish
- 3 tbs green seasoning
- Salt and black pepper
To fry
- 1 cup flour
- 2 cups vegetable oil for frying
To curry
- 6 culantro leaves
- 6 cloves garlic
- Hot pepper sliced, to taste
- 3 pimento peppers optional
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 onion sliced and divided
- Hot pepper slices optional
- 4 tbs curry powder
- ½ cup water
- ½ green mango cut into thin strips, optional
- 4 sprigs thyme
- 1 tomato chopped
- 1 cup ochro sliced (about 8 small)
- Salt & pepper to taste
To finish
- 1 scallion chopped, optional
- 2 leaves culantro chopped, optional
- Pimento pepper chopped, optional
Instructions
- Clean and rinse fish with cold water and the juice of a lemon; removing scales and other undesirables. If you are using whole fish, cut each fish into two pieces (optional) or make diagonal cuts on the sides. Drain.
- Season fish with green seasoning(pre made) and salt. Marinate for a minimum of 1 hr or overnight covered in the refrigerator. If you don’t have pre made green seasoning, just make a larger quantity of the seasoning blend below(add 3 scallions if you wish).
- To make the seasoning paste to add during the cooking process, mince culantro, garlic, hot and pimento peppers in a food processor or mortar and pestle. Set aside.
- When ready to cook, remove the seasoned fish from the refrigerator and bring to room temp. Heat oil in a frying pan, dust fish in flour and fry on both sides until golden brown but not fully cooked,
- Heat oil in a wide saucepan over medium heat. Add onion (and hot pepper if using) and cook until edges become brown.
- Add curry powder, cook for 2 mins and then add ½ cup water and cook for 3-5 minutes until water has evaporated and the curry is fragrant and grainy.
- Add mango, if using, remainder of the onion, seasoning paste, hot pepper and stir fry for a minute. Add 1 cup water and cook for another 3-5 minutes or until the mango softens and the water separates from the oil. Add 2-3 cups of water, salt and stir well to mix and bring to a boil.
- Add fried fish pieces, okra and tomatoes. Add chopped scallion, pimento and bandhania to finish and test for salt. Do not turn fish, but pour sauce over fish in a basting motion during the entire process.
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 7-10 minutes, or until the sauce thickens slightly.
- Serve over freshly steamed jasmine rice, dumplings or ground provisions.
Video
Nutrition
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Enjoy and do let me know how it turns out!
With Love & Best dishes,
Ria
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A Trinidadian culinary connoisseur sharing recipes from Trinidad and the Caribbean with a modern twist.