Recipe
🍽️ DINNER
Reef Fish in Coconut Milk
Fresh reef fish gently simmered in coconut milk with onion, ginger and turmeric, a straightforward Palauan preparation of the day's catch.
Palauan · easy · serves 4
prep 15 min · cook 20 min
~484 cal · 40g protein · 11g carbs · 32g fat · 3g fiber · 5g sugars · 21g sat fat (estimated, per serving)
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Palau sits in some of the most biodiverse waters on the planet, and seafood is the primary protein, often caught the same day it is cooked. The Palauan approach is straightforward: let the freshness of the fish speak, with little more than coconut and a few aromatics.
Here fillets of reef fish, snapper, grouper or mahi-mahi, are simmered gently in with onion, ginger and a little turmeric, which tints the sauce gold. The fish until just cooked, tender and delicate, in a mild, creamy sauce that carries a faint ocean sweetness rather than heavy spice.
(chuit) is the base of most traditional Palauan cooking, balancing the saltiness of the sea against the earthiness of the root crops it is served with. With boiled , or rice alongside, it is an everyday reef-island dinner.
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Make it yours
✓ Naturally gluten-, dairy-, egg- and pork-free. No swaps needed.
Toggle a diet and the ingredients rewrite themselves with regional substitutes.
🥕 Vegetarian
🌱 Vegan
🌾 Gluten-Free
🥛 Dairy-Free
🥜 Nut-Free
🥚 Egg-Free
🐖 Pork-Free
Dietary labels are a cooking guide, not allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we count coconut as a tree nut, following FDA labeling), fish, and shellfish; we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, read the label on every product you use, and note that a kitchen can cross-contaminate in ways a recipe cannot control.
Ingredients
US
Metric
Serves 4
1.5 lbs reef fish fillets (snapper, grouper or mahi-mahi)
1.5 cups
1 onion, sliced
1 tbsp ginger, grated
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
to taste salt
1 lime
Instructions
1
Gently cook the onion, ginger and turmeric in a little of the coconut milk (or a splash of oil) until the onion softens.
2
Pour in the rest of the coconut milk and bring to a gentle simmer.
3
Slip in the fish fillets (or the hearts of palm and mushrooms) and poach gently until just cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes; do not let it boil hard or the fish will toughen.
4
Season with salt, finish with a squeeze of lime, and serve with boiled taro, cassava or rice.
Palauan reef-island cooking.
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🌏 While it simmers, know your destination
📍
Ngerulmud. Giant swamp taro and yams are grown for occasions as much as for eating, and size counts for something at a feast. Fruit bat soup and land crab are ceremonial rather than everyday, tuna comes off deep water beyond the reef, and the reef itself supplies most of the rest.
🗺️
Palau. Palauan cuisine is Micronesian and reef-driven, taro, cassava, fresh fish, and the giant fruit bat soup once served at feasts. Coconut, root crops, and the surrounding ocean define the island table.
🌍
Oceania. The staple crops here were carried on purpose. Lapita voyagers moving east from roughly three thousand years ago brought taro, yam, banana, breadfruit and coconut with them along with pigs and chickens, because most of the islands they settled had almost nothing edible growing on them. The earth oven travelled too, as umu, imu, hangi, lovo, mumu, motu and um.
The story behind this dish is up top, worth a read while the pot works.
More from Palau
DemokA rich Palauan taro-leaf soup thickened with coconut cream and studded with crab or fish.
Taro with Coconut SyrupSteamed taro drizzled with a warm caramel-like coconut syrup, a gently sweet Palauan breakfast built on the islands' staple root.
UlkoyGolden fritters of grated squash and small shrimp bound with a little flour and fried crisp, a favorite Palauan snack-lunch.
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Good to know
Storing it: Stews and braises keep 3 to 4 days refrigerated and often taste better the next day. Reheat gently, adding a splash of water if it has thickened.
Make it a Palau meal
Young Coconut WaterDrink
Seboseb (Tapioca Coconut Pudding)Dessert
Belsiich el Kukau (Pounded Taro)Lunch
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Frequently asked questions
What is Reef Fish in Coconut Milk?
Fresh reef fish gently simmered in coconut milk with onion, ginger and turmeric, a straightforward Palauan preparation of the day's catch.
Where does Reef Fish in Coconut Milk come from?
Reef Fish in Coconut Milk is a Palauan dish from Ngerulmud, Palau.
Can Reef Fish in Coconut Milk be made vegan, gluten-free, or dairy-free?
This Reef Fish in Coconut Milk recipe includes substitution suggestions for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, egg-free, and pork-free versions, including several at once such as gluten-free and dairy-free together. Treat them as a starting guide rather than a guarantee, and see the allergen note below.
Is Reef Fish in Coconut Milk safe for people with food allergies?
Our dietary labels and substitutions are a cooking guide, not medical or allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we count coconut as a tree nut, following FDA labeling), fish, and shellfish, but we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, always read the label on every product you use, and remember a home or commercial kitchen can cross-contaminate ingredients in ways a recipe cannot control.
How long does Reef Fish in Coconut Milk take to make?
About 35 minutes total (15 minutes prep, 20 minutes cooking), serving 4.
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