Quick & Easy Crispy Curry Fried Fish

Name: Quick & Easy Crispy Curry Fried Fish
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 14 oz cod fillet (or haddock/halibut/pollack/basa); 6 slices ginger (with skin on); 3 cloves garlic (minced); 1 tbsp Shaoxing Cooking Wine (or Dry Sherry Wine or chicken broth for a non-alcoholic version); 1 green onion (finely chopped); 1 tsp curry powder; 1/2 tsp white granulated sugar (or cane sugar); 1/2 tsp salt; 1/4 tsp black pepper; ⅓ cup vegetable oil (or any neutral oil for frying); 1 tbsp Shaoxing Cooking Wine (or Dry Sherry Wine or chicken broth for a non-alcoholic version); 1 tsp curry powder; 1 tsp ground turmeric; 1/4 tsp salt; 6 tbsp cornstarch (or potato starch)

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Crispy battered fish packed with delicious curry flavors! This quick and easy Curry Fried Fish is a flavor-packed way to enjoy fish and ready in 30 minutes! Great as a main dish for dinner for all the seafood lovers!

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Ingredients & Substitutes
Expert Tips
Instructions
Storage
Pairing Suggestions
FAQ
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💬 Reviews

There is nothing like a tasty crispy curry fish to get my mouth salivating! I love crispy fish period, but when you add that fragrant sumptuous taste of curry and aromatics, it's a flavor explosion!

This easy curry fried fish recipe serves well as a main dish with steamed rice and vegetables! Making it a fantastic busy weeknight meal for the family as it easily comes together in under 30 minutes with simple ingredients!

The best part about my fried fish recipe is it's shallow fried and not deep fried so less oil is used leading to less food wasted! It's also lower in calories.

This recipe adapted from my Chinese Salt and Pepper Fish. I know my readers really enjoy that one so I figured why not change the taste profile to a curry one? The end result was delicious and even my husband, who isn't crazy about fish, loved it!

Ingredients & Substitutes

Please scroll down to below recipe card for exact measurements.

White Fish Fillet: any sturdy white fish like haddock, basa, cod, pollack or halibut will work. Avoid using tilapia because it will be too flaky and not sturdy enough. You can use frozen fish or fresh fish for this recipe. Just make sure to thaw the frozen fish before working with it.
Garlic
Fresh ginger
Green onions
White granulated sugar: or substitute with cane sugar.
Curry powder: choose any curry powder of your choice that you enjoy! Indian curry powder will be very aromatic thanks to the garam masala.
Salt
Black pepper: or substitute with white pepper.
Shaoxing wine: a Chinese rice cooking wine. Or substitute with Dry Sherry. For a non-alcoholic or gluten-free version, substitute with any broth.
Neutral oil: like avocado oil, sunflower oil, grapeseed oil, peanut oil, vegetable oil or canola oil with a high smoke point. Avoid olive oil that has a low smoke point.

Fish Batter

Shaoxing wine: a Chinese rice cooking wine. Or substitute with Dry Sherry. For a non-alcoholic or gluten-free version, substitute with any broth.
Salt
Curry powder: choose any curry powder of your choice that you enjoy! Indian curry powder will be very aromatic thanks to the garam masala.
Turmeric powder: for that golden yellow color!
Cornstarch or potato starch: to make the fish crispy. Or substitute with all-purpose flour but just note that it won't be as crispy.

Note: Most Asian grocery stores will carry most of the Asian specific ingredients or check Amazon.

Expert Tips

Use a sturdy white fish for this recipe! If it's not sturdy enough, it'll flake apart when you mix in the batter.
Evenly dice the fish fillet into 1.5-inch wide pieces to ensure even cooking.
Make sure to pat the fish dry with clean paper towels to prevent the coating from becoming soggy.
Add cornstarch in last for the battering. This ensures the the outer layer remains crispy when you fry it.
Let the oil become hot before adding in the battered fish, about 350 degrees F with a digital instant read thermometer. If you don't own a digital thermometer, insert a wooden utensil into the hot oil and look for bubbles. If you see bubbles, the fish is ready for frying.
Fry in small batches to maintain oil temperature or this can lead to uncooked or soggy fish. Do not overcrowd the pan.
Drain off any excess oil after frying the fish by transferring it to a wire rack or a paper-towel lined plate. Excess oil creates soggy fish.
Do not burn the aromatics. Sauté for at most 10 seconds or until fragrant.

Instructions

Below are step-by-step instructions on how to make curry fried fish:

Dice fish fillet into 1.5-inch bite-sized pieces. Pat the diced fish dry with paper towel.
In a large mixing bowl, add diced fish along with fish batter ingredients except the cornstarch. Mix well until each piece of fish is seasoned. Then add in the cornstarch last to coat each piece well. Set aside as you prepare the rest of your ingredients.
Heat ⅓ cup vegetable oil in a large pan on medium heat until you reach an oil temperature of 350 degrees F with a digital instant read thermometer.
Fry battered fish in small batches and shallow fry on each side until crispy golden brown, about 7-8 minutes in total.
Transfer fish to a wire rack or a paper towel lined plate to drain off excess oil. Excess oil creates soggy fish.
Reserve 1 teaspoon of the leftover oil in the pan and discard the rest. Sauté garlic, ginger, green onions, white granulated sugar, salt, black pepper, and curry powder for 10 seconds or until fragrant.
Add fried fish into the pan followed by Shaoxing wine. Toss everything together. Serve immediately and enjoy hot!

Storage

Leftovers will last up to 4 days stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. To reheat, microwave for 2-3 minutes until hot or reheat in a pan on medium heat.
Freezer-friendly? Curry fried fish can be frozen for up to 3 months after cooling down completely and storing in a freezer-safe bag with the air squeezed out before sealing. To reheat, microwave from frozen or shallow fry in oil again until hot through out.

Pairing Suggestions

Curry fried fish serves well with steamed rice and:

starters like Malaysian Curry Puffs
cooked vegetables like bok choy, spicy garlic bok choy, choy sum, gai lan, garlic green beans or stir fried snow pea leaves.
other noodle dishes like KL Hokkien Mee, Char Kway Teow, and Penang Char Kway Teow
other protein dishes like Malaysian Curry Chicken, Curry Chicken Wings, and Malaysian Curry Tofu

FAQ

Can I make curry fried fish in advance?

Curry fried fish can made in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. To enjoy, reheat it in the microwave or air fry at 350 degrees F until hot through out.

Can I substitute the white fish?

Yes, feel free to substitute with peeled jumbo shrimp that has been deveined, diced chicken thighs, pork shoulder or extra-firm tofu.

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