Fish Curry recipe. Easy simple Indian FishCurry recipe

Fish Curry

Fish Curry is one of my favorite Indian recipe served with rice, as born and bought up in a Machiwala family. As a kid we are introduced at a very early age. Not only fish but even shrimps/ prawns both cooked at least 5 times in a week. In fact my dad and uncles are so fond of it that they have during breakfasts too, delicious Fish fry or grilled fish/ Tandoori fish.

My dad was a fresh fish agent as it was and is our ancestors business so it is but natural that many times in a week sea food was served.

I too can have it in the breakfast but never tried it . As it is said that we take things for granted which we get too easily. After I got married I started craving for sea food specially a good quality fish which was served at my place. Till date I am so use to having fresh fish and prawns that I do not buy from local vendor.

Every one have their own different ways of preparing fish curry so do I. In fact some add ginger garlic paste in fish curry but I do not add it. Instead I crush garlic, green chilies and cumin seeds in a mortar pastel and add to my gravy as this grounded masala gives a fresh taste to my fish curry.

Some do not add tomatoes and some do add in their fish curry. In fact I make both the ways depending on my mood but then I love both the ways as they taste really delicious. ( you can check without tomatoes in notes )

Here is my fish curry recipe.

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INGREDIENTS:

2 pomfret
2-3 tomatoes
2-3 curry leaves
2 tbsp coriander powder
1 tbsp or 1 tsp red chilly kashmiri powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
6-8 cloves of garlic
2-3 no of green chilies
1 tsp cumin seeds
salt to taste
oil

HOW TO CLEAN FISH :

Chop the tail, both the side fins and near the eyes you can see the opening, hold the pomfret in vertical position eyes portion touching the chopping board and chop of that portion straight ( eyes position ). Scratch out all the scales or silver layer with help of knife. ( Do not be harsh, handle gently )

2. Now make thick pieces of it, here there are 2 ways. You can either make such long vertical pieces like shown in picture or you can cut the fish fully in horizontal position, like this you will have 2 portions and then make thick pieces of both the portions. The latter technique is applied when the fish is big in size. But if your fish is not big enough and is small to medium size then best is to make those vertical pieces. ( make sure you handle gently)

3. Add 1 tsp salt to fish, apply over all with your fingers slowly, covering all the areas and keep for sometime or preferably for half an hour. ( here in this step you can add rock salt too, but if you do not have rock salt then add our regular salt, both are just fine)

4. Now wash the fish thoroughly, inside out remove the inner gill portion and lightly scratch out all the visible blackness inside and around the eye area.

5. Your fish is ready to be prepared in your desired gravy.

HOW TO MAKE FISH CURRY :

In a non stick pan or kadhai drizzle some oil, add curry leaves.

2. Crush cumin seeds, green chilies and garlic with the help of mortar and pastel. Keep aside. Add peeled and grated or chopped tomatoes, fry till the tomatoes juice has dried up. ( I have added grated tomatoes, you can either add them chopped directly or grind to paste, all are fine. Just make sure you peel the tomatoes and follow which ever way you want )

3. Now add salt , turmeric powder, coriander powder , red chilly powder and fry till oil separates. Add 1/2 cup water, cover and cook on low flame till the oil separates.

4. Now add the crushed garlic, cumin seeds and green chilies, mix well. Fry the masala till the oil separates.

5. Add 1 and half cup of water and bring to a boil.

6. Now add pomfret pieces, one by one and cook on high flame for 5-7 minutes or till the fish is completely done and adjust salt too. ( make sure you do not stir with a spoon, just lift the kadhai and shake it or lightly stir in with a flat spatula )

7. Serve Fish Curry hot with rice and salads.

COOKING TIPS :

The most important point to remember if you are cooking fish either in curry or frying it or any other way is to handle the fish ( be it any kind ) very gently.
Applying or you can say marinating the fish with salt may not seem important to you but as far as I know this is the most important step for me, as this gives a taste to my fish. ( any kind of fish )
Do not ever use spoon to stir the gravy at the time of preparing the fish curry or you can say after you add fish pieces to the gravy.
Make sure you do not add too much of salt in fish curry, if you marinate the fish with salt before for an hour or so, as fish itself leaves its water out so if too much salt in fish then that will go the gravy. So before you add the salt to gravy make sure you add less before and later adjust it once the gravy is prepared.
If your fish is too big enough and you do not know how to evaluate that fish is done, for this you can take a sharp knife and insert it in a standing position directly in the fish piece and check if the knife goes through very easily that means the fish is done completely and if it goes only half way and rest of it takes a little push then that means the other side has to be done.
If you have frozen fish then you need to thaw it. For this, in a large bowl full of tap water just need to dip the whole fishes. Let it rest till the fish comes to room temperature.
Best is with fresh fish than frozen ones.
Make sure which ever fish you add, the pieces should be fully covered with water in gravy by this the fish will be cooked from both sides and you do not need to flip it.
Make sure you do not over cook fish, as it will start leaving its bones.
Make sure you prepare Fish curry at the time of serving and not before hand. If You running out of time then just prepare the gravy and off the gas ( Here at this point do not add water ). Just few minutes before serving add water and bring to boil and then add fish pieces and cook on high flame till the fish pieces are completely done.
Do not warm the fish curry with fish in it every now and then as the fish will start breaking and will start leaving the meat from its bones.
Increase or decrease the no of green chilies in fish curry as per your preference.
Increase or decrease red chilly powder in fish curry as per your preference.

HOW TO PREPARE FISH CURRY WITHOUT TOMATOES :

Follow the procedure of how to clean fish.
In a pan drizzle oil add curry leaves, let it splutter.
Add salt, 1/2 tsp turmeric powder, 3 tbsp coriander powder, 2 tsp red kashmiri chilly powder. Mix well.
Roast the masala till the oil separates.
Add some 1/4 cup water and roast masala again till the oil separates.
In between in a mortar pastel crush garlic, green chilies and cumin seeds and add to the masala.
Roast till the oil separates.
Add 1 and half cup of water and bring to a boil, now gently drop fish pieces in the gravy and cook on high flame till the fish is done.
Service this delicious Fish Curry hot.