Sri Lankan Fish Curry Holiday Plate

About This Recipe

This holiday plate takes its cue from Sri Lankan fish curry (malu ambul thiyal-style), a dish built around roasted curry powder, tamarind and the deep sweetness of slow-cooked onions. Roasting the curry powder in a dry pan before it touches oil is the step that separates a flat curry from one with real backbone — the spices turn a shade darker and release a toasty aroma that tamarind and coconut milk can't replicate on their own. Cod stands in well for the firmer white fish traditionally used, since it holds together through a slow simmer without falling apart. The onions are cooked past translucent into a soft, jammy state that dissolves into the sauce, giving the curry body without needing flour or cream. Curry leaves and a cinnamon stick go in with the tamarind water so the sauce layers sour, sweet and savory in the same spoonful. Served alongside coconut rice and a scatter of fresh cilantro, this plate is meant for a table with several other dishes — a dal, some greens, maybe a sambol — the way Sri Lankan holiday meals are typically built around variety rather than one central dish.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 600 gcod fillet(cut into thick chunks)
• 2 tbspcoconut oil
• 2onions(thinly sliced)
• 4 clovesgarlic(minced)
• 1 tbspginger(grated)
• 2 tbspSri Lankan roasted curry powder
• 0.5 tspturmeric
• 1cinnamon stick
• 12curry leaves
• 2green chiles(slit)
• 1 tbsptamarind paste(dissolved in 0.5 cup water)
• 1 cupcoconut milk
• 1.5 tspfine sea salt
• 2 cupscooked coconut rice
• 0.25 cupcilantro(chopped)

Instructions

1. 1

   Toast the curry powder

   In a dry pot over medium-low heat, toast the curry powder and turmeric for 30-45 seconds until fragrant and a shade darker. Remove and set aside.

   Watch closely — curry powder burns fast once it starts to darken.

2. 2

   Soften the onions

   Add coconut oil to the same pot. Cook onions over medium heat for 10-12 minutes, stirring often, until deeply soft and jammy.

3. 3

   Build the base

   Stir in garlic, ginger, cinnamon stick, curry leaves and green chiles. Cook 1 minute until fragrant, then stir the toasted curry powder back in.

4. 4

   Add tamarind and fish

   Pour in tamarind water and bring to a simmer. Nestle in the cod, spoon sauce over the top, and simmer gently 10-12 minutes until the fish flakes easily.

   Don't stir hard once the fish is in — shake the pot instead so the chunks stay whole.

5. 5

   Finish with coconut milk

   Stir in coconut milk and salt, simmer 3-4 minutes without boiling hard, then taste and adjust salt or tamarind.

6. 6

   Plate and serve

   Spoon the curry over coconut rice, scatter with cilantro, and serve with a side sambol or dal for a full holiday spread.

Variations

• •

  Swap cod for tuna or swordfish steaks for a firmer, meatier curry closer to traditional ambul thiyal.

• •

  Skip the coconut milk entirely for a sourer, drier ambul thiyal-style curry — traditional in southern Sri Lanka.

• •

  Add a handful of pearl onions left whole for texture alongside the sliced onions.

Storage

Refrigerate up to 2 days in an airtight container; the flavor deepens overnight. Reheat gently over low heat, adding a splash of water so the sauce doesn't break.

Frequently Asked Questions