Description
This Fried Fish & Tomato Curry is a vibrant and flavorful dish combining crispy pan-fried pollack fillets with a rich, aromatic tomato and coconut curry. The curry is enhanced with Madras curry paste, fresh ginger, garlic, and a hearty dose of coriander, served with fluffy basmati rice for a comforting and satisfying meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Curry
- 2 tsp vegetable oil
- 2 onions, thinly sliced
- 8 large vine tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 4 garlic cloves
- thumb-sized piece ginger, roughly chopped
- 3 tbsp Madras curry paste
- 165ml can coconut milk
- large handful coriander, finely chopped, plus extra sprigs to serve
Fish
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 500g pollack fillets, skinned
- 6 tbsp plain flour (seasoned with salt and pepper)
To Serve
- Basmati rice
Instructions
- Cook the onions: Heat 2 tsp of vegetable oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the thinly sliced onions and a pinch of salt. Cook gently for about 8 minutes until they are soft and golden brown.
- Prepare the tomato purée: While the onions cook, place the roughly chopped vine tomatoes, garlic cloves, and chopped ginger into a food processor. Blend until smooth to create the tomato purée.
- Build the curry base: Add 3 tablespoons of Madras curry paste to the softened onions and fry together for 3 minutes to release the flavors. Then stir in the tomato purée mixture and simmer for 10 minutes until the sauce thickens.
- Add coconut milk and coriander: Pour in the 165ml can of coconut milk and scatter in the finely chopped coriander. Continue simmering the curry to thicken it further and meld the flavors.
- Prepare the fish: Season the plain flour with a bit of salt and pepper. Dust the pollack fillets evenly in the seasoned flour, shaking off any excess.
- Fry the fish: Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a non-stick frying pan over high heat. Fry the fish fillets in batches for about 1 minute on each side until they begin to brown and crisp.
- Combine fish and curry: Carefully place the lightly fried fish fillets into the simmering tomato curry. Continue to simmer gently until the fish is just cooked through, about 3-4 minutes depending on thickness.
- Serve: Scatter extra coriander sprigs over the top and serve hot with fluffy basmati rice.
Notes
- Use a non-stick frying pan to prevent the fish from sticking and breaking apart.
- Be gentle when handling the fish after frying to keep fillets intact in the curry.
- If you don’t have Madras curry paste, you can substitute with another Indian curry paste, but the flavor will vary slightly.
- For a spicier curry, add a chopped chili to the tomato purée step or increase the curry paste quantity.
- Leftover curry can be refrigerated for up to 2 days and reheated gently.
- Serve with naan or other flatbreads for an alternative to rice.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Indian-inspired
Keywords: fried fish, tomato curry, pollack fillet, Madras curry paste, coconut milk, Indian curry, easy curry recipe, basmati rice, quick dinner
