Salmon Kebabs

Delicious and juicy salmon kebabs; enjoy as an appetizer with mint chutney or serve with salad for a healthy lunch option.

These salmon kebabs were the result of a happy accident.

I had actually set out to make salmon cutlets or croquettes for a client. And the plan was to make a version similar to these Kerala style beef cutlets. So I minced the salmon, added the sautéed onion spice mixture and rolled it into round balls before doing the customary egg breadcrumb routine. But something important came up and I had to go out only to return late,  just in time for dinner. There was not enough time to coat and crumb and then deep fry; and I needed to make something quick with the salmon mixture for dinner.

While shaping the mixture, I realised that since salmon is an oily fish, it held shape pretty well and didn’t really need any other binding agent. So I flattened out the prepared balls into small patties and shallow fried in a pan. The result was these delicious Salmon kebabs. I had struck gold!

And of course, I had to share the recipe with all of you. Because these kebabs are delicious, really simple to make and can grace your dinner tables in so many different ways. Have it as a starter/appetizer, serve it as a canapé topped with relish or chutney or serve it on a bed of salad for a simple light lunch. You can also make slightly bigger patties and have a salmon burger or slider.

The salmon mixture is great for making croquettes too just as I had initially intended.

So let’s get cooking these delicious Salmon Kebabs which is best paired with this tangy mint coriander chutney.

Print Recipe

Salmon Kebabs

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: Modern Indian

Author: Dhanya Samuel

Ingredients

• 1-2 salmon fillets; skinless weighing approximately 300gms
• 1 red onion; finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves; grated
• 1 inch ginger; grated
• 1 green chilli; finely chopped
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• ¾ tsp red chilli powder
• ½ tsp coriander powder
• ½ tsp cumin powder
• ¼ tsp garam masala
• Salt; to season
• Vegetable oil; to shallow fry the kebabs
• Lemon wedges; to serve

Instructions

• Make sure that the skin is removed from the fillets and also there aren’t any fish bones remaining inside the fillet. Wash and pat dry.
• Heat 1-2 tbsp oil in a pan; add the onions, garlic, ginger and green chillies; sauté till the onions are soft and lightly browned. Then add the spice powders, mix well and remove. Allow to cool.
• Cut the salmon fillet into chunks, blitz along with the onion mixture using a blender/food processor to get a coarse paste like consistency. Do not over blitz or the mixture will go too pasty. (If you do not have a blender, mince the salmon using a knife).
• Refrigerate the salmon mixture for about 15 minutes.
• Wet your hands lightly and divide the mixture equally into small patties.
• Heat oil in a flat pan and shallow fry the kebabs on both sides till done.
• Serve warm with lemon wedges and mint chutney.

Notes

Since salmon is an oily fish, no other binding agent was added to the mixture. But if you are using white fish, then a binding agent like potato should be added to prevent the kebabs from breaking.