Description

A flavorful and aromatic Keralan hake curry featuring tender hake fillets cooked in a rich coconut milk sauce with spices, peppers, and cherry tomatoes. This vibrant dish captures the essence of Kerala cuisine with its use of fenugreek, mustard seeds, and fresh coriander, perfect served with rice or naan to soak up the delicious sauce.

Ingredients

Scale

For the Curry

1 tbsp groundnut oil
1 onion, finely sliced
Small bunch coriander, leaves picked, stalks finely chopped
1 thumb-sized piece ginger, peeled and cut into matchsticks
2 peppers (red and yellow), sliced
2 tsp fenugreek seeds
2 tsp brown mustard seeds
200g cherry tomatoes
400g can coconut milk
4 x 150g hake fillets

To Serve

Rice or naan bread

Instructions

Preheat and Prepare Pan: Heat your oven to 200C/180C fan/gas mark 6. Place a shallow casserole dish or an ovenproof frying pan with a lid on medium heat and add the groundnut oil.
Sauté Vegetables and Spices: Add the sliced onion, chopped coriander stalks, ginger matchsticks, and sliced peppers to the pan. Cover with the lid and cook gently for 15 minutes until softened and starting to brown.
Toast Spices: Increase heat to medium-high, stir in the fenugreek seeds and brown mustard seeds, and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
Add Liquids and Simmer: Add the cherry tomatoes and pour in the coconut milk. Bring the mixture to a gentle bubble on the stovetop.
Bake Sauce Base: Cover the pan and transfer it to the preheated oven. Bake for 20 minutes to develop flavors.
Add Hake Fillets: Remove the pan from the oven, nestle the hake fillets on top of the curry sauce, and return the pan to the oven uncovered.
Finish Cooking: Bake for 10-15 minutes more until the hake is fully cooked through and flakes easily with a fork.
Season and Serve: Season the curry to taste with salt and pepper, scatter with fresh coriander leaves, and serve hot with rice or naan bread for dipping into the sauce.

Notes

Groundnut oil can be substituted with vegetable or coconut oil for similar flavor.
Adjust the number of peppers according to your preference for spice and sweetness.
Ensure hake fillets are fresh and skinless for best texture in the curry.
For extra heat, you can add chopped green chili along with the peppers.
This dish keeps well and can be refrigerated for up to 2 days, though hake is best eaten fresh.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Category: Main Course
Method: Baking
Cuisine: Indian (Kerala)

Keywords: Keralan hake curry, fish curry, Kerala recipe, coconut milk curry, Indian fish dish, hake recipe, seafood curry