Calling all seafood lovers!! You must try this Curry cod with it's combination of Indian flavours with a Caribbean flare. Chunky pieces of meaty cod, marinated and simmer down in coconut. A super tasty meal, gluten and dairy free too!!
If you are looking for a curry to make that is tasty, delicious with a combination of Caribbean and Indian flavours then this curry cod is right for you.
It takes less than a hour to cook the recipe, you can prepare what you need overnight making it the perfect dinner to come home to especially during busy weeknights.
**Please note that I have tweaked the recipe to ½-1lb For anyone who wants to make it for a family of 4 or 4 servings, the amount of spices used has increased to accommodate this change.**
Growing up in my household we didn't really cook fish fillets (excluding saltfish).
Like many other Islanders we would much rather cook a whole fish with bones or fish steaks i.e snapper, parrot, doctor, barracuda, jackfish, sprats, hake and so fourth. Grilled, steamed or fried was the preferred method.
Although I do enjoy grilling some snapper or oven roasting some mini sprats being a Caribbean food blogger I love to explore my options which is how this curried cod fish came about.
It's simply a case of visiting my local fish monger, purchasing some fillet (firm ones, that don't fall apart).
The cod fillets are cut into chunks, lightly marinated in my homemade curry powder and fish seasoning, with coconut sugar for sealing when pan frying.
The coconut sugar is used simply to balance out the flavours, don't worry it won't sweeten the sweet.
Rather, it harmonises the sour element from the tamarind.
Then making the sauce which imparts with vibrant flavours - black pepper, bell peppers, thyme, parsley, garlic, ginger, tamarind, tomato are cooked until fragrant and left to simmer down in coconut milk until thickened before adding the chunks of fish.
Ingredients you will need
- Cod (or firm fish like haddock or hake works well too!)
- Curry powder
- Fish seasoning
- Coconut milk
- Coconut sugar
- Bell peppers
- Tomato
- Onion
- Scallion
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Tamarind paste
- Parsley
- Thyme
- Black pepper
- Water
- Coconut oil
How to cook curry cod
- Place the fish chunks in a medium sized bowl and sprinkle all of the listed ingredients to marinate the fish. Set aside to refrigerate for 1-2 hours (I no longer leave it overnight). (picture 1)
- On medium heat, melt the coconut oil then add the fish chunks and proceed to seal each side. The fish will be opaque when sealed, be careful not to keep turning the fish. We are only sealing, not cooking it. (picture 2)
- Once sealed, remove from the pan and set aside.
- Add some more coconut oil if required, melt, then saute the onion, scallion, garlic and ginger until soft and translucent.
- Add the bell peppers and cook until soft for 5 minutes (picture 3)
- Once the bell peppers are cooked add the herbs and spices - black pepper, thyme, parsley, fish seasoning. (picture 4)
- Stir in the tamarind paste and tomato (picture 5)
- Finally pour in the coconut milk, water, scotch bonnet and pink salt. (picture 7-8)
- Bring the sauce to a boil, cover the pan with a lid and simmer on medium-low heat for 30 minutes.
- Around the 20 minute mark, add the fish chunks (also remove the thyme stems/scotch bonnet if you are using) pushing down so the sauce covers it, cover the pan again and allow to thoroughly cook for the remaining 10-15 minutes. (picture 9)
- Serving accordingly.
Notes and tips
- If you can't get hold of cod use any of the following - haddock, hake, monkfish, tilapia. It's very important to use a fish that is firm or else you run the risk of the fish fall apart during cooking.
- Don't forget to discard the thyme stems and scotch bonnet prior to serving
- If you want heat, slice off a small portion of the scotch bonnet to use (remember the heat is in the membrane)
- Use a habanero or fresh chilli if you can't get hold of scotch bonnet
- Use fresh fish if possible. Frozen fish tends to be water logged which can weaken the texture of the fish.
- To replicate the taste and results, use my homemade seafood seasoning and curry powder recipe.
- Full fat coconut is recommended to enable the sauce to thicken up.
- Tomato paste or sauce can be used
- Coconut sugar is low GI index sugar that I recommend. If you are not concerned with GI then brown sugar/unrefined cane sugar works too.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I purchase tamarind paste?
You can do two things, either online or alternatively make the paste with some fresh tamarind like I did when making Tamarind Balls (de-seeded) 2tbsp mixed with 1 tbsp of water.
Is this recipe freezer friendly?
Yes, just make sure it's stored in a anti freezer burn container and thawed out before heating up.
