Sri Lankan Fish Curry (Meen Kari)

About This Recipe

Sri Lankan fish curry is fundamentally different from South Indian fish curry, and the difference is goraka (dried gamboge fruit, called kudampuli in Tamil) — a dark, deeply sour rind that gives the sauce a complex, slightly funky tartness that no other ingredient can approximate. The curry also uses the full Sri Lankan spice repertoire: roasted and pounded curry leaf, roasted fenugreek, fresh coconut milk, pandan leaves, lemongrass, and the country's extraordinary roasted curry powder — a darker, more complex blend than Indian curry powder. Sri Lankan fish curry is always deep, dark and powerfully spiced — not a delicate dish.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 700 gfirm fish steaks(tuna, kingfish or mahi-mahi)
• 400 mlcoconut milk
• 2 tbspSri Lankan roasted curry powder(darker than regular curry powder)
• 1 tspred chilli powder
• 0.5 tspturmeric
• 0.5 tspfenugreek seeds
• 1pandan leaf(tied in a knot)
• 2lemongrass stalks(bruised)
• 1 sprigfresh curry leaves(10–15 leaves)
• 2 piecesgoraka (gamboge)(or 2 tbsp tamarind paste)
• 1onion(thinly sliced)
• 3garlic cloves(minced)
• 1 cmfresh ginger(minced)
• 3 tbspvegetable oil
• 150 mlwater
• 1.5 tspsalt
• 1 tspblack pepper

Instructions

1. 1

   Marinate fish

   Rub fish steaks with 1 tsp curry powder, turmeric, salt and pepper. Rest 15 min.

2. 2

   Temper spices

   Heat oil in a wide pan. Add fenugreek seeds and let sizzle 10 seconds. Add curry leaves and pandan — they will crackle dramatically. Add sliced onion and fry 6 min until golden.

3. 3

   Add aromatics

   Add garlic, ginger, lemongrass and remaining curry powder and chilli powder. Fry stirring 1 min.

4. 4

   Add goraka and liquid

   Add goraka pieces (or tamarind paste), water and half the coconut milk. Stir. Bring to a simmer.

   Goraka pieces are added whole and removed before serving — they infuse the sauce with their distinctive sour, smoky flavour.

5. 5

   Add fish

   Gently add fish steaks. Spoon sauce over them. Cover and simmer on low heat 12–15 min until fish is cooked through.

6. 6

   Finish with coconut milk

   Add remaining coconut milk. Simmer uncovered 5 min. Taste and adjust salt. The sauce should be thick, dark and richly flavoured.

Variations

• •

  Prawn curry: substitute tiger prawns — reduce cooking to 8 min

• •

  Vegetarian: use jackfruit or aubergine instead of fish

• •

  Dry version: reduce liquid and cook until sauce clings to the fish — the 'black curry' style

• •

  Spicier: add a finely chopped fresh chile or a teaspoon of crushed Aleppo/Urfa pepper to the aromatics for warm, layered heat instead of a single sharp hit.

Storage

Keeps 3 days refrigerated. Fish curries improve overnight as the flavours develop.

Frequently Asked Questions