Discover how to make Sri Lankan-Style Spicy Fish Curry (Malu Mirisata, මාළු මිරිසට)!
Tuna is cooked in a mildly spicy and tangy red gravy full of flavors. The addition of tamarind gives a sour taste to the curry gravy giving a real Sri Lankan touch to the finished dish. And, it goes well with anything, from rice, string hoppers, bread, naan, or roti.
Tried and tested a truly authentic Sri Lankan fish curry recipe with step-by-step photos, useful info, and helpful tips. So it’s easy to follow even for novice cooks and a great way to incorporate tuna fish into a curry that will be on the table in no time!
This fish curry is locally Known as (in Sinhalese); Malu Vyanjanaya (මාළු ව්යංජනය), Malu Curry (මාළු කරි), Malu Mirisata (මාළු මිරිසට), Miris Malu (මිරිස් මාළු)
Malu = Fish, Vyanjanaya= curry, Miris = chili, Mirisata = with chili or spicy
ABOUT SRI LANKAN-Style fish CURRY
As expected from an island in the Indian Ocean, seafood plays an important role in Sri Lankan cuisine. And as you may already know, flavorful curries are a staple dish in every household in Sri Lanka. So without any doubt combining these two can only result in a delicious dish that you can call a fish curry. There are many different types of fish curries depending on region and taste preferences. So, this spicy tuna fish curry is only one of them.
Sri Lankan currY-Variation
Almost all Sri Lankan foods (both sweet and savory) have coconut incorporated in some form or the other and the same is the case in curry recipes. You can make Sri Lankan-style curry with or without coconut milk.
- Curry with coconut milk is called ‘Kirata’ කිරට” (kirata = milky);
The coconut milk softens the heat, so it is creamy, milky, and mild.
{coconut milk=pol kiri (පොල් කිරි), pol (පොල්) = coconut, kiri (කිරි) = milk} - Curry without coconut milk is called ‘Mirisata’“මිරිසට” (mirisata = with chili or hot/spicy); Relatively more chilies and spices are added, so it is spicier, and not milky.
{miris මිරිස්=chili, mirisata මිරිසට=with chili or hot/spicy}
More Fish Curry Recipes to Try
About Sri Lankan spicy Tuna fish curry
(kelawalla Malu Mirisata)
In this post, I will show you how to make Sri Lankan-style spicy tuna fish curry locally known as Kelawalla Malu Mirisata (කෙලවල්ලා මාළු මිරිසට).
“Malu” = fish, and “Mirisata” = with chili or spicy
So, “Malu Mirisata” literally means ‘spicy fish curry’.
In this fish curry recipe, marinated tuna fish is cooked in a spicy and tangy gravy flavored with spices, onion, ginger, garlic, and green chilies. Adding roasted curry powder, curry leaves, pandan, and tamarind makes it a unique and authentic Sri Lankan fish curry.
I used about 1 tablespoon of red chili powder which gives a bright red color to the curry while maintaining the spiciness. However, you can also adjust the spiciness to suit your taste. Add more chili powder if you want more heat or less chili powder for a mild curry, according to your preferences.
What to Serve With Fish Curry
Sri Lankans prefer to serve fish curry with rice and a few other side dishes. However, just plain rice is what you really want to enjoy this fish curry and it also goes well with bread, appa, idiyappam, roti, naan, chapati, or paratha. And leftovers if any can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to two or three days.
useful info
What fish works best for this curry?
For this curry, I used tuna fish (Kelawalla, කෙලවල්ලා in Sinhalese). Bonito or Horse Mackerel also goes well with this curry. However, you can choose any firm fish available. Bonito (Bala Malu, බල මාළු in Sinhalese) is also known as Skipjack Tuna or Striped Tuna.
The importance of Making a good gravy (curry sauce)
Making a good gravy for your fish curry is key, this is where all the flavor lies. Always start with toasting the mustard seeds in oil and then add the fresh ingredients curry leaves, rampe, onion, garlic, ginger, and green chilies. Then add in the spices, toasting them will release the flavor. Once this base is toasted you can add water and tamarind and then bring it to a boil. Lastly, you will add the marinated fish and cook for just about 5 minutes.
