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Indian flower salad with tandoori salmon and prawns
Serves 6 Starters and mains
Ingredients
- 1kg salmon fillet, skin-on and pin-boned
- 8-10 tiger prawns, shell-on or 1.2kg boneless chicken thighs, skin-on
- 2tsps salt
- juice of 1 lemon
- 100g natural yogurt
- 6 garlic cloves, grated
- 1⁄4tsp ajwain or dried
- sage (optional)
- 2-3 heaped tsp chilli powder, according to taste
- 2tsp ground cumin
- 1tbsp garam masala
- 1tsp raw mild honey (optional)
- 1⁄2tsp cumin seeds
- 1⁄4tsp egg yellow powder or turmeric for colour (optional)
For the Indian flower salad
- 25g coconut shavings or desiccated coconut
- 50g cashew nuts
- 2 large handfuls of sweet and strongly flavoured salad leaves, such as soft round lettuce, Little
- Gem, rocket, mustard, mizuna or nasturtium
- 1 mango, cut into 2cm dice
- 10 cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 avocado, sliced
- a large handful of edible flowers, such as nasturtium, blue borage, thyme, sage or coriander
For the dressing
- 4tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- zest of 1⁄2 lime
- juice of 1 lime
- 1tsp clear honey
- 1⁄4-1⁄2 red chilli, according to taste, finely chopped
Method
Tandoori chicken is usually made with chicken thighs but works just as well with seafood. If you are using chicken thighs cook them for an extra 10-20 minutes. The egg yellow powder adds a rich orangey red colour to the dish but it can be left out if you prefer, and replaced with turmeric for a golden colour.
Cut the salmon into 5cm cubes. Put the salmon and prawns or chicken into a large bowl with the salt and the lemon juice and toss to combine. Leave for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine the remaining marinade ingredients in a large bowl. Add the fish and prawns or meat to the marinade with any juices from the bowl and leave covered, in the fridge for at least 1 hour and up to 12 hours.
Preheat the oven to 200C/400F Gas 6. Space out the pieces of salmon (not the prawns) or chicken onto a rack with a tray underneath to catch the juices. Splash any leftover marinade over the top and cook the salmon for 15-20 minutes or the chicken for 30-35 minutes. (Start the chicken skin-side up and turn when crispy to cook the underside). Add the prawns to the salmon for the last 5 minutes or until cooked through.
Meanwhile, toast the coconut and cashews separately on a baking tray in the oven (the coconut cooks quicker) until lightly browned. Keep an eye on them as they burn easily and will be done in about 5 minutes. This can also be done in a dry frying pan.
Arrange all the ingredients for the salad, apart from the flowers, onto a serving dish. Mix the dressing ingredients, altering the seasoning to taste with salt and chilli; drizzle over the salad and scatter the flowers over the top.
Serve the salmon and prawns or chicken alongside the salad.
This recipe also works well on a barbecue, in which case the meat or fish would be threaded onto skewers for easy turning over the coals. Make sure the chicken is cooked through and the juices run clear when pierced with a skewer.
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