Recipe of the Week: Malayali Fish Curry

Recipe of the Week: Malayali Fish Curry

Recipe by Robin · Just Homegrown Serves 4 · Good Friday friendly · No red meat

With Easter on the weekend and the nights cooling down, Robin from Just Homegrown has shared one of her favourite recipes — and it's a good one. This Malayali Fish Curry is built around her Tomato 'n' Chilli Chutney, a slow-cooked, flavour-packed base that does most of the heavy lifting for you. It's warm, aromatic, and exactly what a Good Friday dinner should be: easy to pull together, adaptable for the whole family, and genuinely satisfying.

Robin put this recipe forward with Good Friday in mind — for the many families who skip red meat on the day, and for anyone looking for something warming as the autumn nights start to bite. She's also kept it deliberately flexible: the whole sauce base can be simplified down to just the chutney and 400ml of coconut milk, and the fish can be swapped out entirely for chickpeas, lentils, or canned beans if you're feeding vegetarians or just working with what you've got.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • 600g white-fleshed mild fish, no bones (cut into large pieces)
  • 1 jar Tomato 'n' Chilli Chutney by Robin from Just Homegrown — choose your heat level
  • 400ml coconut milk
  • 2/3 tsp mustard seeds
  • 1/3 tsp fenugreek seeds
  • 15 fresh curry leaves
  • 2 medium onions, finely chopped
  • 1 scant tsp Garam Masala
  • Up to 350ml water, to desired consistency
  • Broccoli florets or other vegetables (optional)
  • Steamed rice or Naan to serve

Method

  1. Cut the fish into large pieces and marinate in the chutney for 20 minutes.
  2. Heat oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan over medium heat.
  3. Add mustard and fenugreek seeds. Cook until the popping slows down.
  4. Add curry leaves, chopped onion, and garam masala. Cook until the onion is soft.
  5. Pour in the coconut milk, then add the marinated fish and all the marinade. Add up to 350ml of water to reach your preferred consistency.
  6. Add any additional vegetables — broccoli works particularly well.
  7. Simmer until the fish and vegetables are just cooked through.
  8. Taste and adjust seasoning as preferred.
  9. Serve with steamed rice or Naan bread.

Slow Cooker & Oven Variation

Short on time or want a hands-off version? Robin's simplified method works a treat.

Simplified base: Combine 1 jar of Tomato 'n' Chilli Chutney with 400ml coconut milk. That's it for the sauce.

Slow Cooker (LOW): Add chutney, coconut milk, hard vegetables (carrot, potato, onion/leek) and chickpeas or lentils if using. Cook on LOW for 5 hours. Add green vegetables (broccoli, broccolini, Brussels sprouts, beans, asparagus) and cook for 30 more minutes. Place large cubes of fish on top and cook a final 30 minutes, or until everything is cooked through. Remove the lid to reduce liquid if needed. Serve as is or with steamed rice or Naan.

Casserole Dish / Dutch Oven (150°C): Cook with hard vegetables and onion for 2 hours. Add green vegetables for 1 hour more. Add fish for a final 20–30 minutes, uncovered if the liquid needs reducing. Check all vegetables are cooked through — allow more time if needed.

Swaps & Notes

  • Fish can be swapped for chickpeas, lentils, or canned beans for a fully plant-based version.
  • Heat level: choose from Robin's range of chutney heat levels to suit your family.
  • Add whatever vegetables you have on hand — this recipe is forgiving and flexible.
  • Leftovers reheat beautifully the next day.

Shop the Ingredients

Everything you need is available through YourMarket. Order by Tuesday night for Wednesday delivery, or Thursday night for Friday delivery.

Happy Easter 🥚🌿

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