Singaporean Tamarind Coconut Fish Curry
Singaporean Tamarind Coconut Fish Curry features tender white fish simmered in a fragrant rempah spice paste, enriched with coconut cream and tangy tamarind juice. The pounded rempah of dried chili, lemongrass, turmeric, garlic, and ginger creates a deeply aromatic base, producing a balanced curry with creamy texture and a hint of sourness. This curry suits well as a main dish paired with white or brown rice, delivering a distinctive Southeast Asian flavor profile that highlights the fish's delicate texture and the richness of coconut.
Ingredients
- 15.9 oz White fish fillets (gutted and descaled) (450g) Wash the fish in salt water, then drain dry and cut into 1 inch/ 1,5 cm pieces. In Singapore, we use ikan tenggiri, ikan merah and ikan kurau, but you can also use a white fish like cod, halibut or tilapia. Substitute: pork (it will need to be cooked longer than the fish). Don't use oyster mushrooms as it doesn't go well with the tamarind.
- ⅖ Cup coconut cream (100ml), mixed with 1 Chinese bowl of water. Alternatively grate ½ a coconut and mix it with 225 ml of water. You can also skim off the thicker top of full-fat coconut milk and use it in place of coconut cream.
- 1 T tamarind paste Mix it with ¼-1/2 Chinese bowl of water
- fish sauce to taste, or salt
- 2 T vegetable oil or to taste. Don't use olive oil! Canola or sunflower works (palm oil is the traditional choice in South East Asia)
Rempah (to be pounded together- cut all the ingredients, where possible, before pounding)
- 4 dried chili Cut to facilitate pounding) (Remove the seeds to make it less spicy) Don't touch your eyes after touching the dried chillies or you will cry
- 2 lemongrass white part/ base) Chop extra fine before pounding to make life easier for yourself, stalks
- 1 piece Turmeric Substitute with turmeric paste or 1 of these substitutes if you don't have fresh on hand
- 3 cloves garlic peeled
- 1 lice ginger Peel with the back of a spoon if you wish- i sometimes leave the skin on!
Instructions
- Cut all the ingredients for the rempah, then pound (or blend) till fine.
- Heat the cooking oil, then fry the pounded rempah. Keep stirring and frying till the oil separates out and you can smell the fragrance of the ingredients.
- Add the coconut cream (mixed with water), bring to the boil then add the fish and reduce the heat to a simmer.
- Add the tamarind juice and simmer for another 2-3 minutes or till the fish is cooked. (Frozen or bigger fish pieces will take longer to cook.) Add more water till the gravy is at your ideal consistency/ tastiness.
- Add fish sauce or salt, to taste
- Serve with white rice, cauliflower rice or brown rice.
Notes
- The rempah paste can be made in advance and frozen in portions for easy future use.
- Curry flavors deepen after resting overnight; consider making it a day ahead for better taste.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1-2 days, as coconut cream has a short shelf life.
- If freezing, freeze only the curry sauce but avoid freezing the fish itself to preserve texture.
- You may add vegetables like broccoli, tomatoes, or okra along with the rempah for variation.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 4 people
Amount Per Serving
Calories 311
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 311kcal | 16% |
| Carbohydrates | 25g | 8% |
| Protein | 23g | 46% |
| Fat | 13g | 20% |
| Saturated Fat | 7g | 35% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 2g | 12% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 3g | 15% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 56mg | 19% |
| Sodium | 76mg | 3% |
| Potassium | 404mg | 9% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 22g | 44% |
| Vitamin A | 134IU | 3% |
| Vitamin C | 1mg | 1% |
| Calcium | 20mg | 2% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.