Tandoori Salmon with Spiced Lentils and Raita Recipe

For a spicy twist on a classic salmon recipe, look no further than this tandoori salmon. With it’s Asian inspired flavours it makes the perfect healthy alternative to a takeaway at the weekend.

HOW TO MAKE TANDOORI SALMON WITH SPICED LENTILS AND RAITA

Taken from Cut the Carbs! by Tori Haschka (Quadrille)

Ingredients

• 4 fillets of salmon (about 180 g each), skin on
• 1 tbsp olive oil sea salt

For the marinade:

• 150 g Greek yoghurt
• 1 garlic clove, peeled and grated
• 2-cm lump of ginger root, peeled and grated
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• a pinch of sea salt
• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp paprika
• ½–1 tsp cayenne pepper

For the spiced lentils:

• 1 tbsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, peeled and diced
• 5-cm lump of ginger root, peeled and grated
• 2 x 400-g tins of brown lentils, rinsed

For the raita:

• 1 small cucumber, grated and squeezed with your hands to remove excess moisture
• small bunch of fresh mint, chopped
• 300 g Greek yoghurt

To serve:

• lemon wedges
• handful of baby spinach
• handful of cherry tomatoes, chopped

Method

1. To make the marinade, combine all the ingredients together in a large bowl. Add the salmon fillets and coat the flesh in the marinade, leaving the skin clean. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes if you have time

2. To make the spiced lentils, place all the spices in a frying pan over medium heat and toast for 1 minute, or until they smell nutty. Add the olive oil, onion and ginger and saute for 3–5 minutes until the onion has softened, then tumble in the lentils and stir to warm them through.

3. To cook the salmon, take the fillets out of the marinade bowl and sprinkle the skin generously with salt to help stop it sticking to the pan. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat (or use a barbecue) and place the fillets, skin side down, in the pan. Cook for 3 minutes, then flip the fillets over and cook them for 2–3 minutes on the other side – most of the exterior of the salmon should be opaque except for about 1 cm halfway down. Inside, it will be gently blushing at its centre, so if you prefer your salmon well done, cook it on the second side for an extra 2 minutes. Allow the salmon to rest for 2–3 minutes before serving.

4. To make the raita, combine the ingredients together.

5. Serve the salmon on the lentils with a cheek of lemon for squeezing over the top, the spinach, cherry tomatoes and the raita on the side.