Goan Fish Curry

The first beach experience for me was Goa in India and it was a love at first sight. I have been to many other beach destinations thereon but there is no other place which matches the enigma of Goa. Calm, serene, peace, tranquility, hospitality, fun and frolic, there are hardly any adjectives which can be left behind to describe this perfect holiday destination. The best part is that it fits every budget and even a pauper can afford a dream Goan holiday. And no, before you think that this post is sponsored by Goa Tourism Board, this post is about one of my absolute favourite dish from the Goan cuisine. The Goan Fish Curry is a highly irresistible fish curry served with hot steaming rice. The fish generally used is either prawns or pomfret or any other boneless sea fish. I have used here a Boneless white fish fillet, quite similar to the White Snapper. The curry was a perfect balance of all the flavors, the tang from the tamarind, the heat from the chillies, and the creaminess from the coconut. The best part about this gravy is it is absolutely easy to prepare and needs  only a few ingredients. If you love Goa and you love their cuisine, this recipe is a must try!

Ingredients 

450 gms fish (I used boneless white fish fillet; you can also use either pomfret or prawns or any other similar sea fish)

1 medium onion finely sliced

4 cloves garlic chopped 

1 tsp cumin seeds 

1 tbsp coriander seeds

7-8 kashmiri whole red chillies 

1 cup or 200 ml coconut cream (I diluted this with 1/2 cup water; you can directly use 1 1/2 cup coconut milk)

2 tsp tamarind paste (you may need a little more later at the final stage while adjusting the seasoning)

1 tbsp lemon juice

Salt for marinating the fish as well as for gravy

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

2 tsp oil

Direction 

Wash and clean the fish and marinate with salt and lemon juice and keep aside. 

Dry roast the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, and whole red chillies and grind to a fine paste along with the garlic and little water. Now heat oil in a pan and fry the onions till soft and translucent. Add the spice paste and stir well. Add the turmeric powder and mix. Keep stirring continuously until the base mixture is well fried and blended. Take care not to burn it though. Now add the tamarind paste and stir followed by the coconut cream and water mixture or coconut milk. Give a good stir and bring to a boil. Now simmer the flame and add the marinated fish. Do not add the marinade as it might make the gravy too sour. Cover and cook for 10 minutes until the fish is cooked. Add salt as per taste and slit green chillies. You can adjust the tanginess of the curry now by adding more tamarind. It is important not to add the entire paste at one go as the consistency of the tamarind paste can be different and so also the tang. You can also adjust the thickness of the gravy now by adding or reducing the water. This is a very forgiving recipe and you can make adjustments at any point in time. Serve hot with steamed rice and enjoy this Goan delicacy!!