Catfish Curry

Catfish Curry is a healthy, delicious way to incorporate more fish into your diet. Make this easy Indian Style Catfish Curry with fresh or frozen catfish fillets and a few pantry staple spices. The curry sauce just tastes amazing.

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Indian

Keyword: Catfish Curry, Catfish Curry Indian Style, Indian Catfish Curry

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Masala cooling time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Servings: people

Calories: 300kcal

Author: Meghna

Ingredients

1 kg catfish fillets cut into 2.5" rectangles or squares 2 pounds
1 cup Onion sliced 1 medium onion
½ cup tomato chopped 1 medium tomato
2.5 tbsp Tomato Paste store bought
¼ cup Tomato Puree store bought
5 dry kashmiri red chilies soaked in warm water or vinegar
¼ cup grated coconut frozen or fresh
1 tbsp roughly diced ginger
1 tbsp garlic roughly chopped
½ cup Mustard Oil or any cooking oil
few drops of lemon juice optional
Salt (to taste)
2 + ½ cups Water

Whole spices

Dry spice powders

2 tbsp Paprika or Deggi Mirch or Kashmiri Red Chili Powder
1 tbsp Turmeric Powder
1 tbsp Red Chili Powder optional

For garnish

Chopped coriander leaves optional

Instructions

Prepping the Catfish Fillets

Wash the fish fillets very well under running tap water. You may also soak the catfish fillets in enough water with few drops or either vinegar or lemon juice to kill the fishy smell completely.
Pat dry the washed catfish fillets very well with the help of kitchen towel. Cut them into desired shapes (2.5" rectangles or squares).
Rub the cut catfish fillets with a pinch or turmeric powder, red chili powder, salt and lemon juice (optional).
Set a non stick skillet over medium high heat. Add ½ of the metnioned oil quantity and gently release the flash marinated catfish fillets in the hot oil. Fry them both sides until golden in color. Set them aside in a clean dry plate.

Prepping the Masala Paste for the Catfish Curry

Use the same skillet and the fish fried oil for frying the rest of the ingredients for the fish curry.
Set the skillet over meidum heat. Add little more oil if need be. Though you won't need any more oil now because catfish will release lots of oil.
When the oil becomes moderately oil add all the whole spices like black pepper corns, cumin and coriander seeds. Saute them for just a few seconds.
Add the diced ginger and garlic and saute for a minute.
Next, add the sliced onions and saute them for 1-2 minutes. You may add salt at this stage.
Add the chopped tomatoes, dry spices & the grated coconut. Saute them for 2 minutes.
Now, add the soaked Kashmiri red chilies, the tomato paste & the puree and saute them for 1-2 minutes.
Pour about 2 cups water and give everything a very good stir. Cover and cook for 5 mins over medium low heat or until the onion is soft and the tomatoes are mushy.
Turn off the heat and allow the mixture to cool down completely. Grind it into a fine paste in a mixer grinder.
Strain the fine masala paste with the help of a strainer. This will give you a smooth and silky masala paste without any lumps or textures.

How to cook the Catfish Curry Indian Style?

Take a deep bottomed pan or Kadai and set over medium low heat. Add the rest of the oil. When the oil becomes slightly hot pour the strained masala paste into the kadai and dilute it with ½ cup water or according to your preference. Add more water if you prefer slightly thinner gravy and vice versa. But don't make the gravy runny or very thin, it won't taste good. The consistency of the catfish curry should be flowy but not runny.
Give everything a good mix and cover and cook for 5 mins over medium low heat.
Add the fried catfish fillets just before serving and simmer for not more than 1 minute.
Serve immediately garnished with chopped coriander only if you prefer coriander leaves. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

Measuring Units used, 1 cup = 240 ml & 1 teaspoon = 5 ml.
Catfish Curry Profile: This Indian Catfish curry is spicy, mildly sweet and creamy with a super smooth and silky curry sauce that has a flowy consistency.
You may sub the grated coconut with ¼ cup coconut milk. In that case add the coconut milk just before adding the fish fillets to the fish curry. Cover and simmer as suggested in the recipe.
If you love spice fish curry add more chili powder or add slit green chilies while simmering the curry sauce.
If you prefer non spicy food cut back on the chili powder from the recipe and de seed the dry whole Kashmiri red chilies before soaking them warm water or vinegar.
NOTE: The consistency of the curry sauce should not be runny. It should be flowy. If you refer a thicker fish curry, add less water in the masala paste.

Calorific details are provided by a third party application & are to be used as indicative figures only.

Nutrition Facts

Catfish Curry

Amount Per Serving

Calories 300 Calories from Fat 117

% Daily Value*

Fat 13g20%

Saturated Fat 2g13%

Cholesterol 81mg27%

Sodium 170mg7%

Potassium 671mg19%

Carbohydrates 11g4%

Fiber 3g13%

Sugar 4g4%

Protein 35g70%

* Read our privacy policy - Calorie information is provided as a courtesy only and should be leveraged as an estimate rather than a guarantee.Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutrition