Looking from above, there's a pop of color with lightly charred, coral-coloured steam-baked red snapper nested in a pool of beautifully golden coconut curry sauce. The dish is further adorned with sprigs of fresh green Thai basil, thinly sliced red chilis, and a scatter of black and white sesame seeds, making it visually stunning.

Steamed Coconut Curry Red Snapper

Name: Steamed Coconut Curry Red Snapper
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients: 4 red snapper fillets scales removed, patted dry; 2 cans full fat coconut milk; 3 garlic cloves minced; 1 thumb-sized piece fresh turmeric peeled and minced; 1 thumb-sized piece fresh ginger peeled and minced; 3 red Thai chilies thinly sliced; 2 tablespoons fish sauce; juice of 2 limes juiced; 1 tablespoon coconut sugar; 2 kaffir lime leaves chopped; handful Thai basil leaves; 2 tablespoons white sesame seeds; 2 tablespoons black sesame seeds; as needed extra virgin olive oil; to taste salt

Aromatic Thai-inspired pescatarian dish with fresh, warming flavors.

Category Main Course

Prep 15 minutes

Cook 15 minutes

Style Thai

Technique Sautéing

Diet Friendly Pescatarian

Daily recipe · February 16, 2025

A little about this dish

This vibrant recipe is a fusion of pescatarian fare and Thai flavours. Key ingredients are red snapper, an array of aromatic Thai herbs and spices, and luscious coconut milk, which all together create an invigorating, healthful dish.

Ingredients (for 4)

Red snapper fillets — 4 — scales removed, patted dry
Full fat coconut milk — 2 cans
Garlic cloves — 3 — minced
Fresh turmeric — 1 thumb-sized piece — peeled and minced
Fresh ginger — 1 thumb-sized piece — peeled and minced
Red thai chilies — 3 — thinly sliced
Fish sauce — 2 tablespoons
Limes — juice of 2 — juiced
Coconut sugar — 1 tablespoon
Kaffir lime leaves — 2 — chopped
Thai basil leaves — handful
White sesame seeds — 2 tablespoons
Black sesame seeds — 2 tablespoons
Extra virgin olive oil — as needed
Salt — to taste

Preparation

Step 1 — 🍳🧄🌶️

Heat olive oil over medium heat. Add minced garlic, turmeric, ginger, and half of the chilies. Sauté until they release their fragrance.
Step 2 — 🥥🍋🔥

Add coconut milk, lime juice, fish sauce, coconut sugar, and chopped kaffir lime leaves to the pan. Bring it to a gentle simmer.
Step 3 — 🐟🍲⏲️

Position your red snapper fillets in the saucepan. Cover the pan, and allow the fish to steam in the curry sauce for about 10-12 minutes until it's fully cooked.
Step 4 — 🍽️🌶️🌿

Serve the steamed fish with a generous helping of curry sauce. Garnish with remaining sliced chilies, a sprinkle of black and white sesame seeds, and fresh Thai basil.
Step 5 — 🍚🥦🍽️

This dish matches perfectly with steamed rice or cauliflower rice for a low-carb alternative.

A final fox tip

In Thai cooking, each dish should combine all 4 taste senses — sour, sweet, creamy, and salty, resulting in balanced, nourishing meals. Play around with the amounts of lime juice, fish sauce, and coconut sugar until the balance feels just right for your taste. Moreover, children could partake safely in garnishing the dish with sesame seeds and Thai basil. An additional fun tweak is to use monk fruit sweetener instead of coconut sugar for even less carbs.