Curried Fish with Bananas

Making this recipe couldn’t be easier. The fish and bananas are lightly seasoned with curry powder, pan-fried in a small amount of butter, then plated and finished with a drizzle of pan sauce made by simply deglazing the pan with grapefruit juice.

For best results, read through our tips for making perfect pan-fried fish fillets below.

Tips For Making Perfect Pan-Fried Fish Fillets

• When choosing fish for pan-frying, stick with relatively firm-fleshed, mild white fillets that are about 1/2-inch thick. Good choices include tilapia, catfish, barramundi and snapper.
• If you’re using frozen fish, be sure the fillets are completely defrosted by the time you’re ready to cook.
• Thoroughly blot the fish fillets dry with paper towels before dredging in flour.
• Make sure your flour is well seasoned and lightly press each fillet into it to be sure it adheres, then shake off the excess flour.
• Use a heavy frying pan that’s large enough to hold the fish in a single layer without any overlap. If necessary, work in batches. You can keep cooked fish warm for few a minutes on a baking sheet in a low (250°F) oven.
• Preheat your pan over medium-high heat before adding butter or oil. If using butter, swirl the pan to coat as soon as it melts and once it starts to sizzle, add the fish. If using oil, add a tiny pinch of flour after about 20 seconds. If it sizzles, add the fish.
• Don’t try to turn your fish too quickly because the flour coating will stick to the pan. Give the fillets at least 1-1/2 minutes on the first side and use a thin spatula for turning. If the spatula doesn’t slide under the fish fairly easily, allow a few more seconds of cook time.
• Be sure not to overcook your fish and serve it quickly for best flavor and texture.

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4.25 from 4 votes

Curried Fish with Bananas

By Lynne Webb

This simple recipe for curried fish with bananas is quick to prepare and has the perfect blend of fragrant, sweet and buttery flavors.

Prep: 10 minutes mins

Cook: 10 minutes mins

Total: 20 minutes mins

Servings: 4 servings

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Ingredients

• ▢ 4 mild white fish fillets, about 1-1/4 lbs
• ▢ 2 slightly underripe bananas, peeled and halved lengthwise
• ▢ 1/3 cup flour
• ▢ 1-1/2 teaspoons curry powder, divided
• ▢ Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ▢ 5 tablespoons butter, divided
• ▢ 1/3 cup grapefruit juice, freshly squeezed if possible
• ▢ 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, or chives

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Instructions 

• Cut the fish fillets in half crosswise and slice the bananas into pieces that closely match size of the fish (see photo).
• Thoroughly combine the flour, 1 teaspoon of the curry powder, 1 teaspoon of salt and a few grinds of black pepper and spread the mixture on a plate or sheet of wax paper.
• Lightly press the fish fillets into the flour mixture, shake off the excess and set aside in a single layer.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large frying pan over medium heat.
• Once the butter melts, add the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of curry powder, swirl the pan to coat and add the bananas, cut side down.
• Sauté the bananas until lightly caramelized, 1 to 1-1/2 minutes per side (don't overcook). Season with a pinch of salt and transfer to a serving platter.
• Return the pan to the stove, increase the heat slightly and add 2 more tablespoons of butter. Once the butter has melted, swirl the pan to coat.
• As soon as the butter starts to sizzle, add the fish fillets and cook for 1-1/2 to 2 minutes on the first side.
• Carefully turn the fillets over and continue cooking until the fish flakes easily, 1 to 1-1/2 minutes longer. Arrange the fish fillets on top of the plated bananas.
• Working quickly, add the remaining tablespoon of butter to the pan. Once the butter melts, add the grapefruit juice and heat until bubbly, about 1 minute.
• Spoon the pan sauce over the fish, garnish with chopped cilantro and serve immediately.

Notes

• When choosing fish for pan-frying, stick with relatively firm-fleshed, mild white fillets that are about 1/2-inch thick. Good choices include tilapia, catfish, barramundi, and snapper.
• If you’re using frozen fish, be sure the fillets are completely defrosted by the time you’re ready to cook.
• Thoroughly blot the fish fillets dry with paper towels before dredging in flour.
• Make sure your flour is well seasoned and lightly press each fillet into it to be sure it adheres, then shake off the excess flour.
• Use a heavy frying pan that’s large enough to hold the fish in a single layer without any overlap. If necessary, work in batches. You can keep cooked fish warm for few a minutes on a baking sheet in a low (250°F) oven.
• Preheat your pan over medium-high heat before adding butter or oil. If using butter, swirl the pan to coat as soon as it melts and once it starts to sizzle, add the fish. If using oil, add a tiny pinch of flour after about 20 seconds. If it sizzles, add the fish.
• Don’t try to turn your fish too quickly because the flour coating will stick to the pan. Give the fillets at least 1-1/2 minutes on the first side and use a thin spatula for turning. If the spatula doesn’t slide under the fish fairly easily, allow a few more seconds of cook time.
• Be sure not to overcook your fish and serve it quickly for the best flavor and texture.

Nutrition

Calories: 383kcal, Carbohydrates: 24g, Protein: 36g, Fat: 16g, Saturated Fat: 10g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 171mg, Sodium: 350mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 7g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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