Frying mustard seeds in hot oil
They are not actually fried in oil but crackled instantly so the aroma of the mustard oil in it is absorbed in the oil making the gravy more flavorful. The aroma and flavor of mustard come from the essential oil contained inside the seeds.
ADJUST THE CONSISTENCY OF CURRY GRAVY
In this curry, the consistency of the gravy is on the thinner side as I like it that way. However, if you want your curry to have a thicker gravy, you can reduce the amount of liquid used, or simmer your curry until it becomes thicker.
CURRY POWDER FOR FISH CURRY
I have already shared recipes for making two types of Sri Lankan curry powders (Thuna Paha) that are commonly used in Sri Lankan curries. One is unroasted (raw) curry powder while the other one is roasted curry powder. So instead of using store-bought curry powders (that might change the true flavor of the curry), you can make and use your own curry powder to make this mouth-watering fish curry and many more curries.
For this fish curry, as I wanted to make it with a lot of aromatic spices, I used homemade Sri Lankan Roasted Curry Powder (Badapu Thunapaha, බැදපු තුනපහ).
How to make Sri Lankan Roasted Curry Powder (Badapu Thunapaha, බැදපු තුනපහ)
You can also use the mild version of Sri Lankan curry powder just made with 3 spices.
With whole spices
How to Make Sri Lankan Basic 3-Spice Curry Powder (Unroasted, Thuna Paha, Thunapaha, තුනපහ)
With ground spices
Just-Mix! Sri Lankan Basic Curry Powder (Thunapaha)
Exotic Herbs & Ingredients
Curry leaves (karapincha, කරපිංචා)
Fresh curry leaves are an essential ingredient in Sri Lankan cooking that has a distinctive, flavor and fragrance. Fresh or frozen curry leaves are preferred for the best flavor and aroma. If you cannot find curry leaves, just skip them as there is no substitute. They are edible and have many health benefits.
Pandan ((Rampe, රම්පේ)
Pandan leaves are widely used to flavor curry dishes along with curry leaves. Fresh or frozen pandan leaves are preferred for the best flavor and aroma. If you cannot find pandan leaves, just skip them as there is no substitute. They are not edible, so remove them before serving.
Lemongrass (Sera, සේර)
Lemongrass (stalk) is used mostly in meat curries for adding flavor and aroma. Fresh or frozen lemongrass is preferred for the best aroma and flavor. It is not edible, so remove them before serving.
In Sri Lanka, green chilies are widely used as a cooking ingredient. They add a milder heat and enhance the flavor of the curries beyond just pure heat. You can skip them altogether if you like a milder curry.
Tamarind adds a nice sourness to this fish curry. If you cannot find tamarind, you can substitute it with vinegar, lime, or lemon juice. If you don’t like sour dishes, you can skip tamarind in this recipe.
Cinnamon (Kurundu)
Cinnamon is one of the must-have spices in Sri Lankan cooking. I prefer using Ceylon cinnamon for its mildly aromatic, sweet, and delicate taste. I usually use a cinnamon stick because it adds a mildly aromatic, spicy, and sweet flavor to the dish. You can probably use ground cinnamon but make sure to add a small amount (about 1/8 teaspoon) to avoid giving the dish a strong flavor.
Roasted Fenugreek Seeds (Badapu Uluhal)
Fenugreek seeds are also one of the staple spices used in Sri Lankan cooking to flavor curries and stir-fry dishes. It can be incredibly bitter when eaten raw, but you’ll get a sweet, nutty flavor out of fenugreek seeds by dry roasting them.
NOTE: You can dry roast the fenugreek seeds in a hot dry pan for about 2-3 minutes until it changes slightly in color and turns fragrant.
Useful Cooking Tips
- The curry tastes better the next day, so you can prepare this a day ahead to enjoy a much more enhanced flavor.
