Simple Homemade Fish Curry Recipe (Easy Masala Fish with Ajwain)

Simple homemade Fish curry recipe- Homemade fish curry with garlicky onion tomato masala, ajwain (carom seeds) , and cooked in mustard oil. This fish recipe is light, flavourful, and ready in under 30 minutes.

This post may contain affiliate links.

Jump to Recipe

Home cooked Fish Curry

This is the kind of fish curry you make when you want something simple, flavourful, and made with everyday ingredients. No heavy creams, no complicated steps, this recipe requires just a good garlic onion tomato masala with carom seeds (ajwain) and a few basic pantry spices that bring everything together.

This fish recipe is very close to the fish curry made in many Indian home kitchens. In fact, this is my mum’s best ever desi simple fish curry, the one we’ve had countless times growing up. It’s light, comforting, and full of flavour without being too rich.

What makes it stand out is the use of ajwain (carom seeds). It adds a slightly warm, earthy flavour that works beautifully with fish and gives this curry its distinct, rustic taste.

Choosing the Right Fish for the fish curry

You can use a variety of fish for cooking masala fish or fish curry. Preferable any white meaty fish works well. Some of the options that i have tried are

• Salmon
• Mackarel
• Basa
• Haddock
• Snapper
• Rohu, Cod or tilapia
• Pomfret

You can use whole small fish or fish cut into small cubes /pieces. Deboned and de-skinned fish is easiest to use for the curry . However skin can be left on if you prefer

Ingredients (Serves 3–4)

Below are the ingredients required to cook this fish curry

• Fish– Using the right kind of fish for making this masala fish curry is important. You can use any meaty fish . Using a river fish is the best options , however i have cooked it using salmon fillets and basa and the fish curry turns out really nice.

• Base for the gravy- Onions, tomato and garlic cloves . Blend these together to form a nice paste.

• Green chillies– Whole or slit green chillies add that nice flavour and spice kick . If you are worried about the masala getting too spicy , you can deseed the chillies, or use bigger green chillies that are not very spicy.

• Ajwain seeds (Carom seeds)– In Punjab ajwain is often used in fish recipes. It is the secret ingredient in amritsari fried fish / fish pakora recipe . My mum never lets me skip ajwain in desi fish recipes. In fact, for her, both ajwain and mustard oil are a must. Adding ajwain or carom seeds also enhances the taste and digestion. This is what gives the fish curry its signature flavour.

• Mustard oil– Another staple for a fish curry recipe from my kitchen. This gives fish its beautiful earthy flavour. However if you do not like mustard oil, you can use any oil of your choice.

• Dry Spices– Salt to taste, red chilli powder (Deghi mirch powder ), and turmeric powder. Deghi mirch powder and turmeric powder give the masala a beautiful red golden hue .

• Water as needed– The amount of water depends on how thick you want the consistency to be. If you are pairing this with rice you would want a runny gravy hence more water. But if you are pairing this with naan/ roti or parantha you would want the fish gravy to be slightly thicker consistency. You can adjust the water amount as per your liking.

• Fresh lemon juice, fresh coriander /parsley leaves, slit green chillies (to finish)- The garnishing is optional.However it does make the curry look beautiful and adds freshness to the flavours. I like adding it to my fish curry.

If you enjoy cooking with Indian flavours and want to understand spices better, check out my ebook Essential Indian spice basics guide (ebook) . It’s a short ,simple, practical, and perfect for everyday cooking giving you an insight into the very basic Indian spices.

Method to cook fish

1. Make the paste
   Blend onions, tomato, and garlic into a smooth paste.
2. Heat the oil
   Heat mustard oil until slightly smoky, then reduce heat.
3. Add ajwain
   Add the ajwain seeds and let the seeds splutter for a minute.
4. Cook the masala
   Add the blended paste and cook until it thickens and starts leaving oil from the sides.
5. Add spices
   Mix in salt, turmeric, and chilli powder. Cook for another minute.
6. Add Green chillies Add slit or whole green chillies and combine with the masala.
7. Add fish
   Gently add fish pieces and coat them in the masala.
8. Add water & cook
   Add water for gravy, cover, and cook for about 10 minutes.
9. Finish with lemon, coriander leaves and green chillies
   Turn off heat and add a light drizzle of fresh lemon juice if you are using it —this really lifts the flavours.

Tips for Best Results

• Do not overmix once the fish is added, as it might break the pieces and make the fish mushy.
• Make sure to cook the masala properly. You really need to bhuno the masala properly. This is where most of the flavour comes from
• Keep the gravy slightly thinner than you want. It will thicken later.

What goes best with the homemade fish curry?

Fish curry goes really well with Steamed rice. You can also serve it with this beautiful jeera pyaaz rice. This can also be served with roti, naan or parantha. A side of pickled onions, salad , this lovely green chilli and garlic chutney / mango chutney or raita makes the meal very balanced and just perfect.

Storing the leftover fish Curry

If you have leftovers, cool them completely before storing.

Transfer the curry to an airtight container and keep it in the fridge for up to 2 days.

Fish is delicate, so it’s best enjoyed fresh, but it still tastes great the next day as the flavours settle in.

When reheating, do it gently on the stovetop over low heat. Add a splash of water if the gravy has thickened too much, and avoid stirring too much so the fish pieces don’t break.

Try not to reheat multiple times.

FAQ’s

This masala fish curry with ajwain is an everyday fish curry. The recipe is very simple and full of flavour. You really don’t need a long list of ingredients to create something truly comforting.Once you make it a couple of times, you won’t need to measure anything.

If you try this recipe, I’d love to know how it turned out for you 💛

If you try this and like this recipe, please rate it by clicking the stars below. And don’t forget to like , share the recipe and tag us on Instagram or Facebook using #frombowltosoul_ and #frombowltosoul . Please Comment below for any queries, suggestions and ideas .I would love to hear from you.

Join the “From bowl to soul” mailing list to hear more from us. Sign up here .

First name

Email address:

Leave this field empty if you're human:

Recent on the blog

• 
  Creamy Mango Popsicles (High Protein, No Cream, Easy Summer Treat)
• 
  Simple Homemade Fish Curry Recipe (Easy Masala Fish with Ajwain)
• 
  Amritsari Meethi Lassi Recipe | Authentic Punjabi Sweet Lassi
• 
  Simple Jeera Pyaaz Rice recipe (Easy one pan Cumin Onion Basmati Pulao)
• 
  Besan Doodh recipe | Besan ka Sheera | Dodhi – A Warming Punjabi Winter Drink

Pin this post for later– click on any of the pictures to pin this for future.