This Basa Fillet in Thai Coconut Sauce is a real game changer and it has always been my favorite fish curry. I’ll tell you why. It is so creamy, like really creamy because it was simmered in pure coconut milk. It has a sweet and salty taste, plus a mild kick of heat and a nice depth of flavor from all the spices mixed into it. It is the kind of curry that I will never get tired of eating. This is not only me saying this, this has been a favorite of my friends whom I share this with and they just cannot get over how delicious it is.

More than the sauce, this dish uses Basa fillet fish, a very soft and juicy kind of fish that literally melts in your mouth in every bite. I wouldn’t use any other kind of fish to  make this dish. And there’s more, if you are familiar with Basa fish then you probably know that this is one budget friendly kind of fish, not to mention really delicious.

 How do you make Fish Coconut Curry?

There is 2 parts in making this curry, and both parts are really simple and easy.

Season and sear the Basa Fillet

Start by preparing the Basa fish. I like to rub it with some spices (salt, pepper and curry powder) to give it the first layer of taste even before it gets cook in coconut milk. What you will notice is that I added panko bread crumbs with the spices. I had discovered that using a panko bread crumbs when cooking the Basa fish not only produces a crunchy coating, but it also protect the fish from getting to dry. On top of that, the breading helps thicken the coconut sauce too. You might use more or less 1/4 cup depending on how big the fish you are using. Once the fish is coated, sear it in a heated pan about 3-5 minutes each side. Do not keep on flipping as this can break the fish. Basa fish is soft and really fragile so you have to handle it with care. Plus, if you want to get a nice browning, you should not really flip it often. Once is enough.

Cook the Basa fillet in Coconut Sauce

Time to make the coconut curry sauce. Start by cooking the vegetables in a heated pan. I used onion and variations of bell peppers. You can use other vegetables like green peas, mushroom and eggplant. Just make sure to use vegetables that are not too hard as it will take longer time to cook and you will need to make more sauce for that. Once the vegetables are stir-fried, pour the coconut milk with sugar. Add all the other spices and simmer about 5 – 8 minutes then add the chopped cilantro and lime juice. Do not skip the lime juice, it may seem a small amount but it really makes a huge difference in enhancing the flavor of the sauce. If you are not a fan of cilantro, you can use parsley instead. Taste and adjust seasoning to your preference. If you do not like it hot, you can remove the hot peppers.  Add the cooked Basa fillet then spoon the sauce over the Basa fillet. Cover the pan and simmer for another 2-3 minutes. Serve with steam rice and with Lime slices on the side. really, do not skip the Lime, got it? 🙂

Ingredients:

• Basa Fillet
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• 1 teaspoon Curry Powder
• 1/4 teaspoon Paprika
• 1/4 cup Panko Bread Crumbs

Curry Sauce

• 2 tbsp Vegetable Oil 
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher Salt (I used fine salt)
• 1/4 teaspoon Red Chili Flakes (adjust as desired)
• 1/2 Onion, peeled and diced
• 1/2 Red Bell Pepper, seeded and sliced
• 1/2 Orange Bell Pepper, seeded and sliced
• 1/2 Yellow Bell Pepper, seeded and sliced
• 1 cup Coconut Milk or Coconut Cream for a thicker sauce
• 2 tablespoon Peanut butter
• 2 tablespoon Lime Juice
• 1 teaspoon Brown Sugar
• 3 tablespoon Cilantro, chopped
• 1 green Jalapeno Pepper, thinly sliced (optional)
• 1 large Red Chili Pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon Curry Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Turmeric Powder

Instrcutions:

1. Prepare Panko Bread Crumbs: Mix red chili flakes and panko bread crumbs. Set aside
2. Cook the Basa Fillet: Spray Basa fillet with oil then sprinkle panko bread crumbs mixture all over the fish.
3. Curry Sauce: In bowl, mix coconut milk and brown sugar. Stir well until sugar is dissolved. Set aside.
4. Cook the Basa Fillet: In a heated pan, add 1 tbsp of oil, then sear the Basa fillet until cook through. Handle the fish gently and flip only once. Basa fillet is a soft and fragile fish and you don’t want to break it apart.
5. Cook the Vegetable: Using the same pan, add oil, onion and peppers and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Pour coconut milk mixture then add peanut butter, curry powder, turmeric powder and salt. Simmer and cook until sauce is reduced by half. Return the Basa fillet and continue simmering (medium heat) for another 2-3 minutes. Squeeze lime juice. Garnish chopped cilantro and thinly sliced red onion.
6. Serve: Serve with rice and serve with Lime slice on the side.

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