If you are looking for an Indian seafood restaurant in London, the dishes worth seeking out are the ones rooted in India's coastal kitchens: tangy, coconut-rich curries from the Konkan and Malabar coasts, fiery masalas from Andhra and mustard-sharp cooking from Bengal. At Pure Indian Cooking in Fulham, seafood runs right through our menu, from a £11 squid chilli fry to Chef Shilpa's own halibut fish curry and a garlic butter grilled lobster.
At a glance
- Seafood mains from £20 to £25 on the à la carte menu
- Seafood starters from £11, plus tandoori prawns at £16
- Seafood features on the early dinner, weekend set lunch and tasting menu
- 67 Fulham High Street, SW6 3JJ, a four-minute walk from Putney Bridge station
What makes coastal Indian seafood different?
Most people in Britain meet Indian food through the cooking of the north: tandoor, cream, wheat breads. Travel down the western coast, though, and the larder changes completely. Coconut replaces cream, rice replaces wheat, and sourness comes from tamarind, raw mango or kokum rather than tomato. Fish is often cooked the day it lands, so the sauces are built to support it rather than bury it.
Each stretch of coast has its own accent. Malvani cooking from the Konkan coast of Maharashtra is known for coconut, red chilli and kokum. Kerala's Malabar coast leans on curry leaves, coconut milk and black pepper. In Bengal, fish is frequently cooked with mustard in one form or another, including the punchy fermented mustard sauce called kasundi. Andhra Pradesh, further round the east coast, is famous for its heat.
Coastal Karnataka belongs on that list too, with its coconut and byadgi chilli cooking; our post on Mangalorean chicken curry explores it. For the wider picture, our guide to regional Indian cuisine tours every region on the menu.
Which seafood starters should you try?
Three small plates show how varied coastal flavours can be:
- Squid Chilli Fry (£11): squid marinated in Kashmiri chilli, lime and herbs, tossed with chilli and scallions and served with lemon mayonnaise. Crisp, bright and very easy to share.
- Andhra Shrimps (£11): shrimps tossed in a spicy fennel-flavoured masala. Marked as spicy on the menu, and true to the Andhra reputation.
- Tandoori Prawn (£16, two pieces): jumbo whole prawns marinated in chilli and kasundi mustard, served with brown butter and a chilli coriander sauce. Bengal's favourite condiment meets the clay oven.
From the tandoor there is also Dill & Pink Peppercorn Salmon (£15) with fennel, beetroot salad and coriander chutney, a gentler choice if you prefer less heat. The Sharing Board (£20) includes chilli fried squid alongside chicken tikka, seekh kebab and tandoori paneer, which suits a table that cannot agree.
What are the best Indian seafood main courses?
Our four seafood mains each take a different route along the coast.
Prawn Curry (£20)
Prawns cooked in a blend of whole dry Kashmiri chilli, garlic, black pepper, coconut and tamarind sauce. The combination of coconut and tamarind is classic western-coast cooking: rich, sour and warming at once. It is marked as spicy.
Panfried Seabass & Mixed Seafood (£20)
Served in a sauce of black mustard, yellow mustard, lime leaves, coconut milk and raw mango. Mustard and raw mango give it a clean sharpness that works beautifully with seabass. This is also the seafood course on our tasting menu.
Halibut Fish Curry (£23)
Chef Shilpa's own recipe, and the dish critics mention most. The Resident singled it out, and The Infatuation's review highlighted it too. Halibut is a firm, meaty fish that holds its shape in a curry, which makes it a good match for a properly spiced sauce.
Garlic Butter Grilled Lobster (£25)
Our most celebratory plate: grilled lobster with masala crumb fried avocado, pickled ginger and artichokes in a coconut and curry leaves sauce. It brings a South Indian coconut and curry leaf base together with a European-style garlic butter, a fair summary of how Shilpa likes to cook.
For something more substantial, the Prawn Biryani (£23) is a traditional rice dish cooked with prawn and fragrant spices.
What should you eat with a seafood curry?
Coastal curries are traditionally eaten with rice, and that is still the best way to enjoy them. Steamed Rice (£3.50) lets a coconut sauce speak for itself, while Saffron Pulao (£4) adds gentle fragrance. A Garlic Naan (£3) is handy for the last of the sauce. Balance a spicy prawn curry with a vegetable dish such as Asparagus Poriyal (£9), tempered with mustard and curry leaves and finished with coconut.
Which wines go with Indian seafood?
Seafood and spice want a white with fresh acidity and not too much oak. A few bottles from our wine list that work well:
| Dish | Wine | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| Squid Chilli Fry, Andhra Shrimps | Picpoul de Pinet L'Ormarine 'Duc de Morny', £36 | Lemony, crisp and refreshing with fried and spiced starters |
| Panfried Seabass & Mixed Seafood | La Val Orballo, Albariño, £44 | Saline freshness suits mustard and raw mango |
| Prawn Curry | Estate Riesling, Dreissigacker, £55 | Bright acidity cuts through coconut and chilli |
| Halibut Fish Curry | Sauvignon Blanc, Grover's, £41 / £10 glass | An Indian white from Karnataka, zesty and aromatic |
| Garlic Butter Grilled Lobster | Chablis, Domaine de la Motte, £76 | Chardonnay with poise for the richest dish |
Prefer beer? Cobra (£4.95) or White Rhino IPA (£5.95) both sit happily alongside spiced prawns. Our full guide to Indian food and wine pairing goes into more detail.
Can you order seafood on our set menus?
Yes. The early dinner (every day 5.30pm to 6.30pm, two courses £27 or three £33) offers Squid Chilli Fry, Prawn Curry and Panfried Seabass & Mixed Seafood, each with a £4 supplement. At the weekend set lunch (two courses £21, three £25), Squid Chilli Fry is a starter and the Prawn Curry and Halibut Fish Curry are mains with a £3 seafood supplement. The tasting menu at £68 includes the panfried seabass.
Planning a seafood supper at our Indian restaurant in London
We are on Fulham High Street, a short walk from Putney Bridge station; opening hours and directions are on our visit page. Seafood dishes contain crustaceans, fish or molluscs, so please tell us about any allergies when you arrive. When you are ready, book a table, or order online for collection or delivery at home.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most popular seafood dish at Pure Indian Cooking?
The Halibut Fish Curry (£23), Chef Shilpa's own recipe, is the seafood dish critics mention most, including The Infatuation and The Resident.
Is there a non-spicy seafood option?
The Dill & Pink Peppercorn Salmon (£15) and the Panfried Seabass & Mixed Seafood (£20) are not marked as spicy. The Prawn Curry and Andhra Shrimps are marked spicy, so ask our team if you would like guidance on heat.
Do you serve lobster?
Yes. The Garlic Butter Grilled Lobster (£25) comes with masala crumb fried avocado, pickled ginger and artichokes in a coconut and curry leaves sauce.
Can I get seafood on the early dinner menu?
Yes. Squid Chilli Fry, Prawn Curry and Panfried Seabass & Mixed Seafood are all available on the early dinner, each for a £4 supplement.
Book a table at Pure Indian Cooking
67 Fulham High Street, London SW6 3JJ · 020 7736 2521
