Fish Caldinho or Fish Caldine is a Goan specialty, a yellowish-green color curry, taste is mild spiced made with fish or veggies. This curry goes well with pao (buns), appams and steamed rice. Generally fishes like pomfret, surmai are used to make caldine. You could also make this same curry / sauce adding prawns or veggies. We also love veg caldin at home and this dish is our favorite.
The taste of this curry is mild yet flavorful and aromatic. Once you make this your house would be full of aroma which would lead you to hunger pangs 😉 We usually make fish caldin, fry some fish, make rice and our meal is satisfying and complete. There are mainly two version of making caldine one is you add coconut milk other is you add fresh grated coconut in the paste. I have done both added fresh coconut is the paste and used thick coconut milk towards the end. You could use home-made coconut milk if using or canned ones. Preferably home-made ones are much better
My mother makes caldine at home and this is her recipe. However I have slightly modified the recipe along with the coconut paste added some coconut milk to the curry. This helps in the flavor and thickening of the curry. Similar fashion caldine curries are served in restaurants where you would find the curry more creamy due to the addition of coconut milk.
Love for eating fish is quite natural for me. Since childhood fish has been a part of my staple diet. I could do away with meat, chicken but not fish. Moreover fish is lean protein, have all the omega and the vitamins essential for our body. We make variety of sea-food home and love eating them. But eating fish near coastal region’s are altogether a different fun and experience.
Let’s make Fish Caldinho Recipe step by step:
1. Marinate the pomfrets with the ginger-garlic paste, turmeric and salt. Place aside for 20-25 mins.
2. Meanwhile combine all the ingredients for the paste into a blender. Add little water and grind until smooth. Keep this paste aside.
3. Heat the oil in a pan or vessel. Saute chopped onion.
4. Once the color of the onion changes.
5. Add slit green chilies and tomatoes.
6. Saute the tomatoes until they are soft and tender. Also add the sugar.
7. Pour the grounded paste. Saute the paste for 2-3 mins on low heat.
8. Now add thin coconut milk or water. Simmer until the curry thickens and leaves oil around the edges.
9. Time to add the marinated pomfrets. Also add some coriander leaves.
10. Cook semi-covered for 3-4 mins or until pomfret cooks.
11. Finally pour the coconut milk and add salt for seasoning. Combine all nicely and immediately switch off the gas. Don’t boil the thick coconut milk too much else the curry might curdle.
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12. Serve fish caldinho hot with rice, appams, sanas or pao (bread).
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Learn how to make coconut milk at home:
Grate the fresh coconut. Combine grated coconut with 1/2 cup water into a processor. Grind until smooth paste is formed. Take a linen/muslin/cotton cloth/ mesh strainer. Sieve the mixture over a cloth Or mesh strainer. Squeeze the juice out and collect the milk. This is your thick coconut milk. Now put the coconut pulp back into the grinder with 1 cup water. grind again until well combined. Again sieve on a cloth Or mesh strainer this milk is your thin coconut milk. Now discard the left over coconut pulp. Alternatively you could use store packed coconut milk.
Alternatively you could take 1 cup of dry coconut powder or desiccated coconut mix them with 1/2 cup hot water. Allow to rest for 10-15 mins then grind them into the processor until blended well. You could sieve this mixture on a strainer and your coconut milk is ready.
Storage: Store the coconut milk into an air-tight bottle or container. Place in the freezer and thaw for an hour before using. This stays good for upto 3 months. Similarly you could store fresh grated coconut in the freezer. This lasts upto a month.
For this recipe you could use 2 cups of thin coconut milk and 1 cup of thick coconut milk. Then avoid adding coconut in the paste. Add the thin coconut milk first and add the thicker milk towards the end to avoid splitting of the milk. I have made use of 1/2 coconut in the paste and 1 cup of thick coconut milk towards the end. So you choose whatever option which suits you the best.
If you love sea food then do check goan prawns pulao, crab curry, achari jhinga, goan prawn curry recipe, prawns masala, pomfret recheado, clam dry and prawns in green masala.
Fish Caldinho Recipe below:
- 600 gm of pomfret sliced horizontally
- 1 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
- 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
- salt as required
- 125 gm of fresh grated coconut
- 1 ball of seedless tamarind
- ½ onion chopped coarsely
- 1 tsp cumin seed
- 1-2 garlic cloves
- ¼th tsp turmeric powder
- 2 tsp coriander seed (dhaniya)
- 2 tbsp coconut oil or refined oil
- ½ onion chopped finely
- 2-3 green chili slit lengthwise
- 1 medium sized tomato chopped finely
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 cup of water or 1 cup of thin coconut milk
- 2 tbsp coriander leaves chopped
- 1 cup of thick coconut milk
- salt as required
- Marinate the pomfrets with the ginger-garlic paste, turmeric and salt. Place aside for 20-25 mins.
- Meanwhile combine all the ingredients for the paste into a blender. Add little water and grind until smooth. Keep this paste aside.
- Heat the oil in a pan or vessel. Saute chopped onion.
- Once the color of the onion changes add slit green chilies and tomatoes.
- Saute the tomatoes until they are soft and tender. Also add the sugar.
- Pour the grounded paste. Saute the paste for 2-3 mins on low heat
- If the paste is sticking to the bottom then add little water but not too much.
- Simmer until the curry thickens and leaves oil around the edges. Time to add the marinated pomfrets.
- Also add some coriander leaves and cook semi-covered for 3-4 mins or until pomfret cooks.
- Finally pour the coconut milk and add salt for seasoning. Combine all nicely and immediately switch off the gas. Don't boil the thick coconut milk too much else the curry might curdle.
- Serve fish caldinho hot with rice, appams, sanas or pao (bread).
2. This curry or sauce is of medium consistency should look creamy.
3. You could use any flesh fish for this recipe even prawns would do.
4. You could use canned coconut milk for this recipe if coconuts are not available in your country.
5. This is mild spiced curry if you like spicy then add more green chilies.
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