Goan Fish Curry
This authentic Goan curry, known historically as Karo Goa, features tender fish or prawns simmered in a rich, aromatic coconut milk base infused with tamarind and a complex blend of roasted spices. The dish balances the tangy depth of tamarind with the warmth of cloves, cinnamon, and peppercorns, creating a velvety sauce that clings perfectly to the seafood. Best served with steamed rice to soak up the flavorful, ghee-enriched gravy.
Ingredients
- 1 pound Fresh fish or prawns (Cleaned and cut into pieces. Originally '1 ratla'.)
- 1/2 pound Onions (Finely sliced. Originally '0.5 seer'.)
- 6 tablespoons Ghee (Originally '7 tolas'.)
- 2 tablespoons Tamarind (Seeded pulp. Originally '3 tolas'.)
- 6 whole Dried red chilies (Large Goan variety, seeds removed. Quantity estimated.)
- 1 teaspoon Coriander seeds (Originally '0.5 tola'.)
- 1 inch Fresh ginger (Originally '0.5 tola'.)
- 1 bulb Garlic (Whole bulb/pod peeled. Originally '1 kado'.)
- 1/4 teaspoon Mustard seeds (Originally '20 grains'.)
- 1/4 teaspoon Fenugreek seeds (Originally '20 grains'.)
- 12 whole Black peppercorns
- 5 whole Cloves
- 1/2 inch Cinnamon stick
- 1 teaspoon Salt (Heaping teaspoon.)
- 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds (Heaping teaspoon.)
- 1/2 teaspoon Turmeric powder (Originally '0.25 tola' turmeric knob.)
- 1 whole Fresh coconut (Large, mature, grated.)
- 1 1/2 cups Water (For extracting coconut milk. Quantity estimated.)
Instructions
- 1Take half of the grated coconut. Add a little water and grind it, then squeeze to extract the milk. Repeat this process twice to obtain approximately 1 1/2 cups (3/4 seer) of coconut milk. Place the tamarind in this coconut milk and let it soak for 1 hour. Afterward, mash the tamarind well into the milk, strain the mixture to extract all the flavor, and discard the fibrous residue.
- 2Peel the ginger and garlic. Take the remaining half of the grated coconut and combine it with the dried red chilies, coriander seeds, ginger, garlic, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon, cumin, and turmeric. Grind everything together into a very fine, smooth paste.
- 3Peel and finely slice the onions. Heat the ghee in a heavy-bottomed pot (traditionally a tin-lined vessel). Add the sliced onions and the prepared spice paste. Sauté well until the mixture is fragrant and cooked through.
- 4Pour in the tamarind-infused coconut milk prepared in step 1. Add the salt and the fish (or prawns). Cover the pot and cook on low heat.
- 5Once the fish is cooked, remove the lid and let the curry simmer gently on very low heat (or embers) until the ghee separates and floats to the top. Remove from heat and serve.