Quick Coconut Steamed Fish and Rice
A fast dinner with a creamy coconut curry sauce, fish fillets and greens, with a pan of rice cooked at the same time for a filling complete meal.
Servings: 4
Calories: 689kcal
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups jasmine rice or other long grain rice
- 1/2 cup coconut cream see notes
- 1/4 cup Thai green curry paste or other curry paste, see notes
- 1 Tbsp minced fresh ginger
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 4 boneless white fish fillets approx 6oz/180g each, see notes for recommendations
- 1 bunch Swiss chard or kale, stems trimmed, leaves roughly chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 1 long red chilli finely sliced
- 1 lime thinly sliced, plus extra lime wedges for serving
- 1 bunch cilantro/coriander leaves picked
- 1/4 cup peanut oil or light olive oil
Instructions
- Put the rice and 2 1/4 cups water (room temp is fine) into a wide, shallow dish. Give it a quick stir so the rice is evenly spread across the bottom, and put it into the cold oven. Preheat your oven to Steam, 212°F/100°C (100% steam), and set the timer for 15 minutes.1 1/2 cups jasmine rice
- Mix the coconut cream, curry paste, ginger and brown sugar together in a large bowl. Add the fish and turn to coat.1/2 cup coconut cream, 1/4 cup Thai green curry paste , 1 Tbsp minced fresh ginger, 1 tbsp brown sugar, 4 boneless white fish fillets
- Put the Swiss chard or kale into a baking dish (something that will conduct heat quickly like stainless steel or enamel is better - glass/ceramic can give uneven results with steamed fish). The dish should be large enough to comfortably hold the greens and fish. Lay the fish fillets over the top of the greens. Spread any leftover marinade from the bowl over and around the fish and greens. Scatter the chilli over the top and tuck lime slices around the fish.1 bunch Swiss chard, 1 long red chilli, 1 lime
- When the 15 minute timer for the rice sounds, put the fish in the oven (leave the rice in, it's not done yet!). Steam until the fish is just cooked through, and the greens are wilted, about 10 minutes depending on the thickness of the fish. The thickest part of the fish should flake with a fork when it's done. At this point, the rice has had 25 minutes and should be cooked through - if the fish needs another minute or two, remove the rice and fluff it while you wait for the fish.
- While the fish and rice is cooking, blend the cilantro/coriander leaves with the oil in a small blender, to make a bright green cilantro oil.1 bunch cilantro/coriander, 1/4 cup peanut oil
- When the fish is done, serve immediately on warmed plates with the greens and rice. If the juices in the pan look a little watery, give them a quick stir to mix the coconut solids in, and it will become more creamy-looking. Drizzle juices and the cilantro oil over each serving, and add extra lime for squeezing at the table.1 1/2 cups jasmine rice
Notes
- Fish. You can use just about any firm boneless fish fillets in this recipe. I have specified white fish (think halibut, grouper, snapper, trevalla, cod, hake), but salmon actually works well too, and can handle the bold flavors of the curry paste and ginger. Thin fillets, around 1/2 inch (12mm) thick, will take about 8-9 minutes to cook, while thicker fillets up to about 15 minutes. The best way to check is to wiggle a fork or a butter knife in the thickest part of the fish - if it flakes easily with just a hint of resistance, it's done.
- Coconut cream. Plump for a real, no-water-added, thick coconut cream here (it's usually the most expensive one on the shelf, and the ingredients will list just pure coconut). In Australia, I use Ayam brand. Steaming is going to thin out the sauce and the flavor somewhat, so if you start with a watered down coconut cream you'll end up with a really thin and not very vibrant sauce.
- Curry paste. Spicy green curry is my favorite for this dish, but you can swap it for red, yellow or massaman curry paste instead, if you like. I like Maesri brand pastes, widely available in small cans in many parts of the world. The quantity given makes a spicy dish; if you want it less spicy you can halve the quantity of paste.
- Cilantro/coriander oil. This adds a lovely green finish and intense coriander flavor, but if you can't be bothered getting out the blender, I won't judge you. Just rip up the coriander and shower it over the fish as it comes out of the steam oven, and omit the oil.
Nutrition
Calories: 689kcal | Carbohydrates: 68g | Protein: 42g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 85mg | Sodium: 256mg | Potassium: 1050mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 7166IU | Vitamin C: 46mg | Calcium: 110mg | Iron: 4mg
