Yield – 3 1/2 cups

Prep time – 10 mins Cooking time – 15 mins Resting time – 30 mins

Fish curry is one of the famous Sri Lankan side dishes and we make fish curries in many different ways. Whitefish curry (Kiri Malu), the spicy red fish curry (Miris Malu), sour fish curry (Ambulthiyal), and fried fish curry are among them. The type or the color of a fish curry mainly depends on the color of the fish’s flesh. For instance, if the fish is white, we make white curries and for the dark and red fishes, we tend to make black/red, or sour curries. We also change the ingredients, whether it’s the type of the acid or spices accordingly.

Whenever I wanted to make a sour curry or a spicy curry, tuna fish is my go-to. This black color fish curry has a combination of spicy and sour tastes and it’s the perfect side dish for rice, milk rice, bread, rottis, string hoppers, hoppers, pittu, or even for making a fish kottu. Since we don’t use coconut milk as in white fish curry, the shelf life of this is high. If you make this in a clay pot, you can store it at room temperature overnight for an even better taste.

This fish curry is perfect for a Sri Lankan-style lunch prep for busy bees. You can also make this by skipping the marinating step, but marinating is helpful in adding extra flavor to the dish.

What do you need:

500 g tuna fish, cut into cubes, cleaned and washed
3 teaspoons chili powder, divided
1 teaspoon garcinia paste
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt, divided
1 teaspoon raw curry powder
2 teaspoons black pepper powder
2 teaspoons roasted curry powder
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 teaspoon garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon ginger, crushed
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup red onion, sliced
1 tablespoon green chillis, sliced
2 pieces of 1” pandan leaves
1 tablespoon curry leaves
3 cardamom pods
3 – 4 cloves
1 piece of 1” cinnamon stick
1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon bees honey

Let’s make it:

Add 1 teaspoon chili powder, garcinia, turmeric, 1/2 teaspoon salt, raw curry powder, and 1 teaspoon pepper powder to the fish.
Massage them until everything combines.
Cover the fish mixture and marinate it for about 30 minutes.
When it’s ready, add coconut oil to a dry pot and let it heat on medium for about a minute.
When it’s hot, add garlic, ginger, and bay leaf, and saute for about 30 seconds.
When you smell garlic and ginger, add onion, green chili, pandan leaves, curry leaves, cardamom, cloves, and cinnamon.
Saute the mixture for about 2 minutes on low to medium heat until golden brown.
Add the remaining chili powder, roasted curry powder, and coriander powder, and give it a good mix.
Add marinated fish, remaining salt along with 3/4 cup room temperature water and mix together.
Cover the pot with a lid and cook it for 8 – 10 minutes on low to medium heat.
Add honey and remaining pepper powder and give it a final mix.
Turn off the flame and let it sit covered for 10 – 15 minutes before serving.

Tips for you:

The size of the fish pieces is your choice. I used 1.5 x1.5” size pieces.
Clean the fish with salt, turmeric, and garcinia in order to get rid of the excess histamine (to get rid of the tickling sensation while eating). Having said that you can also just wash with regular water as well.
Prepare other ingredients for the dish while the fish is marinating.
Use a clay or ceramic pot for preventing any chemical reaction.
Make sure to mix the mixture using in between cooking. Use either a small spoon or rotate the pot with your hands in order to prevent the breakage of the fish into small pieces.
You can adjust the amount of salt depending on your choice.
You can store this dish overnight at room temperature as it tastes even better the next day.
If you’re not planning to use it the next day, you can store it in the fridge for about a week. Make sure to use a dry and cleaned spoon for serving.