Salmon is not a commonly used fish in Indian cuisine. There are several delicious fish recipes in Indian cuisine, but hardly any use salmon. In fact, I had never heard the name growing up in India. When I moved to the US, I started trying out salmon at restaurants, especially the baked and grilled varieties. Of course, I also tried other varieties like Branzino, Sea Bass, Grouper, Snapper and so on. Salmon turned out to be my favorite, after a cruise to Alaska. The fresh-caught fish, baked and served with simple sides, had me hooked!
Baking Salmon
While I was excited about baking salmon, I had no idea what spices I would use. More importantly I had never baked anything, let alone fish! A decade ago, when I was living in NYC a good friend of mine Stephen Gumnit, visited me. Lucky for me, Stephen is an amazing cook, very experienced at baking. Although I must say he does some amazing Thai dishes as well. He taught me how to bake salmon the right way, crisp on the outside and moist, tender inside.
Masala Salmon
Not only was this my first attempt at baking, but this has turned out to be my favorite baked recipe. I have baked chicken, sea bass, potatoes and so on, but masala salmon is my go-to recipe. When I started years ago, I used to use all-purpose flour to get the fish crisper on the outside. I stopped doing that ever since I have a lot of friends with gluten allergies. I use combination of baking and broiling that works perfectly, so taking flour off the recipe did not have much of an impact.
Sautéed Green Beans & Baked Potatoes
Yes, these are my go-to sides for Masala Salmon. This makes a great weeknight meal for us. Easy Sautéed Green Beans, are easy! They are steamed or blanched and then sautéed with garlic. I set potatoes in the oven along with the fish and they cook great! I like mine spicy, so add pepper flakes, garlic powder and salt.
Masala Salmon with Sautéed Green Beans & Spicy Baked Potatoes
Salmon is an excellent source of vitamin B12, vitamin D and selenium. It is a good source of niacin, omega-3 fatty acids, protein, phosphorus and vitamin B6. This dish being baked, retains most of the nutritional value of Salmon.
Check out some of our delicious savory, baked dishes:
- Sowmya’s Baked Salmon
- Spicy Mint Sea Bass
- Baked Spicy Chicken Curry
- Crunchy Baked Plantain Chips
- Vegan, Spicy, Baked Eggplant
- Baked Okra
- Spiced Purple Sweet Potato-Cauliflower Bake
- Crispy, Delicious, Banana Nuggets
- Cabbage Wada: Savory Cabbage Lentil Bites
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Masala Salmon
Ingredients
- 3/4 Pound Salmon - 2 Fillets, Skin Removed
- 1/8 Cup Onion - Fine Cut
- 1 Teaspoon Ginger & Garlic Paste
- 1/8 Cup Cilantro - Fine Cut
- 1 Teaspoon Lime Juice
- 1/2 Teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- 1/8 Teaspoon Saffron
- 1/2 Teaspoon Red Chili Powder
- 1/2 Teaspoon Garam Masala - Powder
- 1/4 Teaspoon Sea Salt - Or To Taste
- 1 Teaspoon Olive Oil
- 1 Pinch Ajwain seeds
Instructions
- Wash and lay salmon fillet on an aluminum foil in an oven safe dish. Rub some lime juice over it and wait 5 minutes (this helps get rid of some of the fish smell).
- Cut onions, cilantro. Add chili powder, garam masala, ginger garlic paste, ajwain seeds, turmeric, salt, saffron and olive oil in a bowl and mix well.
- With a spoon or spatula, spread paste evenly over the salmon (on all sides except bottom) and sprinkle cilantro and onion over it evenly. Cover the dish and refrigerate for about an hour.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Set tray in the oven and bake for 15 minutes (with the foil covered). Turn oven to broil (high) and leave it to broil for 3 minutes.
