Salmon With Yogurt-Curry Sauce

By Mark Bittman

Updated May 28, 2024

Salmon With Yogurt-Curry Sauce
Craig Lee for The New York Times
Total Time
20 minutes
Rating
4(560)
Comments
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With its rich flesh, salmon is so strongly flavored that you can pair it with just about anything. Here I cook it with a yogurt sauce that contains just chopped cucumber and spices. If you use farmed salmon and a nonstick skillet, you won't even need to add any fat. That's because farmed salmon is so high in fat (fattier than wild salmon, and it's the beneficial omega-3 type, too) that it's difficult to overcook. This is not to say you can put it on the stove and walk away, but that precision is a goal rather than a necessity. Even if you like your fish cooked through, the result will be a piece of meat that still has a fair amount of moisture in it.

Featured in: THE MINIMALIST; Salmon, Richly Spiced

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 1½cups plain yogurt
  • 1small cucumber, peeled
  • Salt and pepper
  • 10cardamom pods, remove seeds and discard hulls
  • 13-inch cinnamon stick
  • 1teaspoon cloves
  • ½teaspoon nutmeg pieces (smack a whole nutmeg with a hammer)
  • 1tablespoon cumin seeds
  • 1tablespoon fennel seeds
  • 1tablespoon black peppercorns
  • 2tablespoons neutral oil, like corn or grapeseed, if necessary
  • 46-ounce salmon fillets
  • Lime wedges
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

445 calories; 27 grams fat; 7 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 8 grams monounsaturated fat; 7 grams polyunsaturated fat; 12 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 5 grams sugars; 39 grams protein; 746 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    If yogurt is very thin, put it in a cheesecloth-lined strainer over a bowl. Cut cucumber in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds. Chop flesh, sprinkle it with salt and put in a strainer over a bowl.

  2. Step 2

    If making spice mix (see note), combine all spices in a skillet and toast over medium heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Grind to a coarse powder in a spice mill.

  3. Step 3

    Put a skillet over medium heat; if it is other than nonstick, add oil. Season fish with salt and pepper and add it to pan; raise heat to medium high. Combine cucumber with yogurt and one tablespoon of spice mix in a bowl; taste and adjust seasoning.

  4. Step 4

    After salmon has cooked for 4 minutes, turn it and cook on other side another 2 to 5 minutes. Serve, browned side up, with sauce and lime on the side.

Tip
  • You may substitute one tablespoon of store-bought curry powder for the mix.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
560 user ratings
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Comments

Dick

I'm not sure of Mr. Bittman's source of farmed salmon but if there is wild salmon available it is much better for you for two reasons: It was not grown in a pen with thousands more just like it. It was not injected with artificial coloring to make it look like "real" salmon. Both farmed Atlantic and wild King salmon have >1,500 mg Omega 3 per 3oz cooked.
We live less than a mile from a salmon farm that is clean and a good neighbor but we buy only wild for safety reasons.

Stacye Mehard

Anything labeled "Atlantic Salmon" is Farm raised as no Salmon live naturally in the Atlantic Ocean at this point.

MIshka

Farmed salmon is never a wise choice and should never be supported. Spring for the Pacific wild salmon if you care about your health and the environment even a little bit.

Daver

I cooked the salmon skin side down first, which was a mistake: the skin adhered to the pan and prevented any browning when turned. Next time I'll just broil it.

Lakelady

Made this as written but I now roast wild salmon at 375 for about 10 minutes. Delicious! The next day, the salmon, sauce, and basmati rice I served it with made a great salmon and rice salad.

Ken

I used additional cayenne and tumeric into the yogurt (greek fat-free). In place of cucumber, I used zucchini (not as watery, and provides a good crunch). Used wild salmon filet, skin removed. Came out excellent! Thank you for the recipe

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