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Fish, South and Southeast Asian

Meen moilee with rice

Meen moilee is a Kerala fish dish simmered in a coconut milk sauce with turmeric and curry leaves, served with basmati rice. It serves 4, takes 35 minutes, and is an easy recipe costing about €4.10 per person. The key to success is keeping the coconut milk at a gentle simmer, never a hard boil.

Tonight, Kerala style meen moilee, a gentle fish curry in coconut milk with turmeric and curry leaves, barely spicy at all.

Meen moilee with rice
Total time
35 min
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€4.10
Calories per person
650 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall

Meen moilee is the kind of fish dish that wins over people who usually avoid spicy curries. Cod or pollock cooks gently in a creamy coconut milk sauce scented with turmeric and curry leaves, with just enough green chile to wake it up without any real heat. The result tastes mild and fragrant, never aggressive, and the fish stays tender throughout.

It works well on a weeknight when you want something different from the usual baked fish, without a long shopping list. It also suits guests who aren't used to spicy food, since the chile stays very much in the background. Serve it with basmati rice to soak up the sauce, and put extra lemon on the table for anyone who likes more brightness.

The ingredients

4 people

Fish counter

  • Cod or pollock fillets 700 g

Pantry

  • Coconut milkoften in the pantry 40 cl
  • Turmericoften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • Curry leaves 10
  • Basmati riceoften in the pantry 300 g
  • Coconut oil or neutral oiloften in the pantry 3 tbsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Fruits and vegetables

  • Onion 1
  • Tomatoes 2
  • Fresh ginger 20 g
  • Garlic 3 cloves
  • Green chile 2
  • Lemon 1

Allergens Fish

The step by step recipe

  1. Rub the fish with turmeric, salt, and a little lemon juice, then let it rest. 5 min

    This quick marinade firms up the flesh and tones down any strong fishy smell.

  2. Heat the oil, toss in the curry leaves, then sauté the sliced onion, ginger, garlic, and split chiles without browning them. 6 min

    The curry leaves will crackle, step back. If you don't have any, use a bay leaf instead.

  3. Add the diced tomatoes, cook for three minutes, then pour in the coconut milk and a little water, and heat gently. 4 min

    Coconut milk blends better if you shake the can before opening it.

  4. Slide the fish into the sauce and let it simmer gently, covered, until tender. 10 min

    Don't cover it completely, leave a small gap for steam to escape so the sauce doesn't get watery.

  5. Cook the basmati rice and serve the fish spooned with sauce, with a splash of lemon. 12 min

    A spoonful of coconut milk stirred in at the end gives the sauce a smoother look.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pick a firm fleshed fish like cod or pollock, it holds together better in the sauce instead of falling apart.
  • Split the green chiles lengthwise without chopping them, you keep the flavor without too much heat, and you can easily fish them out before serving.
  • Taste the sauce before adding the fish, that's the moment to adjust the salt, since once the fish is in you want to stir as little as possible.

The variations

  • Swap the cod for shrimp or salmon, cutting the cooking time down to just 4 or 5 minutes.
  • For a vegetarian version, use diced potatoes and carrots instead of fish, and simmer longer until they're tender.
  • For kids or a quicker meal, remove the whole chiles before serving and skip the turmeric marinade step.

What to serve it with

  • Plain basmati rice
  • Indian flatbread like parotta
  • Fresh cucumber on the side

Storage

Meen moilee keeps for 2 days in the fridge in a sealed container, not longer since the fish doesn't hold up well beyond that. It doesn't freeze well, the coconut milk tends to separate once thawed. Reheat it gently over low heat, never letting the sauce boil.

Questions about this dish

Can I replace the curry leaves?

Curry leaves have a distinctive flavor that's hard to copy, but a bay leaf works fine in a pinch. Avoid curry powder instead, the taste would be quite different.

What fish works best for meen moilee?

A firm white fish like cod or pollock works well, it stays intact in the sauce. Avoid delicate fish that tends to flake apart during cooking.

Can I make the sauce ahead of time?

Yes, you can make the coconut milk sauce a few hours ahead and keep it in the fridge. Warm it gently before adding the fish for the final cooking step.

How do I make this even milder for kids?

Remove the whole green chiles before serving, they'll have already flavored the sauce without adding much heat. You can also cut back on the chile from the start if you know the dish is for them.

How long does it take to make a meen moilee, a mild coconut milk fish curry, with rice?

Count 35 min in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “easy”.

How many calories are in a meen moilee, a mild coconut milk fish curry, with rice?

About 650 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a meen moilee, a mild coconut milk fish curry, with rice cost?

About €4.10 per serving, or €16.40 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains fish. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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