Recipe
Fish Ambul Thiyal (Sour Fish Curry)
A traditional Sri Lankan sour fish curry made with goraka, black pepper, garlic and ginger, cooked until the sharp, savoury sauce clings to each piece of fish.
Ingredients
Method
15 mins prep30 mins cook45 mins total
Mash the softened goraka with a splash of its soaking water to make a sharp paste. Mix it with the garlic, ginger, pepper, turmeric and salt.
Coat the fish in the paste and leave it for 10 minutes while you prepare the pan.
Arrange the fish in a single layer with the cinnamon, curry leaves and water. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover and cook until the fish is just firm.
Remove the lid and reduce the liquid until it clings to the fish. Turn the pieces carefully and serve warm.
Notes
If goraka is unavailable, use a little tamarind paste for a different but useful sour note.
Avoid stirring hard once the fish is in the pan; shake the pan gently or turn the pieces carefully.
Use a firm fish such as cod, haddock or monkfish, cut into large pieces.
About this recipe
Fish Ambul Thiyal is one of Sri Lanka’s most distinctive fish dishes: firm white fish is coated in goraka, black pepper, garlic and ginger, then gently cooked until the sharp, dark sauce clings to the pieces. It is bold and savoury rather than creamy, with the sourness of goraka balanced by warm spice.
The method is straightforward once the ingredients are prepared, and the finished fish is ideal for serving as part of a larger rice-and-curry spread. Keep the pieces in a single layer and handle them gently so they stay intact as the sauce reduces.
