Who doesn’t love a hearty salmon chowder? And I can assure you, with that lndian twist of mine, it brings out the goodness of the chowder even more. This chowder is something that I would call, “Holy delicious!!” I dreamt about this recipe when I was on a vacation to Kerala recently. Some people may think I am weird, but I enjoy my cooking dreams and get inspired from them too! Oh yes, I feel happy when I dream of cooking something different, and many a times, I get great cooking ideas from there.

This dreamy chowder could be the dinner on your table tonight! Serve it with the traditional Indian Appam or serve it in a bread bowl, my Salmon Chowder with an Indian Twist is great with both.

Tender and succulent salmon is always something that fish-lovers look forward to. Atlantic salmon is not cheap, nor is it readily available in Mumbai, but it is worth the money spent. Full of flavour and nutrients, this fatty fish is one of the heathiest fishes in the world. It is rich in Omega-3 fatty acids (which is beneficial for the heart) and has high-quality proteins and amino acids. Salmon is rich in vitamins (including A, B, D and E) and minerals (including calcium, iron, zinc and magnesium) too! Apart from cardiovascular benefits, it improves mood and cognition, is good for the joints and eyes and reduces the risk of cancer.

My salmon chowder is different: it is a fusion dish. It is a harmonious medley of two separate dishes from two countries, coming together as a healthful and hearty soup. On one hand you have the New England Salmon Chowder: rich, creamy and so much concentrated with the aroma of the fish. On the other hand, you have the Kerala-Style Vegetable Stew, which is a completely vegetarian dish cooked with whole garam masala and coconut milk. And when you bring these two dishes together in a single pot, the result is just wow!

A few points before we jump on to the recipe. As I have used curry leaves in this chowder, I omitted the parsley. Also, if you want, you may add a little saffron towards the end. And for that amazing fish stock that I used as one of my ingredients, I chopped some onions and fried these in 1 tsp oil. I then added a little salt to the onions and added prawn heads (I have plenty of them in my freezer all the time!) and lots of fish bones. I boiled this for 10 min, with around 4 cups of water. Once done, I cooled it and filtered it. Homemade fish stock is lovely!

I would love to hear if you give this a go! Do write to me in the comments and share this recipe if you liked it.

Salmon Chowder with an Indian Twist

[This is cross between Kerala-style vegetable stew and Salmon chowder. Smoked salmon works best for this recipe, but regular high-quality salmon is also good. A little crisp-fried bacon added as a garnish can make the chowder even better! Take care not to overcook the salmon. Also, chicken stock can be used instead of fish stock.]

Ingredients:

Fresh salmon (chopped into cubes): 600 g

Cauliflower florets: 1 cup

Carrots (cubed): ½ cup

French beans (chopped): handful

Fresh peas: handful

Potato (cubed): 1 cup

Bay leaf: 1

Star anise: 2

Cinnamon: 1

Green cardamom: 3

Mustard seeds: ¼ tsp

Curry leaves (small-sized): 20

Black peppercorns: 10

Onions (chopped): 1.5 cup

Garlic paste: ½ tsp

Ginger julienne: 1 tsp

Coconut milk: 1 tall glass

Homemade fish stock (mixed with ½ tsp salt): 2 cups

Celery (chopped): ½ cup

Butter: 2 tbsp

Refined flour: 1 tbsp

Milk: 1 cup

Fresh cream: 200 ml

Lemon zest: 1 tsp

Salt: 1.5 tsp

Freshly ground pepper: for seasoning

Water: 2 cups

Oil: 2 tbsp

Sugar ½ tsp

Method:

Heat oil and half the butter together. Add the bay leaf, mustard seeds, cinnamon, green cardamoms, peppercorns and the star anise. After a few seconds, add the onions and the curry leaves, and sprinkle a little salt. Sauté the onions, until soft.

Add the garlic paste, potato and the carrots.

Cook for 5 min and then add the rest of the vegetables, along with the rest of the salt.

After the veggies are sautéed for about 7 min, add half of the coconut milk. Cook covered, stirring occasionally, until the veggies are cooked, but firm: about 5 min.

In a small bowl, using a fork, make a paste of the remaining butter and the refined flour. Add this paste to the vegetables to make a roux.

Add the stock, sugar and the lemon zest and stir. Cook for 5 min.

Add the cream and the remaining coconut milk now. Add water and stir once.

Scatter the ginger over the simmering soup. Cover and cook for 3 min. Stir once and add the cubed salmon, and just cook for 2 min.

Remove the pan from the gas, stir the chowder once and serve with freshly ground pepper.

Here’s a printable version of the recipe.

Print Recipe

Salmon Chowder with an Indian Twist!

This is cross between Kerala-style vegetable stew and Salmon chowder. Smoked salmon works best for this recipe, but regular high-quality salmon is also good. A little crisp-fried bacon added as a garnish can make the chowder even better! Take care not to overcook the salmon. Also, chicken stock can be used instead of fish stock.

Ingredients

• Fresh salmon chopped into cubes: 600 g
• Cauliflower florets: 1 cup
• Carrots cubed: ½ cup
• French beans chopped: handful
• Fresh peas: handful
• Potato cubed: 1 cup
• Bay leaf: 1
• Star anise: 2
• Cinnamon: 1
• Green cardamom: 3
• Mustard seeds: ¼ tsp
• Curry leaves small-sized: 20
• Black peppercorns: 10
• Onions chopped: 1.5 cup
• Garlic paste: ½ tsp
• Ginger julienne: 1 tsp
• Coconut milk: 1 tall glass
• Homemade fish stock mixed with ½ tsp salt: 2 cups
• Celery chopped: ½ cup
• Butter: 2 tbsp
• Refined flour: 1 tbsp
• Milk: 1 cup
• Fresh cream: 200 ml
• Lemon zest: 1 tsp
• Salt: 1.5 tsp
• Freshly ground pepper: for seasoning
• Water: 2 cups
• Oil: 2 tbsp
• Sugar ½ tsp

Instructions

• Heat oil and half the butter together. Add the bay leaf, mustard seeds, cinnamon, green cardamoms, peppercorns and the star anise. After a few seconds, add the onions and the curry leaves, and sprinkle a little salt. Sauté the onions, until soft. Add the garlic paste, potato and the carrots. Cook for 5 min. then add the rest of the vegetables, along with the rest of the salt. After the veggies are sautéed for about 7 min, add half of the coconut milk. Cook covered, stirring occasionally, until the veggies are cooked, but firm: about 5 min.
• In a small bowl, using a fork, make a paste of the remaining butter and the refined flour. Add this paste to the vegetables to make a roux.
• Add the stock, sugar and the lemon zest and stir. Cook for 5 min.
• Add the cream and the remaining coconut milk now. Add water and stir once. Scatter the ginger over the simmering soup. Cover and cook for 3 min. Stir once and add the cubed salmon, and just cook for 2 min.
• Remove the pan from the gas, stir the chowder once and serve with freshly ground pepper.