Thai Fish Curry Recipe
- PREP 10min
- COOK 20min
- TOTAL 30min
This Thai fish curry recipe is perfect for an easy weeknight dinner. We love this from scratch curry paste, but check our tips section below the recipe for ways to boost the flavor of store-bought curry paste.
A quick note on the spice level: traditional green curry is usually quite hot. Our homemade paste is easy to adjust, but be aware that the spice level of store-bought versions will vary. If you’re looking for a good store-bought option, I highly recommend Maesri (sold in cans).
Serve this curry over steamed Jasmine rice, cilantro lime rice, or cooked rice noodles. It’s also amazing with some crispy fried shallots sprinkled over the top!
You Will Need
2 tablespoons avocado oil
2 medium shallots, sliced thin
6 tablespoons homemade green curry paste (see tips below for using store-bought curry paste)
1 (15oz) can full-fat coconut milk
1 tablespoon fish sauce
4 kaffir lime leaves, optional
1 ½ pounds skinless, boneless white fish, cut into chunks (680g)
8 ounces snow peas (225g)
Juice from half a lime, plus lime wedges for serving
½ cup green herbs like Thai basil, mint, and cilantro for serving
Thinly sliced red chilies for serving, optional
Directions
1Cook the shallots: Heat a wide pot or deep skillet over medium heat. Add the avocado oil and shallots, then cook, stirring them around the pot, until translucent, about 4 minutes.
2Bloom the curry paste: Add the green curry paste and cook, stirring it around, until slightly darker and beginning to stick to the pot, 2 to 3 minutes.
3Simmer the sauce: Pour in the coconut milk, then swirl about 1 cup of water in the empty can to get any remaining coconut milk, and pour the water into the pot. Scrape any stuck bits from the bottom, then stir in the fish sauce. Add the kaffir lime leaves (optional). Simmer until the sauce thickens slightly, 5 to 6 minutes.
4Cook the fish and veggies: Add the fish and snow peas, then simmer until the fish is cooked through and flakes easily with a fork, 5 to 8 minutes. As they cook, spoon the coconut sauce over the fish and vegetables. If most of the fish is tender, but the very tops of the fish are still undercooked, turn the heat off, and cover the pot with a lid for a few minutes so they finish cooking.
5Finish and serve: Turn off the heat, remove the lime leaves, and stir in the lime juice. Taste and season with more fish sauce as needed. Serve over rice, topped with fresh herbs and thinly sliced red chiles (optional).
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Store-bought curry paste: I like the 4-ounce cans from Maesri (here’s a link to them on Amazon). I use 4 to 6 tablespoons. Commonly sold Thai Kitchen green curry paste is not as flavorful, but the spice is more potent (if this is what you have, start with 2 tablespoons and go from there). It’s a good idea to taste your curry paste before using it to see where it sits on the flavor/spice scale.
- Making store-bought curry paste better: Add the following ingredients along with the curry paste in step two: 2 teaspoons minced garlic, 2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger, and 2 teaspoons lemongrass paste. I buy lemongrass paste in tubes. To learn how to make lemongrass paste from fresh, see the tips section of our green curry paste recipe.
- Recipe inspired by our Thai Green Curry and Ali Sagle’s Corn and Cod Green Curry (NYT).
- The nutrition facts provided are estimates.