Indian food has always been known for its use of many spices in every dish. It is what makes our food stand out and has people coming back for more!
As much as I enjoy my vegetarian curries, my creamy butter chicken dishes and spicy lamb dishes, I love spicy, seasoned up fish and shrimp dishes! For some reason, it makes me imagine a gorgeous island and beach-front area. Just a girl and her platter of spicy shrimp kebabs and grilled tandoori fish. (Or maybe I’m just so sick of being quarantined that I let my mind take me away to places more than I should!) Haha! Whatever the reason – I will say, seafood is absolutely a perfect option to try in Indian cuisine.
Masala Crusted Salmon is one of those dishes that looks pretty simple, and it is, but the flavors of the masala crust with the salmon is absolutely next level. Not only does this dish have heat, but it has a fresh lemon and herb taste that is really perfect for this type of fish. Sometimes salmon can have a strong fishy taste, so this masala blend used on this fish really balances out everything, and the result is a fish dish you will want to make over and over again.
For this recipe, I have baked the salmon. But you may also grill the salmon, if preferred.
MASALA SALMON
Servings: 6
Ingredients:
- 6 4oz. salmon fillets
- 1.5 Tbsp. ground cumin seeds
- 1.5 Tbsp. ground coriander seeds
- ¼ cup of finely chopped cilantro
- 1 tsp. turmeric powder
- 1.5 tsp. salt
- 1.5 tsp. ginger paste
- 1.5 tsp. garlic paste
- 1.5 tsp. of grated chilis (serrano or jalapeno – remove seeds)
- Juice of 2 lemons
- 1 Tbsp. water
- 2 Tbsp. of tomato paste
- 1 Tbsp. of oil for marinade + 2 Tbsp. oil for fish fillets
- Lemon wedges or slices for garnish
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- In a small bowl or food processor, add ground cumin, ground coriander, chopped cilantro, turmeric powder, salt, ginger paste, garlic paste, grated chilis, lemon juice, water, tomato paste and 1 Tbsp. oil. Mix all ingredients together with spoon or fork OR blend till fully mixed into a thick paste consistency.
- Place salmon fillets on a foil lined or parchment paper lined baking sheet. Cut a few diagonal lines one each fillet. (2 or 3 in each direction to have a few diamond shaped cuts). Lightly coat each fillet using the 2 Tbsp. of oil.
- Coat the tops of each fillet evenly with the masala paste. Make sure every fillet is fully coated on the top.
- Bake salmon in oven on middle rack for 15-20 minutes or until fish is fully cooked and the masala crust looks a little dry. (Depends on oven range).
- Change oven setting to Broil and allow to cook for another 3-4 minutes or until the tops of the salmon has a slight crisp, but not burned or blackened. (Remove earlier if tops look like they are too dark brown color.)
- Remove from oven and serve hot with lemon wedges.
Not too difficult to make, right? I hope you will enjoy all the mix of spices and seasoning in this Indian style fish dish, as much as I do.
Feel free to comment on this recipe below or tag me with your fish pics on IG @cmspiceculture or FB at “Spice Culture Cooking.”
Enjoy!
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