Coconut & tamarind fish curry with spinach
Silky coconut and tamarind fish curry with spinach — fragrant spices, bright lime and fresh coriander. Ready in under an hour, perfect midweek.
This coconut and tamarind fish curry is a weeknight winner — quick, fragrant and properly comforting without feeling heavy. The tamarind gives a bright, slightly sour lift that plays beautifully against creamy coconut milk and fresh coriander.
It’s designed for home cooks: a short yoghurt marinade keeps the fish tender, and everything comes together in one pan. Serve with steamed rice or flatbreads for a quick pescatarian supper.
Ingredients
- 600 g white fish fillets — firm white fish such as cod, haddock or pollock, skin removed and cut into large chunks
- 80 g plain yoghurt — for the quick marinade
- 2 lime — one for marinade, one for finishing and wedges to serve
- 30 ml sunflower oil
- 1 brown onion — large, thinly sliced
- 3 garlic cloves — crushed
- 25 g fresh ginger — peeled and finely grated
- 1 green chilli — de-seeded and sliced (use more or less to taste)
- 5 ml ground coriander
- 5 ml ground cumin
- 5 ml turmeric
- 5 ml garam masala
- 15 ml tamarind paste
- 200 g cherry tomatoes — halved
- 200 ml vegetable stock — low-salt
- 400 ml coconut milk — full-fat gives the richest sauce
- 5 ml caster sugar — balances the tamarind
- 120 g baby spinach — roughly chopped if the leaves are large
- 5 ml sea salt — plus extra to taste
- 15 g fresh coriander — roughly chopped, to garnish
Instructions
Put the white fish fillets in a bowl. Add plain yoghurt, 0.5 tsp turmeric, 0.5 tsp sea salt and the juice of half a lime; mix gently to coat. Cover and leave to marinate in the fridge for 20 minutes.
Heat sunflower oil in a large frying pan over a medium hob. Add the brown onion and a pinch of sea salt and cook, stirring, until soft and beginning to colour, about 6–8 minutes.
Add the garlic cloves, fresh ginger and green chilli and cook for 1–2 minutes until fragrant. Stir in ground coriander, ground cumin and garam masala and fry for 1 minute to bloom the spices.
Add the cherry tomatoes, tamarind paste, caster sugar and vegetable stock. Stir, then pour in the coconut milk. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for 8 minutes so the sauce thickens slightly and the raw edge from the tamarind softens.
Gently add the marinated fish pieces to the simmering sauce in a single layer. Cook without stirring too vigorously for 6–8 minutes until the fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork.
Stir in the baby spinach and cook for 1–2 minutes until wilted. Squeeze in the remaining lime juice, check seasoning and add extra sea salt if needed.
Scatter over the fresh coriander and serve straight away with lime wedges.
Tips
- Keep the sauce at a gentle simmer when you add the fish — a rolling boil will overcook delicate fillets.
- If your tamarind is very concentrated, start with 1 tsp and add more to taste; too much will make the sauce bitter.
- Make the sauce base earlier in the day and chill; reheat gently and add the fish just before serving for a quicker finish.
- Leftovers keep in the fridge for 24–36 hours; reheat gently on a low hob and add a splash of water if the sauce has thickened.
- Use skin-on fish if preferred: score and remove the skin after cooking if you don’t want to eat it.
Substitutions
white fish fillets → salmon fillets, same weight
Noticeably differentcoconut milk → light coconut milk, same volume
Stays closetamarind paste → juice of 1 lime plus 1 tsp brown sugar
Noticeably differentplain yoghurt → 125 g natural kefir or omit for a quicker marinade
Stays close
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 430
- Calories
- 28 g
- Protein
- 12 g
- Carbs
- 30 g
- Fat
- 4 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
- Sugar
- 600 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
How do I know when the fish is cooked?
Fish is done when it is opaque through and flakes easily with a fork. Test a thicker piece after 6 minutes; if it resists flaking, cook for another minute or two.
Can I make this curry ahead?
You can make the sauce up to a day ahead and refrigerate. Reheat gently and add the marinated fish at the last moment so it cooks fresh.
Can I freeze this curry?
Cooked fish doesn't freeze well — the texture changes. You can freeze the sauce (without fish) for up to 2 months and add freshly cooked fish when reheating.
How can I make it spicier or milder?
Adjust the green chilli quantity or add a pinch of chilli flakes while frying the spices. To tame heat, add a little extra coconut milk or a squeeze of lime.
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