Fish curry, which is a gravy based preparation with fish as the main ingredient, is the traditional dish of choice in almost any country or region that fringes the sea coast or river banks. Thus, each and every nation has its own versions of fish curry recipes, many of which are its own creations passed down by the ancestral generations while some are innovations or recipes adapted from the authentic recipes of neighboring coastal or non-coastal regions. Curried fish recipes from the South East Asian cuisines, i.e. Indian, Thai and Sri Lankan, Indonesia and Singaporean, are the most popular in the world cuisine. Also, the Bangladeshi and Caribbean curries have a special place of their own in the world of fish curries.
Commonly Used Ingredients and Preparation Overview of Fish Curry
Fish curry can be prepared with any kind of fish, depending on the geographical location of a region and the availability of the various kinds of fishes in its waters. Tuna, being available in most coastal regions finds a common use in the curry recipes from most cuisines. Generally, the base of the curries are made using one or more of the ingredients such as coconut cream or milk, tamarind pulp, tomato puree or paste and yoghurt. Generally, the gravies are thick, although, an exceptional few may have a thin consistency too. However, in most cases, fish curries are spicy and include a wide range of spices and condiments.
Serving Fish Curries
In India and Bangladesh, fish curries are commonly served hot with steaming rice. The wheat flatbread called ‘roti,’ is another accompaniment option for eating curried fish. In Thailand, boiled Jasmine rice is quite favored for eating fish curries with it. The Singaporeans, Indonesians and Malaysians may combine wheat or rice noodles or steamed rice with fish curries. The Caribbean fish curries are traditionally eaten with breads. In every cuisine, however, the dish is savored as a main dish, commonly for lunch and often, for dinner.
Fish Curry Recipes from Different Cuisines
Indian Fish Curry – The Indian cuisine is a melting pot of a rich assortment of fish curry recipes owing to the country’s wealth of fish eating regions like West Bengal, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Maharashtra and Kerala, amongst the others. One of the popular most curried fish dishes from India, is prepared by cooking the ghee-fried fish pieces in a gravy mixture of chopped onion, tomato paste, cumin powder, turmeric powder, powdered garam masala (hot spice), ginger, garlic, water and salt.
Karaikudi Fish Curry – Locally known as Chettinadu Meen Kulambu , this fish curry recipe from Tamil Nadu, India, suggests cooking pieces of a large sized fish in a gravy base of mustard seeds, urad dal and toor tal (lentils), tomato puree, tamarind pulp, water and sesame oil. The curry is flavored with curry leaves, onion, ginger and garlic and spiced with powdered turmeric, coriander seeds, dry red chilies, cumin, fennel, peppercorn, coconut, fenugreek seeds and green chilies. Salt and sugar are added for taste.
Goan Fish Curry – One of the most sought after coastal fish curries from India, this tangy and spicy dish is made with Tuna fish. The curry base of this dish is formed by tamarind puree, water and a smooth paste of the masalas (spices) and condiments, which includes a mix of onion, turmeric, coriander, cumin, coconut, tomato, garlic, ginger, dried red chilies and green chilies, and definitely, salt.
Thai Fish Curry – This recipe calls for stir-frying the Thai red curry paste with garlic, galangal, lime leaves, chilies, onion and bell pepper. The gravy base is then made with coconut milk, vegetable broth, shrimp sauce and lemon grass, to which tomatoes, fish cubes, cornstarch are added and cooked. Before serving, the dish is flavored more with lime juice and garnished with cilantro.
Caribbean Fish Curry – For this curried fish preparation, olive oil sautéed capsicum, spring onion, ginger, chili flakes, curry powder and allspice are stir-fried in a mixture of brown sugar, soy sauce, coconut milk, salt and tomato. Fishes are then added to the mixture to be simmered. The dish is served hot with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and coriander garnish. Swordfish is generally used for this dish.
Fish Head Curry – This dish, believed to have been inspired by Chinese and Indian fish preparation, is eaten in Singapore and Malaysia. The Red Fish, i.e. the Red Snapper is used for this dish, which is semi-stewed in a curry base with aubergines and okra. In India’s West Bengal and Orissa and in Bangladesh, fish head is also cooked in a lentil based curry, and the Rohu Fish or Rui Maachh is chosen for the purpose. In Assam, India, the fish head is cooked in a sweet-and-sour orange gravy made of tamarind and coconut milk.
Bengali Fish Curry – The fish pieces to be used in this dish from Bangladesh, are marinated with turmeric powder and salt and sometimes, lime juice as well. The fishes are then deep fried in mustard oil and simmered in a mixture of mustard seeds, onion seeds, dried red chilies, bay leaf, ginger, garlic, onion, mustard paste, coriander and turmeric powder, salt and water.
Calories in Fish Curry
Shallow frying of the fish adds some 50 calories to a fish curry whereas, deep frying can increase the caloric value of the dish by 100. If a fish is cooked in a teaspoon of olive oil and gravy, the total calories in the dish may be around 320 calories. However, the nutritive value of a fish curry is largely determined by the process it is cooked and the ingredients use in it. Thus, a curry which has used lot of fatty ingredients may have a caloric value as high as 500. A typical South Asian fish curry of 500 grams serving packs in some 595 calories.
Further Reading on Fish Curry Calories
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