Serving suggestions
- Jamaican cornmeal dumplings
- Yucca (cassava) fries
- Haitian pikliz
- Pumpkin rice
- Oven baked spicy plantain and sweet potatoes
- Caribbean creamy mashed potato
- Boiled plantain and kale
- Brown rice
**Don't forget to comment below and star rate if you have tried my recipes. Let's be friends and engage on Facebook and Instagram I also like to pin on Pinterest, where you can find more amazing recipes.**
Caribbean Style Curry Cod
Ingredients
To marinate the fish
- 1 tbsp curry powder see post for recipe liink
- ½ tbsp coconut sugar This helps to balance out the flavours
- 2 tsp fish seasoning see post for recipe link
- ½-1lb g of cod (300g-550g) can use monkfish, tilapia etc..
To make the curry
- 1 tbsp curry powder
- 2 tsp Fish seasoning see notes for the link
- 1 can full fat Coconut milk 400ml
- 1 large Tomato or ⅓ cup/80ml of tomato paste
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1 bell pepper chopped
- 2 scallion chopped
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tbsp of ginger grated
- 1 tbsp of tamarind paste heaped
- 1 tbsp of Parsley fresh or dried
- 6 sprigs of Thyme tied in a bundle
- 1 tsp of black pepper
- 1 tsp pink salt
- ⅓ cup of water 80ml
- 2 tbsp Coconut or olive oil
- scotch bonnet optional
- additional fish seasoning pink salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place the fish chunks in a medium sized bowl and sprinkle all of the listed ingredients to marinate the fish. Set aside to refrigerate for at least 2 hours or preferably overnight.
- On medium heat, melt the coconut oil then add the fish chunks and proceed to seal each side. The fish will be opaque when sealed, be careful not to keep turning the fish. We are only sealing, not cooking it.
- Once sealed, remove from the pan and set aside.
- Add some more coconut oil if required, melt, then saute the onion, scallion, garlic and ginger until soft and translucent.
- Add the bell peppers and cook until soft for 5 minutes
- Once the bell peppers are cooked add the herbs and spices - black pepper, thyme, parsley, fish seasoning.
- Stir in the tamarind paste and tomato
- Finally pour in the coconut milk, water, scotch bonnet and pink salt to taste.
- Bring the sauce to a boil, cover the pan with a lid and simmer on medium-low heat for 30 minutes.
- Around the 20 minute mark, add the fish chunks pushing down so the sauce covers it, cover the pan again and allow to thoroughly cook for the remaining 10 minutes.
- Serving accordingly.
Notes
- If you can't get hold of cod use any of the following - haddock, hake, monkfish, tilapia. It's very important to use a fish that is firm or else you run the risk of the fish fall apart during cooking.
- Don't forget to discard the thyme stems and scotch bonnet prior to serving
- If you want heat, slice off a small portion of the scotch bonnet to use (remember the heat is in the membrane)
- Use a habanero or fresh chilli if you can't get hold of scotch bonnet
- Use fresh fish if possible. Frozen fish tends to be water logged which can weaken the texture of the fish.
- To replicate the taste and results, use my homemade seafood seasoning and curry powder recipe.
- Full fat coconut is recommended to enable the sauce to thicken up.
- Tomato paste or sauce can be used
- Coconut sugar is low GI index sugar that I recommend. If you are not concerned with GI then brown sugar/unrefined cane sugar works too.
Hi! Do I use a tbsp of fresh parsley or dried?
Thank you!
Hi there, either works well.
Thank you! If Im not able to find Tamarind paste is there a common substitute ?
You are welcome. Date paste mixed with lime juice should work as a substitute however, if possible I would really try to get hold of the tamarind since that really works the best. I hope that helps!
Just made this beautiful recipe with some substitutes for tamarind (sugar and lime juice) and scotch bonnet (sambal olek) and it came out so amazing!!! There’s depth of flavor, perfect amount of acid, heat, and fat.
It’s a bowl of comfort. I served it with roasted yellow potatoes and sweet potatoes and white rice.
Definitely a staple in my book.
Thank you Charla! ❤️
Sounds delicious and I love that you found a way to replicate the sour/tangy of tamarind. Very clever! Thanks for the great feedback!
Going to try this tomorrow, I’d like to add some vegtables, what vegetables would you recommend to add without spoiling the flavour?
No problem, any neutral tasting vegetables so carrots, spinach (add that last, don't use too much, just a small handful is suffice) zucchini, cho cho if you are familiar with that it's also known as christophine/chayote, sweet potato if you can get the white one, which isn;t as sweet as the orange one, that would work without compromising the flavour, but if you are adding potato I would advise adding it with the fish.
Absolutely full of flavour will definitely be making again very soon
Thank you so much for your feedback.
The recipe is unclear. Do you marinate tthe cod in all the ingredients or just a few. Please clarify.
I have just updated the recipe card listing the ingredients you need to marinate the cod so it should make sense now 🙂
This is definitely one of my favourites from you. More please !!
So please to hear that you enjoyed it
I just have to say I tried this yesterday and I got the thumbs up from friends at a dinner party. I have been following your recipes for sometime and so far no complaints. Absolutely loved this one, thank you, thank you, thank you, Brilliant site and fantastic recipes,
Thank you Julie