This is a no-fuss yellow fish curry that’s easy enough for a weeknight but still packed with flavour. It might just become your favourite way to eat fish! The sauce comes together quickly, with the fish gently poached in the curry sauce for a simple one-pan dinner that’s ready in under 30 minutes.
When my husband recently returned home from a family visit at the coast with bags of pearl perch fillets he had skilfully caught from his cousin’s freezer, I knew exactly what I was going to make with it.
My husband and his family are all fishermen and it’s not uncommon for us to have fresh fish, but I had been getting a bit restless around our usual dishes and had a picture in my mind of a glorious and fragrant yellow curry made with flaky white fish poached in the sauce and served over a bed of white rice.
This recipe was so good I couldn’t wait to make it again. It’s probably the best at home curry I have made in ages, yet it’s so incredibly quick and simple to make thanks to using a store bought curry paste and a handful of pantry staples. This is definitely going to make many appearances on my dinner table this year, I know it!
Recipe Inspiration
I adore Thai curries in most of their forms, however after a bad experience with a yellow curry at a very popular restaurant on the Gold Coast, I avoided it for years thinking that it maybe wasn’t for me.
Fast forward to my trip to Cambodia, where I did a cooking class and learned how to make Fish Amok, one of the country’s signature dishes, which is a type of yellow coconut curry made with loads of turmeric. It was delicious!
Ever since I returned I have thought about making a yellow curry with fillets of fresh fish. I decided to make it Thai style as I love the balance of spice with the sweet and salty flavours, plus it’s way more convenient to make as you can easily find pre-made curry pastes in the supermarket (and don’t have to deal with fresh turmeric staining literally everything!).
I based my sauce on my favourite Thai red curry with meatballs and adapted it as needed to get this simple but incredibly flavourful dish.
Key Ingredients
Unlike many yellow curry recipes, this one has a pretty limited ingredient list as our goal is maximum flavour but minimal time in the kitchen.
Note all ingredients and their quantities are laid out in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- White fish fillets – I used pearl perch fillets as that was what I had available. You can use any white fish fillets you like, some good and easily available options are snapper, cod, or tilapia if you’re in the US.
- Yellow curry paste – your curry paste is really going to determine the overall flavour of the dish, including your spice level. My favourite is the Ayam brand which you can get at Coles or Woolworths.
- Aromatics – fresh garlic and ginger really enhance the flavour of the curry sauce, but you can use jarred if that is all you have.
- Coconut milk – use a full fat coconut milk to ensure a thick, rich curry sauce.
- Soy sauce – adding umami and saltiness.
- Fish sauce – I know it can be polarising but it adds so much extra flavour, especially to the curry sauce. I highly recommend trying it!
- Brown sugar – just a little bit really balances the flavours in this curry and I found it so essential to the overall flavour. You could substitute with coconut sugar instead.
- Baby spinach – optional but just adds some green. You can also add any veg you like. Broccoli and carrots work really well.
Step-By-Step Instructions
When I say this is a simple recipe, I really mean it. It’s a one pot situation and you only need 20 minutes.
Before getting started, if I plan to serve this with rice (which I always do), I will pop this on using my rice cooker so it’s done by the time I’m finished with the curry and it’s just one less thing I need to think about.
Step 1: Start by sautéing your curry paste, garlic and ginger for a couple of minutes in a large frying pan with tall sides, preferably one that has a lid as we will need that later. I like to use my cast iron French pan.
Step 2: Once the aromatics are nice and fragrant, pour in the coconut milk. I usually add a splash of water to the can to get out any extra, around a quarter of a cup worth. Give it a good mix so that the curry paste mixes in with the coconut milk.
Step 3: Add in the soy sauce, brown sugar and fish sauce and gently simmer for 5-8 minutes or until the sauce starts to thicken.
Step 4: Add the spinach and gently mix into the sauce. Gently nestle the fish fillets into the sauce and place the lid on. Turn the heat down very low and gently steam/poach the fish for around 8 minutes or until the fish is just cooked through. The exact time will depend on the size of your fillets.
Step 5: Serve the fish over rice with loads of the curry sauce. Finish with some fresh lime, coriander or fresh chilli if you like.
Storage Instructions
This recipe is best eaten fresh rather than reheated as this is when the fish has it’s best taste and texture.
If you do have leftovers, you can store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat gently on the stove over low heat.
I don’t recommend freezing this as the cooked fish can become mushy.
Recipe FAQs
Yes. Fully thaw the fish in the fridge first and pat it dry before adding it to the curry.
Yellow curry paste is usually mild to medium in heat. If you prefer a milder curry, start with 2 tablespoons of paste. For extra heat, add fresh chilli or chilli oil at the end.
Yes! Capsicum, green beans, snow peas, zucchini, carrots or broccoli all work well. Add firmer vegetables at the same time as the coconut milk so they have time to cook and add a little more water if needed to the sauce.
If you do make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below! And tag any of your creations on Instagram with @eightforestlane as I would love to see.
More easy weeknight curry recipes:
Green Curry Meatballs
Thai Red Curry Noodle Soup
One Pan Dumpling Bake
Pumpkin and Chickpea Curry
Yellow Fish Curry
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- 3 tablespoons yellow curry paste
- 1 x 400ml can coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- ½ tablespoon brown sugar
- 1-2 teaspoons fish sauce
- 2 cups baby spinach approx. 2 large handfuls
- 400-450 grams white fish fillets approx. 3-4 fillets, pin bones removed and skin off
- fresh lime wedges optional to serve
Instructions
- Heat the vegetable oil in a large frying pan with high sides over medium heat. Add the garlic, ginger and yellow curry paste and cook for about 1–2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the paste darkens slightly and is fragrant.
- Pour in the coconut milk. Add about ¼ cup water to the empty can, swirl to loosen any remaining coconut milk, then add it to the pan. Stir well until the curry paste is fully incorporated.
- Stir in the soy sauce, brown sugar and fish sauce. Bring to a gentle simmer, then cook for 5–8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly.
- Add the baby spinach and stir gently into the sauce.
- Nestle the fish fillets into the sauce. Reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid and gently cook for about 8 minutes, or until the fish is just cooked through and flakes easily. Cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of the fillets.
- Serve the fish and sauce over rice, spooning plenty of curry sauce over the top. Finish with fresh lime wedges and, if you like, coriander or fresh chilli.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a guide only and is calculated using automated online tools, therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We encourage you to make your own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe.
Made this recipe? Leave a review!