Go Back
Print Recipe

Sri Lankan Tuna Fish Curry with Coconut Milk

Easy step-by-step picture recipe for making Sri Lankan Tuna Fish Curry with Coconut Milk (Kelawalla Malu Kirata, කෙලවල්ලාමාළු කිරට) with useful info + helpful tips.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Marination10 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: Curry Dish, Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: Sri Lankan
Keyword: Sri Lankan coconut fish curry, Sri Lankan coconut tuna fish curry
Servings: 4
Author: kanthi

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
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 teaspoon garlic paste
  • 1 teaspoon ginger paste

To Cook the curry

  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
  • 6 curry leaves
  • 1- inch piece pandan leaves
  • 1 tablespoon garlic finely chopped/paste
  • 1/2 tablespoon ginger finely chopped/paste
  • 1/2 medium onion chopped
  • 2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
  • Salt to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1- inch piece cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon fenugreek
  • 2 fresh green chilies
  • 2 tomatoes cut
  • 400 ml warm water adjust as needed
  • 200 ml thick coconut milk adjust as needed

Instructions

  • Wash and cut fish into pieces. Season fish with salt, chili powder, turmeric powder, black pepper, ginger, and garlic paste. 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 curry leaves, and pandan leaves.
  • Add garlic and ginger and stir-fry. And then add onion and fry until softened. Stir from time to time to stop the paste from sticking to the base of the pan.
  • Add chili powder, black pepper, salt, turmeric, fenugreek, and cinnamon stick, and saute for another one or two minutes. Make sure not to brown the spices.
  • Add tomato and green chilies and cook for a few minutes until soft, and remove the raw taste.
  • Add coconut milk and water then mix well. Bring the curry to a boil and then simmer for 5-minutes over low heat. Gently keep stirring the curry to avoid curdling.
  • 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, bread, naan, roti, appa, or indiappa.