Sri Lankan Fish Curry

Where This Goes Wrong

Roast the spices dark. This is the single difference from an Indian curry.

Never boil once the coconut milk is in.

Shake the pan rather than stirring, or the fish breaks up.

How to Make Sri Lankan Fish Curry

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1. Toast all the curry powder spices in a dry pan over medium heat for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring, until they are dark brown and smell smoky. Take them further than feels right, but stop before black. Cool and grind.

   Mark done Start 6 min timer

2. Soak the goraka in hot water for 20 minutes, then squeeze and keep both the pieces and the liquid.

   Mark done Start 20 min timer

3. Cut the fish into large chunks and toss with a little salt and turmeric.

   Mark done

4. Heat the coconut oil and fry the onion, garlic, ginger, curry leaves, lemongrass and pandan for 8 minutes until soft and fragrant.

   Mark done Start 8 min timer

5. Add the chilli powder, turmeric, fenugreek seeds and 2 tablespoons of the roasted curry powder, and fry 2 minutes.

   Mark done

6. Add the water, the goraka and its soaking liquid, and the salt. Simmer 5 minutes.

   Mark done

7. Pour in the coconut milk and bring to a bare simmer — do not boil, or it will split.

   Mark done

8. Slide the fish in in a single layer with the green chillies. Do not stir; shake the pan instead.

   Mark done

9. Cook 8 to 10 minutes, spooning sauce over, until the fish is just done and the gravy has thickened.

   Mark done Start 8 min timer

10. Rest 10 minutes off the heat before serving with rice.

    Mark done

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Why the Method Works

Sri Lankan roasted curry powder is toasted far darker than Indian garam masala, almost to the edge of burning, and that is where the colour and the smoky depth come from. Goraka — dried garcinia — gives a sourness quite unlike tamarind, and it needs soaking before it will release it.

Leftovers, Reheating and Keeping

Refrigerate up to 2 days and reheat below a simmer. Do not freeze.

If You're Missing Something

• If coconut is a problem, a cooking cream (dairy or plant-based) can stand in for the coconut milk in a sauce; the dish will lose the coconut flavour and taste noticeably different.
• Dried chilli flakes can stand in for the green chillies. Heat varies a great deal between chillies and between jars, so start with a small pinch and add more to taste.
• If you only have ground ginger, a quarter-teaspoon for each tablespoon of fresh is the ratio usually given; it tastes warmer and less bright than the fresh root.

What to Serve Alongside

• Red rice or basmati
• Coconut sambol
• Papadums

Nutrition per Serving

No nutrition figures are given for this recipe: they cannot be worked out reliably from its ingredient list (some ingredient lines cannot be read). Why some recipes have none.

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