Gulai Ikan: Indonesian Fish Curry
Tender fish simmered in a fragrant coconut curry paste flavored with garlic, ginger, and turmeric. A weeknight-friendly version of the classic Indonesian dish, ready in under 25 minutes.
- Total time
- 22 min
- Servings
- 2
- Calories
- 385
- Protein
- 42g
Ingredients
- 1 lb thick white fish fillets (cod, halibut, or sea bass)
- 3 cloves garlic cloves
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled
- 1 can (13.5 oz) coconut milk
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- 1 serving salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- 1
Mince the garlic cloves until the pieces are smaller than a grain of rice, about pencil-tip sized dots.
- 2
Mince the fresh ginger using the same motion as the garlic—pieces should be tiny, pencil-tip sized, so it blends smoothly into the sauce.
- 3
Examine the fish fillets and remove any small bones by pulling them out with tweezers or your fingernail, pinching them at an angle.
- 4
Pour the coconut milk into a 10-inch or 12-inch skillet and place over medium heat, letting it warm gently for 90 seconds until wisps of steam rise from the surface.
- 5
Add the minced garlic, minced ginger, and turmeric powder to the warm coconut milk, stirring with a wooden spoon to break up any clumps of turmeric until the mixture smells strongly fragrant, about 45 seconds.
- 6
Lay the fish fillets flat in the simmering curry, skin-side up if the skin is still attached, making sure they sit in a single layer at the bottom of the skillet.
- 7
Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer gently—you should see small bubbles break the surface every 2–3 seconds—for 10 minutes until the fish is opaque throughout and flakes apart when you press it with the side of a fork.
- 8
Taste the curry, then sprinkle salt and pepper directly into the sauce to your preference, stirring once gently to distribute the seasoning.
- 9
Slide the fish and curry into a shallow bowl or wide plate, spooning the coconut sauce around and on top of the fish so each piece is coated.
Tools you’ll need
- 10-inch or 12-inch skillet with lid (optional)
- wooden spoon
- fork
- tweezers or fingernail (for bone removal)
- measuring spoons
- can opener
Cook smarter
Get matched recipes for what’s in your fridge
CookSnap is a free iOS app that finds real recipes from the ingredients you already have. No more grocery-list aspirations.
