Spiced Salmon with Chickpea and Beetroot Raita Salad

Half each salmon piece and sprinkle over the spice mix. Season generously with salt.

Heat the oil in a sauté pan over a medium-high heat and cook the salmon until golden and cooked to your liking. Transfer to a plate and when cool, cover and chill.

To serve: Arrange the salmon on a platter with lemon wedges and spoon over the chickpea salad to serve. 

We served the salmon on fresh lemon leaves.

Salad: Combine the chickpeas, yoghurt, garlic and salt then place in a wide shallow serving dish. Grate the beetroot and carrot on the finest holes of a box grater and scatter over the yoghurt. Give it a couple of stirs to just marble together but don’t over-mix.

Topping: Heat the oil in a medium sauté pan over a low heat and add everything except the curry leaves. Cook until the seeds start to pop and the oil is fragrant then add the curry leaves. Stir until crisp and dark green. Pour over the salad and serve. Serves 6

Cook's note: *Hing, or asafoetida, is a gum from a variety of giant fennel. It naturally has a nasty smell and taste, but becomes pleasantly onion-like when briefly fried in hot oil.