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    BLANK » Recipe Index » Caribbean Dishes

    Caribbean Style Curry Cod (Curried Cod)

    Last Updated January 8, 2023. Published August 26, 2019 By Charla 18 Comments

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    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!!

    cod curried in a black skillet

    This delicious one pot Caribbean style curry cod can be on your dinner table in under an hour, fragrant, hearty tropical cuisine

    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 fish.

    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.

    curry with black spatula

    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

    steps 1-3 searing the fish

    • 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)

    Steps 4-6 sauteing veggies and adding coconut milk

    • 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)

    Steps 7-9 Simmering the curry

    • 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 tablespoon 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.

    close up of the curry

    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.**

    curry with a spatula

    Caribbean Style Curry Cod

    Caribbean curry cod is for easy to make, fresh, delicious flavour coming straight to your dinning table.
    5 from 5 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Entree
    Cuisine: Caribbean
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 30 minutes
    Total Time: 45 minutes
    Servings: 2 servings
    Calories: 460kcal
    Author: Charla

    Ingredients

    To marinate the fish

    • 1 tablespoon curry powder see post for recipe liink
    • ½ tablespoon coconut sugar This helps to balance out the flavours
    • 2 teaspoon fish seasoning see post for recipe link
    • ½-1lb g of cod (300g-550g) can use monkfish, tilapia etc..

    To make the curry

    • 1 tablespoon curry powder
    • 2 teaspoon 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 tablespoon of ginger grated
    • 1 tablespoon of tamarind paste heaped
    • 1 tablespoon of Parsley fresh or dried
    • 6 sprigs of Thyme tied in a bundle
    • 1 teaspoon of black pepper
    • 1 teaspoon pink salt
    • ⅓ cup of water 80ml
    • 2 tablespoon 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.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 460kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 50g | Saturated Fat: 43g | Cholesterol: 65mg | Sodium: 138mg | Potassium: 1692mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 2922IU | Vitamin C: 107mg | Calcium: 144mg | Iron: 7mg
    Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @ThatGirlCooksHealthy or tag #ThatGirlCooksHealthy!
    « Vegan Caribbean Plantain Curry
    Jamaican Curry Chicken Recipe (Gluten-Free, Paleo) »
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    About Charla

    I'm Charla. Caribbean foodie & Certified Health Coach. Welcome to the heaven of gluten and dairy free recipes as well as modernised healthier alternatives to some of your favourite Caribbean recipes.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Laurel Carter

      January 13, 2022 at 9:40 pm

      5 stars
      Absolutely love this recipe. It’s a delicious new go-to for us, thank you!

      Reply
      • Charla

        January 13, 2022 at 9:49 pm

        You are most welcome Laurel, thank you for your positive feedback.

        Reply
    2. Synamon

      August 11, 2021 at 1:18 am

      Hi! Do I use a tbsp of fresh parsley or dried?

      Thank you!

      Reply
      • Charla

        August 11, 2021 at 6:21 am

        Hi there, either works well.

        Reply
        • Synamon

          August 13, 2021 at 6:55 pm

          Thank you! If Im not able to find Tamarind paste is there a common substitute ?

          Reply
          • Charla

            August 13, 2021 at 6:59 pm

            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!

            Reply
    3. Grace

      July 27, 2021 at 2:59 am

      5 stars
      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! ❤️

      Reply
      • Charla

        July 27, 2021 at 6:44 am

        Sounds delicious and I love that you found a way to replicate the sour/tangy of tamarind. Very clever! Thanks for the great feedback!

        Reply
    4. Katieann

      April 01, 2021 at 9:00 am

      Going to try this tomorrow, I’d like to add some vegtables, what vegetables would you recommend to add without spoiling the flavour?

      Reply
      • Charla

        April 01, 2021 at 9:56 am

        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.

        Reply
      • Willymacc

        June 28, 2021 at 12:31 pm

        5 stars
        Absolutely full of flavour will definitely be making again very soon

        Reply
        • Charla

          June 28, 2021 at 12:32 pm

          Thank you so much for your feedback.

          Reply
    5. Olivia Buehl

      February 01, 2020 at 7:01 pm

      The recipe is unclear. Do you marinate tthe cod in all the ingredients or just a few. Please clarify.

      Reply
      • Charla

        February 01, 2020 at 7:23 pm

        I have just updated the recipe card listing the ingredients you need to marinate the cod so it should make sense now 🙂

        Reply
    6. Tanesha Brown

      October 06, 2019 at 10:16 pm

      5 stars
      This is definitely one of my favourites from you. More please !!

      Reply
      • Charla

        October 06, 2019 at 11:36 pm

        So please to hear that you enjoyed it

        Reply
    7. Julie White

      August 29, 2019 at 12:11 am

      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,

      Reply
      • Charla

        August 29, 2019 at 1:24 pm

        Thank you Julie

        Reply

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    I'm Charla. Caribbean foodie & Certified Health Coach. Welcome to the heaven of gluten and dairy free recipes as well as modernised healthier alternatives to some of your favourite Caribbean recipes. Learn more about me

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