Name: Kerala Fish Curry with Salmon
Total time: 45 min
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 3 salmon fillets, cut in medium cubes (or kingfish, snapper, tilapia); 8 small onions, sliced lengthwise; 2 large tomatoes, sliced lengthwise; 8 cloves garlic, chopped; ginger, sliced (a small piece); oil (I use coconut oil) (some); fenugreek seeds (a pinch); curry leaves (a couple); 55 g grated coconut (50–60 g; thawed frozen is fine); 1½ tsp salt (to taste); 1 tsp turmeric powder; 1 tsp hot chilli powder; 3 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder (colour, not heat); 5 tsp coriander powder; tamarind, in lukewarm water (a small ball); 3 small pieces kudampuli (Garcinia cambogia / Malabar tamarind); coconut oil (some); mustard seeds (some); 2 whole dried red chillies, broken in two; curry leaves (a few); 2 small onions, chopped; 4 cloves garlic, chopped

The story behind the dish

One of many Kerala fish curries

There are many versions of fish curry in Kerala. This one is inspired by the okra tamarind curry my mom makes, and it has coconut in it. The gravy is quite thick and tasty.

The other well-known version, without coconut or tomatoes, is spicier. It works well if you make the curry a day ahead and eat it the next day, a popular way to let the flavours soak properly into the fish.

Curry++ · 8 November 2026