I love Indian food. The spices in this dish are a fragrant combination of cumin, cardamom, cayenne pepper and mustard seeds. This recipe is courtesy of Blue Apron.
Ingredients
- 2 Salmon Fillets
- ½ Cup Harvest Gold Lentils
- ⅓ Cup Dried Apricots
- 2 Ounces Spinach
- 1 Bunch Cilantro
- ½ Cup Plain Greek Yogurt
- 2 Tablespoons Ghee* (or clarified butter)
- 2 Tablespoons Tamarind Concentrate
- 1 1-Inch Piece Ginger
- ¼ Cup Lentil Flour (or regular flour works too)
- 1 Tablespoon Apricot Chutney Spice Blend**
Preparation
1. Wash and dry the fresh produce. Pick the cilantro leaves off the stems; discard the stems. Peel and mince the ginger. Small dice the apricots.
In a large pot, heat half the ghee on medium-high until melted. Add half the ginger and half the spice blend. Cook, stirring frequently, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until fragrant. Add thelentils and 1½ cups of water; season with salt and pepper. Heat to boiling on high. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium and simmer 8 to 10 minutes, or until the lentils are tender and slightly broken down.
While the dal cooks, in a medium pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat the remaining ghee on medium-high until melted. Add theremaining ginger and spice blend. Cook, stirring frequently, 2 to 3 minutes, or until softened and fragrant. Add the apricotsand ½ cup of water; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes, or until most of the water has evaporated. Stir in the tamarind concentrate. Cook, stirring frequently, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until thoroughly combined. Remove from heat; transfer to a bowl. Rinse and wipe out the pan.
Stir the spinach and Greek yogurt into the pot of dal. Cook, stirring constantly, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until thoroughly combined and the spinach has wilted. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside in a warm place.
Pat the salmon fillets dry with paper towels; season with salt and pepper on both sides. Place the lentil flour on a plate. Coat both sides of each fillet in the lentil flour, tapping off any excess. In the same pan used to make the chutney, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the coated fillets and cook 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until golden brown and cooked to your desired degree of doneness. Remove from heat.
Divide the finished dal and cooked salmon fillets between 2 bowls or plates. Garnish with the cilantro. Serve with the apricot chutney on the side. Enjoy!
NOTES:
* Ghee, an Indian ingredient, is much like clarified (or drawn) butter. It’s clearer, with no milk solids nor water. This means two things. First, the taste is much richer than that of butter. Second, because ghee doesn’t contain milk solids, it won’t brown or burn the way normal butter does. It can be heated to extremely high temperatures and maintain its full, clean flavor.
** Apricot Chutney Spice Blend (Make your own)
2 Parts Whole Cumin Seeds
2 Parts Ground Cardamom
1 Part Whole Nigella Seeds
1 Part Whole Brown Mustard Seeds
1 Part Ground Cayenne Pepper
Don't Forget the Secret Ingredient 