Instant Pot Kashmiri Fish – Spicy Kashmiri Fish Curry

Instant Pot Kashmiri Fish – Spicy Kashmiri Fish Curry

This Instant Pot Kashmiri Fish curry is easy, quick to make and uses a few ingredients. It’s an appetizing, very palatable, and a nutritious fish recipe. Couple it with steamed rice and vegetables for a wholesome weeknight dinner.

I got this recipe from my mom. The original Kashmiri fish recipe does not use tomatoes. Over the years my mom has tweaked it just a bit, by adding tomatoes. I tweaked it further by not deep frying it. As a result added the fish directly in the curry. For that reason I state: “inspired”. I always try to make my food healthy. In all honesty I think the fish tastes great without deep frying.

What type of fish do I need for this Instant Pot Kashmiri Fish – Spicy Kashmiri Fish Curry?

This recipe works great with any tender, flaky, mild flavored white fish. A medium-firm white fish works better than soft textured delicate fish. A nice fresh cod, halibut, snapper, tilapia, or mahi mahi work great. I typically use tilapia filet for this recipe.

Delicate fish like Salmon tends to break.

Make sure your filet are at least 1-inch thick, to ensure that nice thick texture. Chop the filet into 4-inch pieces. They need to be about 4″ x 3″ in length and width. We want nice medium sized pieces.

Deep Frying or Stir Frying:

Traditionally this recipe calls for deep frying the fish before putting it in the curry. That eliminates the fishy odor besides firming it up. However, I have eliminated the deep-frying step here. If you choose to use a delicate fish like salmon, I recommend either deep frying or stir-frying the fish in oil until it is slightly brown before making the curry. If you choose a medium-firm fish like tilapia you can eliminate this step.

What ingredients do I need to make this fish?

Tomato, asafoetida, ground fennel, ground ginger, ground cumin, kashmiri chili powder, water, oil, cloves, black cardamom pods, bay leaf, salt, garam masala, and ground turmeric.

Fish: 1 pound Tilapia fillets.

 How do I made this fish curry?

Firstly, chop the fish fillet into 4″ x 3″ in length and width. Also, drizzle ½ tsp ground turmeric and 1 tsp salt. Further, mix gently and let the salt and turmeric sit on the fish sit for 5 to 10 mins.

Optional step: Sauté or Deep Fried: Consequently, If you choose to sauté the fish, then in a pan add 2 tablespoons oil, and sauté the fish on it both sides till it becomes brown.

Similarly, If you choose to deep fry the fish, then add 1 to 2 cups of oil in a wok. Let the oil get hot and then add the fish gently in the oil and deep fry it. I have eliminated these steps.

First and foremost select sauté on the instant pot and adjust to normal. Second, add oil to the pot.

Let the oil heat up, then add asafoetida.

Next add the bay leaf, black cardamom pods, and cloves. Give it a good stir.

Furthermore add 2 tablespoons Kashmiri chili powder along with 1/2 cup water. Give it a good stir. 

In addition, add in 1.5 tbsp ground fennel, 1 tsp ground ginger, 1 tsp ground cumin,  and ½ tsp salt. Give it a good stir. Let the spices sauté for a minute to 2 minutes. Keep stirring.

Furthermore, add the pureed tomato and let it sauté for 2 minutes to let the raw tomato odor out. Keep stirring.

Also, add in 3/4 cup water. Give it a good stir. Finally gently add the fish and make sure the fish is soaked in the liquid.

Step 8:

Press cancel. Close the lid and select manual/high pressure for 3 minutes. When done quick release the pressure and open the lid right away. Last but not the least, add garam masala and stir gently. If you like it to be less soupy you can select saute and bring it to the desired consistency.

Serve over steamed rice.

Tried this recipe yet? Give us a rating, comment below in the reply section and let us know what you think.

Try some of our other kashmiri recipes:

Instant Pot Kashmiri Meethe Chawal

Authentic Kashmiri Rogan Josh

Instant Pot Kashmiri Chicken Yakhni

Instant Pot Kashmiri Fish – Spicy Kashmiri Fish Curry

Shilpa

This easy fish curry takes under 30 minutes and a few ingredients. It’s an appetizing, very palatable, and a nutritious fish recipe.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Indian

Servings 4

Equipment

• Instant Pot

Ingredients

  

• 2.5 tbsp oil of choice
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric    (haldi)
• 1 and 1/2 tsp salt (divided)
• 1/2 tsp asafoetida   (heeng)
• 1 dried bay leaf   (tej patta)
• 2 whole black cardamom pods   (kali elaichi)
• 4 whole cloves   (laung)
• 2 tbsp kashmiri chili powder
• 1 and 1/4 cup water (divided)
• 1.5 tbsp ground fennel   (saunf powder)
• 1 tsp ground ginger   (sonth)
• 1 tsp ground cumin   (jeera powder)
• 1 tomato (large pureed) (3/4 cup pureed)
• 1/4 tsp garam masala
• 1 pound tilapia fillet

Instructions

 

Prep

• Chop the fish fillet to 4″ x 3″ in length and width. Drizzle ½ tsp ground turmeric and 1 tsp salt. Mix gently and let it sit for 5 to 10 mins.
  
  
• Puree the tomato.

Cook

• Select sauté on the instant pot and adjust to normal. Add oil to the pot.
• When the oil is hot add asafoetida.
• Add the bay leaf, black cardamom pods, and cloves. Give it a good stir.
• Add Kashmiri chili powder and 1/2 cup water. Give it a good stir. 
  
  
• Add ground fennel, ground ginger, ground cumin,  and ½ tsp salt. Give it a good stir. Let the spices saute for a minute to 2 minutes. Keep stirring.
  
  
• Then add the pureed tomato and let it saute for 2 minutes to let the raw tomato odor out. Keep stirring.
  
• Add 3/4 cup water. Give it a good stir. Gently add the fish and make sure the fish is soaked in the liquid.
• Press cancel. Close the lid and select manual/high pressure for 3 minutes. When done quick release the pressure and open the lid right away. Add garam masala and stir gently. If you like it to be less soupy you can select saute and bring it to the desired consistency.
  
• Serve over steamed rice.

Notes

If you like the fish to be less soupy select saute at the end until desired consistency is reached. 

The whole spices (cardamom pods,  cloves, and bay leaf, can be discarded, they don’t need to be consumed).

Keyword Easy Fish Curry, Indian Fish Curry Instant Pot, Indian Style Easy Fish, Instant Pot Fish Curry, Instant Pot Tilapia, Kashmiri Fish, Kashmiri Fish Curry, Quick Indian Fish Curry, Spicy Fish Curry Instant Pot