Skip to content
FriendsPantry

South Indian · Indian

Fish molee

Non-vegetarian

Lightly fried fish simmered in a mild, turmeric-tinted coconut-milk sauce with ginger, green chilli, tomato and curry leaves. A Kerala coastal classic.

Fish molee is a South Indian curry, ready in about 45 minutes and made with white fish fillet and coconut milk. It serves 4 and is rated easy to cook.

Start cooking
Kerala fish molee: whole fish in mild yellow coconut-milk sauce with tomato and green chilli
Photo: Drsoumyadeepb / Wikimedia Commons · CC-BY-SA-4.0
Prep
25 min
Cook
20 min
Total
45 min
Serves
4
Level
Easy
Calories
405

Ingredients

4 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Rub the fish with half the turmeric (opens in a new tab), the pepper (opens in a new tab), half the salt and the lime juice (opens in a new tab). Leave for 15 minutes.

    • 2 min

  2. Step 2

    Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a wide pan and lightly fry the fish for about 1 minute per side — just to firm it, not to cook through. Set aside.

  3. Step 3

    Add the remaining oil and cook the onion (opens in a new tab), ginger, garlic (opens in a new tab), green chillies and curry leaves (opens in a new tab) until soft and translucent. Stir in the rest of the turmeric (opens in a new tab).

    • 6 min
    • medium-low heat
    Onions frying golden in a pan
    How it looks · Photo: Magda Ehlers on Pexels

  4. Step 4

    Pour in the coconut milk (opens in a new tab) with the remaining salt and bring to a gentle simmer.

    • 3 min
    • low heat

  5. Step 5

    Lay in the fish and tomato (opens in a new tab) slices and simmer gently, spooning the sauce over, until the fish is cooked. Add vinegar if you like a little sharpness.

    • 6 min
    • low heat

    Food safety: Fish is done when it is opaque and flakes easily.

    A curry simmering in a pot
    How it looks · Photo: Bachir Mamud on Pexels

About this dish

Origin
Kerala (Kochi), Kerala, India · Commonly attributedOften linked to Portuguese influence around Kochi; the name's origin is debated.More food from India
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Curries · Main courses
Cooking method
Pan-fried, Simmered
Taste
mild, creamy, aromatic / warmly spiced, fresh
Diet
Pescatarian · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · High-protein
All labelsPescatarian · Non-vegetarian · Whole-food focused · Paleo-style · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · High-protein · Calorie-conscious
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Everyday · One-pan
Cook more with
White fish fillet · Coconut milk · Turmeric · Lime juice · Coconut oil · Onion
Techniques
Pan-frying · Simmering

Allergens

  • Contains, can be adapted: Fishfrom white fish fillet

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

405 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 308 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 22%
  • Carbohydrate 9%
  • Fat 68%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy405 kcal131 kcal
Protein23.4 g7.6 g
Carbohydrate9.4 g3 g
Net carbohydrate——
Sugars——
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre——
Fat31.7 g10.3 g
Saturated fat27.1 g8.8 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol68 mg22 mg
Sodium1011 mg328 mg
Salt equivalent2.5 g0.8 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
744 mg
Calcium
51 mg
Iron
4 mg
Magnesium
83 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
37 µg
Vitamin C
20 mg
Vitamin D
0.6 µg
Vitamin B12
2.3 µg
Folate (DFE)
40 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: white vinegar.
  • Not counted (tiny amounts or “to taste”): curry leaves.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Use a firm fish so the pieces hold their shape in the sauce.

Common mistakes

  • Boiling the coconut milk hard — it splits and turns grainy.

Serve with

  • Serve with appam or steamed rice.

Storage

  • Best eaten the same day.

Reheating

  • Warm very gently; don't boil.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 1, 5

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

You might also like