Butter Salmon Curry

Butter salmon curry is a fishy twist on a family favourite. Classic tandoori spices and thick yoghurt marinate tender salmon pieces before being simmered in luxurious heavy (double) cream. 

Curries that involve marinating meat (or fish) in yoghurt might add a little prep time but the flavour payoff is immeasurable! You can expect juicy morsels, a velvety texture and exotic flavours. Chicken tikka masala is all that and more- I add chickpeas to mine for bonus fibre and protein.

In the UK, curry is dubbed ‘the nation’s favourite dish’ and since moving here, my family have become eager adopters of the cuisine. 

With a wealth of styles, ingredients and varying degrees of heat to explore until you stumble on one you love, there is a curry recipe for everyone! From the thick-gravied meat and potatoes of the North to the South-style vegetable and coconut, take your family on a flavour adventure from your kitchen. 

One of our family favourites has always been butter chicken curry. We first discovered it through our local Indian takeaway, and it was the first curry I could persuade my young kids to try.

The perfect balance of warm spices; cumin, garam masala, coriander and paprika, made milder with both yoghurt and cream offered a child-friendly introduction. Soon we were ordering two portions per meal!

However, a weekly Indian takeaway can really add up. Not to mention the impact on your body! It took some tinkering, and some advice from a well-versed friend, and I successfully recreated butter chicken curry at home. 

Homemade curry with salmon

But you know what they say, too much of a good thing…OK, what do they say?? Anyway, you get the idea! After 15 years of eating homemade butter chicken, I wondered if the same curry recipe would work with fish. I had some salmon at home so I was ready to take a risk! 

One of the best things about using fish over chicken here is fish is quick to marinate. I suggest one hour for this salmon recipe, but you could get away 30 minutes if you’re pushed for time. 

Marinating in yoghurt will keep the salmon flesh tender thanks to the lactic acid, seal in moisture, as well as add a deeper level of flavour. The marinade will protect the fish flesh on its first introduction to the pan for searing. 

While salmon is not a fish we usually associate with curry, its fattiness and natural oil make this butter curry recipe even more unctuous and luxurious than its bird-based cousin. 

The marinade also contains the spices. I kept to my old friend’s advice and used a trusty tandoori masala spice mix from the original butter chicken recipe. This is a hack that is not cheating! There are plenty of aromatics to come too…

Fresh garlic and ginger, ground coriander and turmeric complete the spice medley making this dish a flavour-packed delight! These are fried with onion before adding a touch of tomato paste for sharpness, and the remaining yoghurty marinade. 

Once the ingredients have simmered, the fish and double cream are brought in for a final five minutes before being served with rice and a fresh cilantro (coriander) sprinkle.

If you’ve tried both butter curry recipes, I’d love to know how you think they compare.

Serving suggestions

Thanks to a friend in Manchester (UK), I recently became aware of the ‘rice-and-three’ restaurant concept. Specific to the North West and derived from a traditional Indian thali, rice and three is a meal consisting of a portion of rice with three curries served in canteen-style restaurants across the city.

This is a dream come true for anyone who struggles to choose one dish from a menu, or settle on a single curry dish to cook at home.  That’s me! 

I rarely make it up North, so I’m having to satisfy the fantasy with some homemade curry recipes of my own which will look like this:

Rice – plain, basmati or, for a South Indian touch, coconut rice.

Curry 1 – butter salmon curry (of course!) but another meat option could replace it, like fruity and smoky chicken rogan josh.

Curry 2 – red lentil daal is simple and digestible, or creamy black lentil daal makhani for something richer. 

Curry 3 – a vegetable-packed saag panner (spinach and white cheese) or aloo gobi (potato and cauliflower) to balance out the meal.

OK, so that is rice and SIX! I told you I couldn’t just pick one!

Storage and leftovers

This fish curry can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat on the stove top with a splash of water to loosen if the sauce is looking too thick.

The cream and yoghurt component in this homemade salmon curry means it’s not an ideal freezer, I’m afraid.

More salmon recipes to try

• Salmon Chowder
• Pasta with Smoked Salmon
• Grilled Maple Glazed Salmon
• Salmon Florentine with Spinach and Asparagus