Salmon with Red Chile & Ground Fennel

Serves 4

My dad loved salmon, and during the last few years of his life, he’d have lunch with me at home. “Fish on Fridays” was a weekly ritual and this quick- to-assemble dish, with its sweet-sharp citrussy marination, was one of his favorites. I’d often serve it with potato vinaigrette and a leafy salad, but sometimes, I’d flake the cooked salmon into buttery rice with plenty of chopped cilantro—just as my mom used to do.

Indian Kitchens: Treasured Family Recipes from Across the Land Roopa Gulati

INGREDIENTS 

• 2 red chiles, deseeded and finely chopped

• ¾ oz (20 g) ginger root, peeled and finely grated

• juice of 2 limes

• 2 rounded tsp jaggery or light brown sugar

• 1 tbsp chopped cilantro leaves

• 1 tsp roasted and ground fennel seeds

• 1 tsp sunflower oil

• 4 skin-on salmon fillets (about 4½ oz/125 g each)

• sea salt

DIRECTIONS 

Mix the chiles with the ginger, lime juice, jaggery or sugar, cilantro and ground fennel, and season with salt.

Line a roasting pan with parchment paper. Put the salmon fillets into the pan and spoon over the marinade. Drizzle with the oil and leave aside for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Roast the fish for around 7–10 minutes, until just tender.

Excerpted from Indian Kitchens by Roopa Gulati. Copyright © 2025 Interlink Publishing. Reprinted with permission from Interlink Publishing. Northampton, MA. All rights reserved.

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