Simple, speedy and downright delicious – this Spinach & Turmeric Fish Curry recipe comes together quickly and easily in one pan! Sauté the spices and aromatics, then mix in a can of coconut milk and lime juice. Let the sauce thicken then add the spinach and fish for a few minutes and that’s it! | Gluten Free + Dairy Free + Whole30
Looking for your next easy weeknight dinner that checks all the right boxes?
This Spinach & Turmeric Fish Curry has your name written all over it! It’s:
✔️Fragrant and Flavorful – thanks to a combination of whole and ground spices with aromatic veggies
✔️Healthy and Wholesome – made with whole foods that satisfy and nourish
✔️Fast and Easy – cooks in one pot in under an hour
The end result is a delicious, silky and flavor-packed coconut fish curry. Serve over a bed of rice and you’re in for a good meal!
About this Turmeric Fish Curry Recipe
All-in-all this curry makes for a quick and easy recipe with fairly basic ingredients. There’s no need to buy or prepare a curry paste in a blender or food processor.
There are a couple of ingredients that might be a bit trickier to find depending on where you live (fresh curry leaves and whole mustard seeds). That being said, I provide substitution tips below in case you don’t have any on hand.
Key Ingredients
- Whole Spices: Curry Leaves and Mustard Seeds
- Fresh curry leaves are ideal as they provide a much fresher, punchier flavor compared to dried leaves. That said, you can definitely use dried leaves if needed. You’ll just need to up the leaves used and add a bit more lime juice/zest later on.
- Toasted mustard seeds provide a gentle, nutty flavor and crunchy texture. It’s a subtle addition that adds way more than you might realise!
- Aromatic Vegetables: Onion, Garlic, Ginger, Chili
- Onion goes on first as it will take the longest to soften and cook. Then add the garlic, ginger and chili and continue to sauté a few minutes until fragrant and lightly browned.
- You can use red or green chili here. The type of chili added and the heat level you use is totally up to you and your spice preference.
- Ground Spices: Turmeric, Cumin, Coriander, Salt
- Turmeric adds warmth and color. Ground coriander adds a more citrus-like flavor. Cumin is the bridge between the two providing both warmth and citrusy notes. And of course, no recipe is complete without a good pinch of salt to highlight all the other flavors.
- Unsweetened Coconut Milk
- Make sure to use canned coconut milk (not from a carton). Light coconut milk works if you’d like to cut back on calories. Just make sure to use unsweetened coconut milk!
- Lime Juice
- Lime juice adds a bright burst of citrus that cuts through the creamy coconut flavor and the aromatic spices.
- Fish
- Feel free to use your favorite white fish fillets here. Just make sure your fish is boneless and skinless and cut up into bite sized pieces (about 2 inches) so it cooks in time.
- Spinach
- Add a couple of handfuls of spinach towards the end of the cook for some extra greenery.
Steps
- Fry mustard seeds and curry leaves until the seeds pop (1-2 minutes).
- Fry the onion to soften (5-7 minutes).
- Add the garlic, ginger and chili until fragrant (2-3 minutes).
- Stir in the dry spices and cook (about 1 minute).
- Mix in the coconut milk, water and lime juice, bring to a boil then simmer to thicken (5-10 minutes.
- Add spinach then gently mix in the fish. Cover and cook until the fish is cooked through (7-10 minutes).
- Taste and season with additional lime juice, salt and fresh herbs, then serve over rice.
Additions and Substitutions
Fish Sauce – A little goes a long way here so don’t get too heavy handed. Add 1/2 – 1 teaspoon fish sauce if you want a more intense umami flavor.
Gluten Free Soy Sauce/Tamari – Add a splash (1-2 teaspoons) for a salty punch of flavor.
Shrimp/Prawns – Add raw prawns or shrimp to the curry instead of or along with the fish. Prawns/shrimp only need about 3-4 minutes to cook so make sure to add the prawns after the fish.
Fresh Turmeric – Use 1 tablespoon fresh turmeric instead of dried.
Fresh or Dried Curry Leaves Substitute
If you are unable to find curry leaves, fresh or dry, there are a couple of things to you try instead so that you don’t have to miss out on making this dish:
- Lime zest & basil
- Lime zest provides a similar, citrusy aroma as curry leaves while basil offers up a herby flavour.
- Amounts needed: Zest from one whole lime + 8 large basil leaves chopped up
- Lime zest provides a similar, citrusy aroma as curry leaves while basil offers up a herby flavour.
- Bay leaves
- Bay leaves don’t have much citrus flavor to them, but they do offer a similar sweet/savoury flavour found in curry leaves. If using bay leaves, you’ll only need two.
More Delicious Fish Dinners
If you enjoy this turmeric fish curry, here are a few more seafood and fish recipes you may want to also check out!
- Keralan Fish Stew (Fish Molee)
- Gluten Free Thai Salmon Cakes
- Cashew & King Prawn Stir Fry
- Shrimp Cauliflower Rice Pulao
- Tomato & Turmeric Shrimp Curry
- Calabrian Fish Ragu With Cod (Ragù Di Pesce)
Enjoy!
And that’s it! The end result is a simple, delicate fish curry that comes together without too much time or effort.
Spinach & Turmeric Fish Curry
Simple, speedy and downright delicious - this Spinach & Turmeric Fish Curry recipe comes together quickly and easily in one pan! Sauté the spices and aromatics, then mix in a can of coconut milk and lime juice. Let the sauce thicken and simmer then add the spinach and fish for a few minutes and that's it! | Gluten Free + Dairy Free + Whole30
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 8-10 fresh curry leaves (can use dried leaves if needed)
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 large onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
- 2 green or red chilis, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon salt + more to taste
- 1 can unsweetened coconut milk (13.5 oz/400g)
- 1/2 cup water (120 ml)
- 2 tablespoons lime juice (30ml) + more to taste
- 1 pound boneless skinless cod, diced into large bite-sized pieces (about 500 g)
- 2 cups fresh spinach (60 g)
For serving (Optional)
- Small handful fresh cilantro
- Lime wedges
- Cooked Rice
Instructions
- Place a large pot or skillet with a fitted lid over a medium heat. Add 1 tbsp oil. When the oil is warm, add curry leaves and mustard seeds. Gently stir and fry 1-2 minutes until the mustard seeds start to pop.
- Add the onions and sauté about 5-7 minutes until the onions start to soften and become translucent. Add the garlic, ginger and chili. Cook another 2-3 minutes.
- Next, add the dried spices: turmeric, cumin, coriander and salt. Stir and fry 1 minute.
- Stir in the coconut milk, water and lime juice. Bring the mixture to rolling boil, then reduce the temperature to maintain a gentle simmer. Let simmer about 5 minutes.
- Add the spinach to the pot. Place the diced fish pieces on top of the spinach. Gently mix the fish and spinach into the sauce then spread the fish out in a single layer. Place the fitted lid on top. Simmer on a medium-low heat for about 7-10 minutes or until the fish is cooked through.
- Taste and season with additional salt, pepper and lime juice as you see fit. Stir in the fresh cilantro if using, serve over rice with extra lime wedges on the side and enjoy.
Notes
What Type of Chili?
- Chili availability really varies depending on where you live and shop. With that in mind, feel free to choose a chili type depending on you and your spice preference. Anaheim chilies are great for mild spice and usually easy to find. Jalapeños are also fairly common and slightly spicier than Anaheim. Serrano chilies and cayenne chili peppers are a good option for a spicer curry.
Curry Leaf Substitute
- Add the zest of 1 lime and 8 chopped basil leaves OR add a couple of bay leaves instead.
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