Tandoori Grilled Salmon | Indian Style Tandoori Salmon

It was only when I came to Canada that my true journey into the various other facets of Indian cuisine began. One of the dishes that came out on top was this Indian salmon recipe, which was a brainchild of my girlfriend (now wife, at the time of updating this!). She loves salmon and she suggested we try a tandoori style salmon for a change - after having Oven-Baked Lemon & Herb Salmon for the 95th time.

You know, it's simple puzzle pieces like these which I can’t even think can connect together but are actually made for each other. My classic marinade went great with the salmon, however, I needed to make some changes to the marinating. I quickly realized that I can no longer include yogurt in the marinade since by the time salmon is done grilling, the yogurt is completely burnt. After all, salmon is already so tender if cooked properly.

Preparing the Tandoori Grilled Salmon

Begin by preparing the marinade. In a medium-sized bowl, add ginger-garlic paste, lemon juice, deggi mirch, garam masala, dried fenugreek leaves and salt. This marinade is completed with a bit of oil to help with bringing the flavours together. For a richer, more traditional tandoori coating that really clings to the salmon, fold a couple of spoonfuls of hung curd into the marinade.

Mix all the ingredients together.

Add your salmon to the marinade, and marinate for at least 30 minutes. You can marinate for up to 6 hours.

Heat a grill pan or a regular pan on medium heat and carefully place the salmon on the pan.

Let the fish sear on one side for 4-5 minutes to ensure each side gets marked properly. Depending on the thickness of the filet, you may need to adjust your cooking time.

The recommended cooking temperature is a medium salmon, pink down the middle. However, if you prefer a more well-done salmon, you can cook it a bit longer. Flip the filet halfway into the cooking process and cook other side.

Serve the fish over fresh jeera or cumin rice and a cool cucumber raita.