Living in a beautiful little harbour town with the most fantastic fish available,
I love experimenting with fish recipes. This monkfish curry is fantastic –
the lovely firm flesh of the monkfish works so well with the creamy coconut curry sauce.

Monkfish Coconut Curry on top of rice in a grey/brown bowl, topped with coriander and red chillies. There is a fork sticking out the bottom of the bowl and a couple of pieces of naan in the curry. This in on a grey background with a grey napkin. There is a piece of naan in the background as well as coriander scattered around.
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The tender, meaty chunks of monkfish do a brilliant job of soaking up all that tomatoey curry sauce! They’re so filling and nourishing too.

I always end up craving a curry at some point in the week, so this is a brilliant way to add in some variety. Not to mention, it’s super quick and easy.

Also, it’s one-pan! That means the kitchen isn’t in absolute shambles by the time dinner is ready, which is a massive help.

📋 Ingredients

An overhead shot of the ingredients in Monkfish Coconut Curry laid out on a wooden board. The ingredients are labelled in white, they are as follows: tomato puree, tinned tomatoes, coconut milk, monkfish, spices, cornflour, ginger, green beans, spinach.

Oil – You can use any neutral oil, such as avocado, rapeseed or sunflower oil, for this recipe.

Stock – you can use homemade chicken stock or simply use a chicken stock cube dissolved in hot water.

Green Beans – If you don’t fancy green beans you can always replace them with peas, fresh chopped tomatoes, or samphire. Just add them in the last 5 minutes of cooking.

📺 Watch how to make it

***Full recipe with detailed steps in the recipe card at the end of this post***

  1. Heat the oil in a large pan.
  2. Add the onion and cook until softened.
  3. Add in the pepper, garlic, ginger and spices. Stir and cook for 2 minutes.
  4. Add the tomato puree, canned tomato, stock, and coconut milk. Stir and bring to a gentle bubble.
  5. Stir in the monkfish and green beans and heat until the monkfish is cooked through.
  6. You can add in a cornflour slurry at this stage to thicken the curry if you like.
  7. Stir in the spinach, turn off the heat and serve.

Pro Tip

Swap out the green beans or add in more veggies, if you like. Peas, chunks of fresh tomato or samphire all work really well with this dish. Just add them in for the last 5 minutes of cooking

This curry pairs really well with a peshwari naan or a garlic naan.

A closeup shot of Monkfish Coconut Curry in a grey pan, topped with coriander. On a grey surface with a grey napkin in the background.

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I love the vibrant colours and those nice chunky pieces of fish.

A tall overhead shot of Monkfish Coconut Curry in a grey pan, topped with coriander. In the background on the top left there is a grey bowl filled with rice, and on the top righ there is 2 naan On a grey surface with a grey napkin in the background.

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5 from 5 votes

Monkfish Coconut Curry

Juicy chunks of monkfish in a creamy coconut curry sauce. This is a mild but tasty curry – ready in 30 minutes.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Asian

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp oil
  • 1 large onion peeled and finely chopped
  • 1 red bell pepper deseeded and sliced in strips
  • 2 garlic cloves peeled and minced
  • 2 tsp minced ginger
  • 2 tbsp medium-heat curry powder (you can go milder or hotter depending on your preference)
  • 1 tbsp ground coriander
  • ½ tbsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp ground black pepper
  • 2 tbsp tomato purée (paste in the USA)
  • 400 g (14 oz) can finely chopped tomatoes
  • 240 ml (1 cup) chicken stock
  • 400 ml (14 oz) can full-fat coconut milk
  • 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) monkfish fillets chopped into meaty chunks
  • 100 g (3.5 oz) extra-fine green beans cut in half
  • 1 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch in USA) mixed with 2 tbsp cold water to make a slurry (optional)
  • 60 g (2 packed cups) baby spinach

To Serve:

  • boiled rice
  • fresh coriander (cilantro)
  • 1 red chilli finely sliced
  • naan
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Instructions 

  • Heat the oil in a large frying pan (skillet) over a medium-high heat.
    2 tbsp oil
  • Add the onion to the pan and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often, until softened.
    1 large onion
  • Add the pepper, garlic, ginger, curry powder, coriander, cumin, paprika, salt and pepper. Stir and cook for a further 2 minutes.
    1 red bell pepper, 2 garlic cloves, 2 tsp minced ginger, 2 tbsp medium-heat curry powder, 1 tbsp ground coriander, ½ tbsp ground cumin, 1 tsp paprika, ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp ground black pepper
  • Add the tomato purée, canned tomato, stock and coconut milk. Stir together and bring to a gentle bubble.
    2 tbsp tomato purée, 400 g (14 oz) can finely chopped tomatoes, 240 ml (1 cup) chicken stock, 400 ml (14 oz) can full-fat coconut milk
  • Add the monkfish chunks and green beans and cook for 6–8 minutes, until the monkfish is cooked through.
    500 g (1 lb 2 oz) monkfish fillets, 100 g (3.5 oz) extra-fine green beans
  • If you would like to thicken the curry, slowly pour in the cornflour slurry, whilst stirring, until the thickness is to your liking.
    1 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch in USA) mixed with 2 tbsp cold water to make a slurry
  • Stir in the spinach (it should wilt quickly), then turn off the heat.
    60 g (2 packed cups) baby spinach
  • Serve with cooked rice, topped with fresh coriander, slices of fresh chilli, and naan on the side.
    boiled rice, fresh coriander, 1 red chilli, naan

Video

Notes

Can I make it ahead?
Yes, this can be made ahead, refrigerated or frozen.
Make the curry, then quickly cool, cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
Reheat in a pan over a medium heat (you may need to add a splash of water to loosen it up) until the monkfish is piping hot throughout. Keep a close eye on the monkfish when reheating to ensure you don’t overcook it, as it can dry out – being such a lean fish.
Freezing:
Make the curry, then quickly cool, and freeze it in an airtight container. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight, then reheat as per the ‘make ahead’ instructions above.
Ingredient swaps
You can add in (or swap out the green beans for) peas, fresh tomato or samphire. Add them in the last 5 minutes of cooking. 
How to scale up and scale down this recipe. 
This recipe can be doubled up for a crowd or halved for two people, sticking to the same ingredient ratios.
Nutritional information is per serving (this recipe serves 4), not including the serving suggestions such as rice or naan.

Nutrition

Calories: 414kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 398mg | Potassium: 924mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 2999IU | Vitamin C: 54mg | Calcium: 78mg | Iron: 3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links – which means if you buy the product I get a small commission (at no extra cost to you). If you do buy, then thank you! That’s what helps us to keep Kitchen Sanctuary running. The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors. For more information please see our Terms & Conditions.

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Hi, I'm Nicky and I love to cook! I want to share with you my favourite, delicious family friendly recipes. I want to inspire you to create fantastic food for your family every day.

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Comments

  1. Liz Hartland says:

    5 stars
    Actually made with veggies for my vegetarian friend and served with noodles. We loved it and a recipe I will go back to. So easy to make too. Bonus.

  2. Jim Arnold says:

    5 stars
    I’m no chef but managed to impress Val.
    Thank you

  3. Ian Meldrum says:

    5 stars
    Made this tonight, absolutely delicious will be making this again

  4. Ron Hoffmann says:

    5 stars
    Very good curry. We used peas instead of green beans. It’s on the mild side so perfect for my daughter.

  5. Christine says:

    5 stars
    Love this fish curry, it’s one of the first recipes I made from your book, It’s All About Dinner. It often makes an appearance on our recipe rotation.