I first had this sauce, or one similar to it, in the late 1940s. India had just been partitioned, and a refugee family fleeing from what was to become Pakistan had just opened a small, simple restaurant in the center of Delhi called Moti Mahal. It basically served foods baked in the clay oven called a tandoor. There was one sauced dish, however, Chicken Makhani. A tandoor-roasted chicken was cut up with a cleaver and then heated up in this tomatoey, buttery, creamy sauce. I have always loved the sauce. Over the years, I have played around with it, using it with shrimp, and now with salmon. Serve with Swiss Chard with Ginger and Garlic and Rice Pilaf with Almonds and Raisins.
Ingredients
serves 4
To Rub on the Fish
For the Sauce
To Cook the Fish
Step 1
Season the salmon pieces by sprinkling the salt, pepper, turmeric, and cayenne on all sides and rubbing them in. Put the salmon in a plastic bag and refrigerate for 1 hour or longer.
Step 2
Combine all the ingredients for the sauce and mix well. Refrigerate if needed.
Step 3
To cook the fish, put the oil in a frying pan and set on medium heat. When hot, put in the cumin seeds. When the seeds have sizzled for 10 seconds, pour in the sauce. Stir and bring to a simmer. Place all the fish pieces in the sauce in a single layer and cook, spooning the sauce over the fish. After a minute, turn the fish pieces over and lower the heat to medium low. Continue to cook, spooning the sauce over the top, for 3–4 minutes or until the fish has cooked through.
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