Indian made easy: Three quick and easy recipes from Rukmini Iyer's new book

Quick and delicious, Rukmini Iyer's newest recipes celebrate Indian food that is ready in minutes and focuses on the least amount of washing up possible

Three quick and easy recipes from Rukmini Iyer's new book

Rukmini Iyer’s chilli, coconut and lime salmon

A quick and tasty one-dish dinner, perfect for midweek

Servings

2

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 25 mins

Total Time

 35 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 4tbsp desiccated coconut

• 1 fresh red chilli

• Handful mint leaves, plus extra to serve

• 2 cloves garlic

• Juice of 2 limes

• 1 red onion, thinly sliced

• 250g vine cherry tomatoes, halved

• 2 sustainable salmon fillets

• 2tbsp neutral or olive oil

• 1tsp sea salt flakes

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C fan/200°C/gas 6.

2. Tip the coconut, chilli, mint leaves, garlic, lime juice, one tablespoon of the oil and the sea salt into a spice grinder or high-speed blender/Nutribullet and blitz roughly until the chilli looks evenly incorporated through the coconut (you’ll have a reddish, greenish rubble).

3. Mix the sliced onion and cherry tomatoes in a medium roasting tin along with the remaining oil. Make space for the two salmon fillets, place them in the tin, skin side down, then pat a tablespoon of the coconut-chilli mixture evenly over each fillet. Scatter the remaining mixture over the onions and tomatoes.

4. Transfer to the oven to roast for 20–25 minutes until the salmon is cooked through. Scatter with mint leaves and serve hot, with rice alongside if you wish.

5. Notes: You can substitute the salmon for cod, haddock or another firm-fleshed white fish – it’ll take about the same time to cook. To carb it up in the same tin, start by roasting off cubed sweet potato with a little olive oil and salt in your roasting tin for 30 minutes, before continuing with the recipe as above.
   
   India Express: Fresh And Delicious Recipes For Every Day by Rukmini Iyer is published by Square Peg, photography by David Loftus. Available now.

South Indian Puy Lentil & Tenderstem Broccoli Stir Fry

This is a quick and easy weeknight stir fry – if you serve it with rice or flatbreads, it’s all your food groups on one plate

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 5 mins

Cooking Time

 10 mins

Total Time

 15 mins

Course

 Main

Cuisine

 Indian

Ingredients

• 300g tenderstem broccoli, halved

• 500g vac-packed puy lentils

• Juice of 1 lime

• Handful salted peanuts, roughly chopped

• 2 tbsp neutral or olive oil, plus extra to serve

• 1 tsp mustard seeds

• 1 tsp cumin seeds

• 1 tsp chilli flakes

• 1⁄2 tspground turmeric

• 1 tsp sea salt flakes

Method

1. Tip the broccoli into a bowl of boiling water and let it blanch for 2 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large frying pan and add the mustard and cumin seeds. Turn the heat down to medium to low and let them splutter for 30 seconds, or until the cumin seeds start to darken very slightly. Drain the broccoli and add it to the pan.

3. Add the chilli flakes, turmeric and sea salt and stir-fry over a high heat for 2–3 minutes before adding the puy lentils. Stir for a further 2–3 minutes over a lower heat, then add the lime juice, taste the salt and adjust as needed and add a little more oil if you wish.

4. Serve hot, scattered with the peanuts, with rice or flatbreads and yogurt alongside.