- Cooking curries in a clay pot is recommended.
- Use coconut oil whenever possible. Rice oil is a good substitution.
- The secret to a delicious fish curry is marination, so let the fish marinate for about 15 to 30 minutes.
- When you make the curry gravy, timing is everything. Don’t dump in all the ingredients at once, for best results follow the instructions in the recipe and make sure to stir-fry the ingredients separately.
- Be careful not to burn spices when you stir-fry them.
- Make sure to stir the curry occasionally throughout the cooking process.
- Use warm or hot water as adding cold water will bring down the temperature of the curry.
- After you cook the curry, let it sit for a while. This allows the fish to absorb the flavors of the curry and thicken the gravy.
SRI LANKAN spicy Fish CURRY
(STEP-BY-STEP RECIPE)
Ingredients
To Marinate the Fish
250 g tuna fish, cut into pieces
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon vinegar/lemon or lime juice
To Make the Curry
2 tablespoons oil
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 tablespoon garlic, finely chopped
1/2 tablespoon ginger, finely chopped
2 fresh green chilies
6 curry leaves
2-inch piece of pandan leaves
1 teaspoon curry powder
2 teaspoon chili powder (or more)
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
Salt, to taste
1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds, roasted
1-inch piece of cinnamon
3 cloves
2 cardamoms
400 ml water, warm
3 to 4 pieces of tamarind
Directions
Gather the ingredients. Soak tamarind in hot water for about 10 minutes. And make sure to remove the seeds if there are any.
Wash and cut fish into pieces. Season fish with salt, chili powder, turmeric powder, and vinegar. Set it aside for about 10 minutes.
Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds and let them splutter.
Add onion, green chilies, garlic, ginger, curry leaves, and pandan leaves, and fry for about 1 minute until the onions soften.
Add curry powder, chili powder, salt, turmeric, fenugreek, cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, and cloves, and saute for another one or two minutes. Make sure not to brown the spices.
Add water and tamarind and then mix well all together. Bring the curry to a boil and then simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring regularly.
Lastly, add the fish, reduce the heat, and let the fish cook for about 5 minutes stirring carefully, otherwise fish might break into small pieces. Season with salt as needed.
Turn off the heat and allow the curry to rest for 15-30 minutes for the flavors to blend.
Serve with rice or bread!
Sri Lankan spicy fish curry
Printable recipe
Sri Lankan Spicy Fish Curry (Malu Mirisata)
Ingredients
To Marinate the Fish
- 250 g fish cut into pieces
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon vinegar/lemon or lime juice
To Cook the Curry
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1/2 medium onion chopped
- 1 tablespoon garlic finely chopped
- 1/2 tablespoon ginger finely chopped
- 2 fresh green chilies
- 6 curry leaves
- 1 inch piece pandan leaves
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- 2 teaspoon chili powder or more
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
- Salt to taste
- 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds roasted
- 1 inch piece cinnamon
- 3 cloves
- 2 cardamoms
- 400 ml water warm
- 3 to 4 pieces tamarind
Instructions
- Wash and cut fish into pieces.
- Season fish with salt, chili powder, turmeric powder, and vinegar. Set it aside for about 10 minutes.
- Add vegetable oil to a pan on medium heat, followed by mustard seeds.
- Once the mustard seeds start to crack, add onion, green chilies, garlic, ginger, curry leaves, and pandan leaves and fry for about 1 minute until onions soften. Stir from time to time to stop the onions sticking to the base of the pan.
- Add curry powder, chili powder, salt, turmeric, fenugreek, cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, and cloves, and saute for another one or two minutes. Make sure not to brown the spices.
- Add water and tamarind and then mix well all together.
- Bring the curry to a boil and then simmer for 5-minutes, stirring regularly.
- Lastly, add the fish, reduce heat and let the fish cook for about 5 minutes stirring carefully, otherwise fish might break into small pieces. Season with salt as needed.
- Turn off the heat and allow the curry to rest for 15-30 minutes for the flavors to blend.
- Serve with rice or bread.
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