Karam Sethi’s recipe for garlic fish tikka with cumin raita

3 hours ago 1

Today’s fish tikka is one of the standout dishes on the menu of our new restaurant, Ambassadors Clubhouse in Mayfair, where we celebrate the rich culinary traditions of undivided Punjab. Lasooni essentially means garlic, which here in roasted form joins forces with a traditional red tandoori marinade to give the fish a smoky, aromatic coating. It’s complemented by a side of refreshing, cumin-spiked raita.

Lasooni fish tikka (pictured top)

A rich fish tikka featuring two marinades: one made with heady roast garlic and the other a vibrant tikka marinade. The quantities for the latter make far more than you need here, but it freezes well, and also works wonders on lamb chops, chicken and paneer.

Prep 15 min
Marinate 30 min+
Cook 25 min
Serves 2-4

For the roasted garlic marinade (makes 500g)
120ml rapeseed oil
5 green cardamom pods
4 bay leaves
300g garlic, peeled and chopped
60g Kashmiri red chilli powder
200g tomato passata
15g granulated sugar
1 tsp salt
60ml white distilled vinegar

For the red tandoori marinade (makes 500g)
450g greek yoghurt
15g ginger and garlic paste
30g Kashmiri chilli powder
20g kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
1 tsp garam masala
10ml lemon juice
20ml rapeseed oil
1 tsp salt

For the fish
1kg sustainably-sourced salmon fillet, cut into 8 equal pieces of 125g each
350g roasted garlic marinade (see above and method)
30g red tandoori marinade (see above and method)
15g ghee, melted
1 pinch ajwain seeds, dry toasted until fragrant
1 lemon, halved, to finish

First, make the two marinades. Heat the oil for the roast garlic marinade in a large pan, then add the whole green cardamom pods and the bay leaves, and leave to fry and infuse the oil for a minute, until they smell fragrant. Add the chopped garlic and saute, stirring, only until it turns a light golden brown. Stir in the chilli powder, passata, sugar and salt, then leave to cook and reduce to a thick, sauce-like consistency. Stir in the distilled white vinegar, simmer for a few more minutes, then taste and add more salt as required.

In a large bowl, whisk the yoghurt for the red tandoori marinade until smooth. Add the ginger and garlic paste, chilli powder, kasoori methi, garam masala, lemon juice, rapeseed oil and salt, mix until well combined, then cover and chill in the fridge until you’re ready to marinate the salmon.

To marinate the salmon, mix 350g of the roasted garlic marinade and 30g of the red tandoori marinade in a bowl until well combined. Put the salmon pieces in a dish, then pour the marinade all over the top and turn the fish until it’s evenly coated all over. Cover and leave to marinate at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.

Turn on the grill to its highest setting. Lift the salmon pieces out of the marinade, making sure they are still evenly coated all over, then grill them skin side up for six to eight minutes, until the skin is nicely charred but the flesh underneath is still juicy and pink. Take the salmon out of the grill, brush all over with melted ghee, then sprinkle the roasted ajwain on top.

Divide the fish between two or four plates, squeeze over the lemon halves and serve hot with roasted cumin raita (see below) on the side for a refreshing balance.

Masala jeera raita (roasted cumin raita)

This is the perfect cooling contrast to the rich marinade for the fish. It’s also a fantastic accompaniment for grilled meats and biryanis.

Prep 10 min
Serves 4

300g greek yoghurt
10g

roasted garlic flesh, chopped
½ tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp roasted and ground cumin seeds
½ tsp black salt
1 cucumber, peeled and deseeded, then grated and squeezed to extract the excess water

Whisk the yoghurt in a bowl until smooth, then add the roast garlic, salt, sugar, cumin, black salt and grated cucumber. Cover and chill until you’re ready to serve with the salmon tikka above.