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Savory, spicy and tangy, this Fish Head Curry is a one pot meal that takes just 40 minutes from start to finish! Enjoy it on its own or serve it over some rice.
Fish heads are rich in flavor with tender meat and make the most amazing soups and curries. This curry recipe pairs fish heads with Southeast Asian flavors and is definitely one of our favorite curries to date!
This curry is a little spicy but it’s also filled with warm and savory spices and tangy tamarind and lemongrass. It’s bulked up with eggplant and tomatoes and thickened with coconut milk.
It’s hearty enough to enjoy as a meal, but when we want it to go further, we serve it over coconut jasmine rice.
Once you try this Malaysian inspired curry, you might also like this prawn laksa, easy Thai shrimp curry, mee rebus, Malaysian butter prawns and Singapore laksa.
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Why this recipe works
- Toasting your fresh, whole spices creates amazing flavor in this curry.
- It only takes 40 minutes to prepare, so it’s the perfect dinner for busy weeknights.
- Since fish heads are considered a delicacy, this curry is also a great option for entertaining.
- Curries are often more flavorful as they sit in the fridge, so leftover fish curry would be delicious for lunch or dinner the next day!
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Ingredients
For a full list of ingredients and quantities, check out the recipe card at the end of this post.
You’ll need 1 fish head for this recipe. If you can’t find fish heads at your local grocery store, try your local fishmonger or market.
For a citrusy flavor, the recipe calls for 15 curry leaves. This is an aromatic herb and you can use dried or fresh in this recipe.
The spice mix for this recipe includes 2 tablespoons of cumin seeds and 1 tablespoon of coriander.
For the best flavor, you’ll want to toast and grind your spices. To do this, heat a skillet on medium heat and add the cumin and coriander, tossing every few minutes until fragrant. Remove from heat and grind with a spice grinder or mortar and pestle.
The spice mix also includes 2 tablespoons of garam masala. You can buy it but I usually use my homemade garam masala recipe.
For a slightly sweet and tangy flavor, the recipe calls for 1 tablespoon of tamarind concentrate. It has an intense flavor and syrup-like texture. If you can’t find any, a possible substitute is pomegranate molasses.
Additional tangy and citrusy flavor comes from 2 stalks of lemongrass, cut into 2-inch pieces. Lemongrass is a herb that usually grows in tropical climates and is often used in Southeast Asian cooking. If you can’t find it, you can use lemongrass paste.
For a salty, umami flavor, you’ll also need 2 tablespoons of fish sauce, which is a store-bought sauce that’s made from anchovies fermented in salt.
The curry is a little spicy thanks to the addition of 2 tablespoons of sambal. I sometimes use this homemade sambal belacan in place of the sambal.
Step by step instructions
Rinse the fish head thoroughly then set aside.
Sauté the onion, garlic, ginger and lemongrass with the coconut oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook 2-3 minutes, until softened and browning.
Add the remaining spices, fish sauce, tamarind, sambal, mirin, salt and curry leaves. Cook 1-2 minutes, being careful not to burn the spices.
Add the tomato and eggplant and stir to coat in the spices.
Add the fish head and water and simmer for 10 minutes.
Add the coconut milk and simmer for another 10 minutes, 5 covered and 5 uncovered.
Adjust salt to taste, if needed, and serve over rice (like this nasi goreng kampung) with fresh cilantro, limes and extra sambal, if desired.
Expert tips
- Make sure your fish head is cleaned and rinsed well.
- If you can’t find fish heads, you can still make this curry with fish fillets or pieces. The flavor will be a little different, but it will still be delicious.
- For a thick and creamy curry, I recommend using full fat coconut milk or even coconut cream. Avoid light coconut milk as it can make the curry too thin.
- This recipe includes eggplant and tomatoes, but you can add other veggies. Just make sure they cook at the same rate as these veggies.
- For the best flavor, make sure your spices are fresh. I also highly recommend toasting and grinding whole spices.
- When toasting the spices, keep an eye on them so they don’t burn.
- Be careful not to overcook the curry as the fish may become tough and the veggies will get mushy.
Common questions
You can use almost any type of fish head for this curry as long as it is large enough and meaty enough. For this recipe, I normally use salmon.
The curry will thicken as it simmers, so give it some time. If it still isn’t as thick as you would like, you can use a cornstarch slurry, which is just equal parts water and cornstarch. It’s gradually stirred into the curry until the desired thickness is reached.
I don’t recommend freezing this curry as the texture of the fish and veggies will not be the same once defrosted and reheated.
You can serve it on its own, garnished with cilantro and lime wedges. It’s also delicious served over rice like this Instant Pot jasmine rice or basmati rice.
Storage and reheating
If you have leftover fish head curry, store it in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
To reheat, just warm it in the microwave or in a saucepan on the stove top. Be careful not to reheat it for too long as the fish may get tough and the veggies a little too soft.
Other Southeast Asian inspired recipes
More curry recipes
- Instant Pot Japanese Curry
- Mee Siam
- Thai Green Fish Curry
- Easy Butternut Squash Curry
- Indian Eggplant Curry
- Pineapple Chicken Curry
If you love this recipe, please leave a star rating and a comment below and let us know your favorite thing about it. We'd also love to connect on Instagram! Follow us at @went_here_8_this for awesome recipes and all sorts of fun food stuff 🙂
Recipe
Fish Head Curry
Ingredients
- 1 fish head
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 " piece ginger peeled and minced
- 15 curry leaves
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- ½ onion minced
- 2 tablespoons cumin seeds toasted and ground
- 1 tablespoon coriander toasted and ground
- 2 tablespoons garam masala
- 1 tablespoon tamarind concentrate
- 2 stalks lemongrass cut in 2" pieces
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 eggplant sliced
- 2 tomatoes chopped
- 1 tablespoon mirin
- 2 tablespoons sambal
- 1 tablespoon salt adjust to taste
- 3 cups water
- 1-15 ounce can coconut milk
- fresh cilantro for serving
- limes for serving
Instructions
- Rinse the fish head thoroughly then set aside.
- Sauté the onion, garlic, ginger and lemongrass with the coconut oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook 2-3 minutes, until softened and browning.
- Add the remaining spices, fish sauce, tamarind, sambal, mirin, salt and curry leaves. Cook 1-2 minutes, being careful not to burn the spices.
- Add the tomato and eggplant and stir to coat in the spices.
- Add the fish head and water and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add the coconut milk and simmer another 10 minutes, 5 covered and 5 uncovered.
- Adjust salt to taste, if needed, and serve over rice with fresh cilantro, limes and extra sambal, if desired.
Expert Tips:
- Make sure your fish head is cleaned and rinsed well.
- If you can’t find fish heads, you can still make this curry with fish fillets or pieces. The flavor will be a little different, but it will still be delicious.
- For a thick and creamy curry, I recommend using full fat coconut milk or even coconut cream. Avoid light coconut milk as it can make the curry too thin.
- This recipe includes eggplant and tomatoes, but you can add other veggies. Just make sure they cook at the same rate as these veggies.
- For the best flavor, make sure your spices are fresh. I also highly recommend toasting and grinding whole spices.
- When toasting the spices, keep an eye on them so they don’t burn.
- Be careful not to overcook the curry as the fish may become tough and the veggies will get mushy.
Nutrition
Andi
I really liked how easy this was. I had fish head curry in Singapore a few years back and am very excited that I can make it at home now!
Danielle
Yay! I'm so happy to hear it!
Cathy
This came out absolutely amazing! The only comment I have is there were a few bones floating around so I might wrap the fish head with a little twine next time to keep the bones intact.
Danielle
Great tip!