I first had this sauce, or one similar to it, in the late 1940s. India had just been partitioned, and a refugee family fleeing from what was to become Pakistan had just opened a small, simple restaurant in the center of Delhi called Moti Mahal. It basically served foods baked in the clay oven called a tandoor. There was one sauced dish, however, Chicken Makhani. A tandoor-roasted chicken was cut up with a cleaver and then heated up in this tomatoey, buttery, creamy sauce. I have always loved the sauce. Over the years, I have played around with it, using it with shrimp, and now with salmon. Serve with Swiss Chard with Ginger and Garlic and Rice Pilaf with Almonds and Raisins.

　　

Ingredients

serves 4

　　

To Rub on the Fish

1 1/2 pounds skinned salmon fillet from the center of the fish (where it is thickest), first cut lengthways down the center and then crossways to make 8 pieces

　　1/4 teaspoon salt

　　Freshly ground black pepper

　　1/8 teaspoon ground turmeric

　　1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

　　

For the Sauce

1 cup tomato puree

　　1 cup heavy cream

　　1 teaspoon salt

　　1 teaspoon sugar

　　1 teaspoon garam masala

　　1 teaspoon ground cumin

　　1 tablespoon lemon juice

　　1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

　　2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

　　

To Cook the Fish

1 tablespoon olive or canola oil

　　1/2 teaspoon whole cumin seeds

　　

Step 1

Season the salmon pieces by sprinkling the salt, pepper, turmeric, and cayenne on all sides and rubbing them in. Put the salmon in a plastic bag and refrigerate for 1 hour or longer.

　　

Step 2

Combine all the ingredients for the sauce and mix well. Refrigerate if needed.

　　

Step 3

To cook the fish, put the oil in a frying pan and set on medium heat. When hot, put in the cumin seeds. When the seeds have sizzled for 10 seconds, pour in the sauce. Stir and bring to a simmer. Place all the fish pieces in the sauce in a single layer and cook, spooning the sauce over the fish. After a minute, turn the fish pieces over and lower the heat to medium low. Continue to cook, spooning the sauce over the top, for 3–4 minutes or until the fish has cooked through.

　　Excerpted from At Home with Madhur Jaffrey: Simple, Delectable Dishes from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka by Madhur Jaffrey. Copyright © 2010 by Random House. Excerpted by permission of Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Random House LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.Buy the full book from Amazon.