Laura Tilt's One Pan Salmon Biryani
Gut Food

Laura Tilt's One Pan Salmon Biryani

3 minutes
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Written By

Laura Tilt
Laura has been passionate about microbes and the gut for nearly 10 years, sparked by her focus on gastroenterology during her time in clinical practice. She is an experienced dietitian, health writer, and a regular columnist for Women’s Health Magazine. With over 15 years of experience in nutrition, Laura is passionate about helping people understand the connection between food and health, bridging the gap between what we eat and what happens in our bodies. You can find her on social media @nutritilty, where she shares practical tips for eating healthy amid the everyday challenges of parenting and sleep deprivation.

Biryani is a rice dish that's traditionally made with rice, spices, fresh vegetables and meat or fish, cooked in the oven in layers. Here I’ve simplified the steps, cooking everything in one pan. With carbohydrate from the rice and high protein salmon, it ticks the boxes for a post-workout recovery meal. If you fancy a plant-powered alternative, switch up the salmon for firm tofu.

 

Serves 3-4

 

Ingredients 

  • 250g basmati rice
  • 1 tbsp oil
  • 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced

 

For the spice paste

  • 3 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 20g ginger, peeled and grated
  • 1x 30g bunch of fresh coriander, leaves and stalks finely chopped (but kept separate)
  • 1 tbsp curry paste or 1 tsp garam masala
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • A good pinch of salt
  • 1 large tomato, diced
  • 4 x cardamom pods, smash to remove the seeds (keep) and discard the pods

 

  • 2 salmon fillets - skin removed and cut into bite-sized pieces (plant based alternative: 400g extra firm tofu, cut into bite sized pieces)
  • 600ml fish or vegetable stock
  • 200g green beans, remove tops and snap in half
  • Lime and plain yoghurt to serve (optional)

 

Method

  1. Put the basmati rice in a bowl of warm water and set to one side to soak whilst you prepare the rest of the ingredients - slice the vegetables, measure out the spices and cut the salmon into pieces
  2. Heat the oil in a large casserole dish, fry the sliced onion over a low heat for 5 minutes until soft and golden
  3. Add the garlic, ginger, coriander stalks, curry paste, turmeric, salt, tomato and cardamom seeds and cook until the tomatoes have broken down and a paste has formed
  4. Add the salmon pieces (or tofu) to pan and gently turn to coat them in the spice paste for around a minute then lift out onto a plate
  5. Give the rice a good rinse, then drain and add to the pan with the stock. Give everything a stir, bring to a boil and then place the salmon pieces on top of the rice.
  6. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and simmer for 10 minutes
  7. Take the lid off, add the green beans, put the lid back on and simmer for a further 2 minutes then turn the heat off and leave for 10 minutes. The remaining heat should steam the rice so that it’s perfectly cooked and all the liquid has evaporated. (If there’s any liquid remaining, put a little heat back under the pan for a minute or two then turn off and leave for a further few minutes)
  8. Top with the chopped coriander and serve with plain yoghurt and a wedge of lime