Hello!
This is my recipe for minced fish curry. Usually, us Pakistanis eat chicken, lamb or beef in the form of mince, but I love this spin on it. All my family were pretty surprised/confused/freaked out by this one! But they all loved it so much and now this is a favourite in my house. I was first inspired to make this one day when I was making a regular fish curry and was struggling to keep the pieces from breaking - and that's when it occurred to me! Why not purposely break the fish to make it a mince! Genius.
Well, not really genius per say. A quick hit on Google and I found out minced fish curry is also made by some Bangladeshis as well. Guess I didn't really have a sudden stroke of genius... siiighhh.
How gorgeous does the garnishing make this?! Takes it to another level!
I love fish. Fish is such an easy and quick-to-cook protein, unlike beef and lamb which takes long to cook. White fish is also a rich source of vitamin B (good for the skin and immune system), selenium (also for good skin, immune system and has positive effects on the thyroid) and iodine (again, good for the thyroid). I try to get fish on the table at least once a week, although ideally I would prefer to have it more often. Lamb makes a more frequent appearance on our weekly menu due to me and my husband's undying love for it.
For this recipe I used boneless skinless whitefish fillets I picked up from Iceland, but I'm certain any fish would work just as well. You'll have this dinner on the table from start to finish in 20 minutes or less - perfect for those busy weekdays! Plus the ingredients list is short as well, making this ideal for those 'I don't know what to cook' or 'There's no food in the fridge' kind of days.
The key to this curry, and indeed a lot of other curries, is in the gravy. I like to simmer my gravy for a quite a while if I have the time. This helps break down the onions and tomatoes into a smoother consistency and gets all the flavours from the spice aromatic and more pronounced. For this recipe, you want the gravy to be thick and mushy. Some people like pureeing their gravy. I prefer the texture of the tomatoes and onions in this particular recipe, but I also like pureeing for more soup/broth-based curry dishes.
Hope you all enjoy this recipe! If you have any questions, feel free to ask!
| This was my first ever blog post, written in 2015. I was a wee little wannabe food blogger, typing from the kitchen shelf in my 1-bedroom flat in East London, just-married and a final year Uni student, hoping this may be the start of something exciting. Well, it was. Fatima Cooks has grown into one of the internet's most popular resource for Pakistani recipes and has absolutely changed the course of my life. I did indeed achieve that goal of starting something exciting - and I'm forever grateful for it. This post is riddled with technical faults, questionable writing skills and let's not even get started about the terrible photos. But I will preserve this post in all it's awkward glory, in ode to that wee little wannabe blogger who wanted to start something new - and in ode to anyone reading this may want to start something exciting too. Start the thing - the future version of you will thank you, just as I am currently thanking the past-version of myself. Fatima xx (27/03/2024) |
📋 Recipe
Minced Fish Curry/Machli ka Keema
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoon oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 3 medium tomatoes, chopped
- 1 ⅓ lb (600 g) white fish in chunks
- coriander for garnish, optional
- 2 green chilli for garnish, optional
- ½ teaspoon whole cumin seeds zeera
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground coriander powder
- ¾ teaspoon chilli powder (½ for less spice)
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- In a pot, heat the oil on medium-high, about 3 minutes
- Add in the chopped onions, minced garlic and whole cumin seeds. Allow to brown, stirring often.
- Add in the chopped tomatoes, spices and about ½ a cup of water. Bring to a boil, then simmer on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. We are aiming to get the gravy to a thick, mush consistency, slightly thicker than the picture of the gravy above.
- Once the gravy has thickened and there isn't a lot of water left, add in the fish chunks. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. The fish will release a lot of its own water, therefore there should be no need to add any extra water.
- Begin to stir the curry and break the fish chunks with your spoon. This should not take a lot of effort as the fish will have softened considerably by now. Continue breaking until the fish resembles keema (mince).
- Keep cooking the curry on medium/low heat till the water evaporates. The curry is complete when there is little to no soupy water.
- Serve with rice or chapattis and garnish with chopped fresh coriander and green chilli (optional).
Notes
📩 Want me to email this recipe to you?
Enter your email & I'll send it right over.
Plus, you'll get bonus Pakistani food-goodness from Fatima Cooks, like new recipe alerts, exclusive email-only recipes + more!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from me. Your details are secure. Opt-out any time.
Louisa
Hi Fatima, we love your Punjabi Prawn Masala very much, and also your Chicken Bhuna Masala too - both wonderful recipes! We'd also like to try the Fish Keema as well, and wondered when we need to add the spices - do they go in with the cumin seeds, or perhaps layer with the tomatoes? With thanks.
Fatima
Hi there!
Thanks for pointing that out. They can honestly go in at anytime before the fish goes in. I should edit the recipe to say that! Thank you
sayhamhammad
Hi.Amna you wash fish with salt and lemon the smell of fish will be remove and add a pinch of ajwain (carom seed ) in oil before you add spices.You see the result.
Amna
Hi normally when I make fish curry the smell of fish is still there. Please can you advise how you wash the fish or do you rub anything onto the fish before cooking.
Your receipes are great for working women.
Thanks
yamnahaider
You did not say when to add the other spices (salt, pepper, red chilli, cumin powder)? Is it just when you add the tomatoes? Seems like a good recipe though...