Creamy Coconut Snapper Curry
Tender pieces of snapper, colourful vegetables and a creamy coconut curry sauce, all made in one pan.
Ingredients
Curry Base
- 1 Tbsp olive oil or coconut oil
- 1 small onion finely diced (100g)
- 3 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 Tbsp fresh ginger grated
- 1 Tbsp curry powder mild or medium
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp chilli flakes optional
Coconut Sauce
- 400 ml coconut milk
- 200 g crushed tomatoes or passata
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp fish sauce optional
- Juice of ½ lemon
Fish & Vegetables
- 500 g snapper fillets skin removed and cut into 4–5cm chunks
- 1 small red capsicum sliced
- 100 g broccoli florets
- 1 medium carrot about 80g, thinly sliced
To Serve
- Cooked rice
- Homemade naan bread optional
- Fresh coriander or parsley optional
- Lime or Lemon wedges optional
- Crispy shallots optional
Instructions
Cook the aromatics
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook for 3–4 minutes until softened. Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook for another 30 seconds until fragrant.
Add the spices
- Add the curry powder, turmeric, cumin and chilli flakes if using. Stir for around 30 seconds to toast the spices, being careful not to burn them.
Make the sauce
- Pour in the coconut milk and crushed tomatoes or passata. Add the salt, brown sugar and fish sauce if using. Stir well and simmer gently for 5 minutes until the sauce has thickened slightly.
Cook the vegetables
- Add the sliced capsicum, broccoli florets and thinly sliced carrot. Simmer for 4–5 minutes until the vegetables are starting to soften but still have a little bite.
Add the snapper
- Gently place the snapper pieces into the sauce, making sure they're mostly submerged. Cover and simmer over low heat for 5–6 minutes, or until the fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork. Avoid stirring too much so the fish doesn't break apart.
Finish the curry
- Add the lemon juice and gently stir through. Taste and adjust the seasoning with extra salt, lemon juice or chilli if needed.
Serve
- Spoon the curry over fluffy rice and serve with homemade naan bread, fresh herbs and lemon/lime wedges if desired.
Notes
Fish: Snapper works beautifully, but you can substitute another firm white fish. Adjust the cooking time depending on the thickness of the pieces.
Coconut milk: Use full-fat coconut milk for a creamier sauce, or coconut cream if you prefer something richer.
Vegetables: Slice the carrots thinly so they cook quickly alongside the broccoli and capsicum.
Spice level: Use mild curry powder and leave out the chilli flakes for a milder curry.
Storage: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days, provided the fish was fresh when cooked. Reheat gently until piping hot.