Cape Malay Pickled Fish Curry

Difference Between Pickled Fish and Curry Fish

Cape Malay Pickled Fish

• Has a sweet and sour sauce (vinegar + sugar)
• Contains onions, bay leaves, peppercorns, turmeric, curry spices
• The fish is usually fried first, then covered in hot sauce
• Often baked or just marinated
• Left to rest 1–3 days before eating
• Served cold or at room temperature
• Traditionally eaten at Easter in South Africa
• Texture: saucy, pickled, onion-rich
• Key flavour: Sweet, sour, gently curried

South African Curry Fish

• Usually a hot curry sauce
• No vinegar (or very little)
• Not sweet
• Fish is cooked directly in the curry sauce
• Eaten hot with rice
• More like a Durban-style curry
• Key flavour: Sweet, sour, gently curried

Cape Malay Pickled Fish Curry recipe made with hake, warm spices, vinegar and a sweet tangy sauce. A traditional South African dish, perfect for Easter and best made ahead for deeper flavour.

The Cape Malay cuisine is a cuisine peculiar to Cape Town and is typically a mix of traditional South African dishes, especially of the West Coast, with Malaysian, or Eastern influences.

This recipe is a traditional classic in South Africa and served mainly with hot cross buns or freshly baked bread.

Typical Cape Malay Spices

Turmeric. Cumin. Ground Coriander. Masala – A blend of many spices, similar to curry powder.

The Cape Malay cuisine is usually aromatic, with distinct flavours of a myriad of oriental ingredients.

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Cape Malay, South African

Ingredients

• 1 kg Fresh Hake or Yellowtail (any firm fish will do)
• 2 large Onions sliced in to rings
• 5 cloves Garlic chopped
• 375 ml White Vinegar
• 250 ml Water
• 375 g Sugar (sweetener to taste, optional)
• 10 whole Coriander seeds
• 2 tsp Ground Cumin
• 1 tbsp Masala (use Fish Masala if you can)
• 5 ml Turnmeric
• 4 whole Bay Leaves
• 8 whole Peppercorns
• 5 ml Salt
• 1-4 tbsp Flour for sprinkling on the fish before you fry it lightly
• 2 ml Fine Ginger (fresh Ginger finely chopped if possible)
• 1 whole Chili chopped (optional)
• 30 ml Cornflour
• 15 ml Curry Powder (add more if you like it hot and you can experiment with different curry mixes)
• 30 ml Water to make a paste with the flour
• Olive Oil

Method

• Preheat oven to 180–190 °C (350–375 °F). Dust fish with flour, fry in oil until golden, then place in an ovenproof glass dish.
• In a saucepan, sauté onions in olive oil until soft. Add garlic, ginger, and chilli; cook until fragrant.
• Stir in curry powder, masala, turmeric, cumin, coriander seeds, peppercorns, and bay leaves. Cook briefly to release aromas.
• Add vinegar, water, sugar, and salt. Simmer 8–10 minutes. Thicken with cornflour paste, adjust seasoning.
• Pour hot sauce over fish, bake 30 minutes. Cool, refrigerate, and allow flavours to develop.
• Best served after 1–2 days with fresh bread and butter.