Dinner

Tomato & Coconut Curry Recipe

ByJack Voss January 19, 2026January 19, 2026

Introduction

This Tomato & Coconut Curry is a vibrant, comforting dish full of fragrant spices and rich flavors. It’s perfect for a cozy dinner and pairs beautifully with steamed rice.

The image shows a rustic dark round pan filled with a creamy orange curry. Inside the curry, there are bright red tomato pieces scattered throughout, along with green curry leaves, and small light pink shrimp or seafood pieces. The curry sauce looks rich and smooth with some visible spices. A silver spoon is placed inside the pan on the left side. The pan is set on a white marbled surface. photo taken with an iphone --ar 4:5 --v 7

Ingredients

1 heaped tsp cumin seeds
1 heaped tsp coriander seeds
1 heaped tsp fennel seeds
2 tbsp sunflower or rapeseed oil
10 curry leaves
3 large onions, thinly sliced
1 heaped tsp black mustard seeds
½ tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp sea salt flakes
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 green chilli, finely chopped
1kg large ripe tomatoes, cut into quarters
250g cherry or baby plum tomatoes
400ml can coconut milk
2 heaped tsp tamarind paste
2 heaped tsp brown or palm sugar
cooked rice, to serve

Instructions

Step 1: Tip the cumin, coriander, and fennel seeds into a large dry frying pan over medium-high heat. Toast the seeds until fragrant and lightly browned, then immediately remove from the heat. Roughly grind the seeds using a pestle and mortar or spice grinder.
Step 2: Drizzle the oil into the pan. Add the curry leaves and sizzle for about a minute, then add the sliced onions. Fry for around 5 minutes until lightly golden.
Step 3: Add the mustard seeds, ground spice mixture, turmeric, salt, crushed garlic, and chopped green chilli to the pan. Fry everything together for another 2 minutes.
Step 4: Add all the tomatoes to the pan and fry for a further minute before pouring in the coconut milk, tamarind paste, and sugar.
Step 5: Simmer the curry gently for 25 minutes until the tomatoes are very soft and the sauce has thickened slightly.
Step 6: Taste and adjust the seasoning with a little more salt or sugar if needed. Serve the curry hot with cooked rice.

Tips & Variations

If you have extra curry leaves, fry some in a little oil until crisp and sprinkle them over the curry just before serving for added texture and aroma.

Storage

Store any leftover curry in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stove or in the microwave until piping hot. The flavors may deepen after resting, making it even tastier the next day.

How to Serve

The image shows a rustic round pan filled with a creamy orange curry that has multiple bright red tomato chunks and cherry tomatoes, giving a vibrant pop of color. There are shiny green curry leaves scattered throughout the sauce, along with visible pieces of cooked onions and soft fish fillets or meat chunks that are coated in the thick sauce. A silver spoon is placed inside the pan, partly immersed in the curry. The pan sits on a white marbled textured surface. photo taken with an iphone --ar 4:5 --v 7

Serve this delicious recipe with your favorite sides.

FAQs

Can I use canned tomatoes instead of fresh?

Yes, canned tomatoes can be used if fresh ripe tomatoes aren’t available. Use one large 400g can of chopped tomatoes as a substitute.

Is this curry suitable for freezing?

It can be frozen, but note that the texture of the tomatoes might change slightly. Cool the curry completely before transferring to a freezer-safe container. Use within 2 months and defrost overnight in the fridge before reheating.