Quick answer
Goan fish curry is a tangy, coconut-based red curry made with ground coconut, Kashmiri red chillies, turmeric, coriander and a souring agent — kokum, tamarind or raw mango — cooked with fish such as kingfish, pomfret or mackerel and eaten with rice. Locals call fish curry and rice xitt-kodi.
Updated November 2026 · GoaPlace editors · facts checked against our own listingsWhat goes into it
- Freshly ground coconut paste with red chillies, coriander seeds, cumin, turmeric, garlic and ginger.
- A sour note from kokum, tamarind or raw mango (in season).
- Fish cut in steaks: kingfish (visvon), pomfret, mackerel (bangdo) or prawns.
- Served with boiled rice, often fat red parboiled rice, with fried fish and a pickle on the side.
How to order it
Look for a fish thali at lunchtime — rice, fish curry, fried fish, a vegetable and solkadi — the best-value meal in Goa. Ask what fish is fresh that day; prices for kingfish and pomfret are higher. In the monsoon fishing pauses for a while, so fish is pricier.
