This garam masala salmon with saag aloo is exactly the sort of dinner I love making when I want something that feels a bit different without actually requiring loads of effort.
You’ve got crispy pan fried salmon coated in warm spices, soft curried potatoes, wilted spinach and cool yoghurt spooned over the top at the end. It’s full of flavour and surprisingly straightforward to throw together on a weeknight.
The salmon works SO well with the garam masala too. As it cooks, the spices toast slightly in the pan and create this gorgeously fragrant crust on the outside of the fish – especially if you get the skin nice and crisp. (And you can find plenty more salmon weeknight dinners in my fish dinners guide).
And then underneath you’ve got the saag-aloo-inspired potatoes quietly stealing the show.
Honestly, I could happily eat a bowl of the potatoes on their own.
Why this works so well as a weeknight dinner
I think fish recipes can sometimes fall into one of two camps:
- very plain and sensible
- wildly overcomplicated
This sits nicely in the middle.
It’s interesting enough to feel like a proper meal, but still easy enough to make on an ordinary Tuesday without destroying the kitchen.
It also fits beautifully into the sort of easy fish dinners I come back to again and again – recipes with strong flavours, straightforward ingredients and enough substance to actually keep everyone full afterward
The ingredients that make this work
One of my favourite things about this recipe is that it uses pretty ordinary ingredients but still tastes like something a bit special.
- Salmon fillets – I use skin-on salmon fillets because crispy salmon skin is one of life’s great pleasures. The richness of salmon also works brilliantly with warm spices like garam masala and curry powder. You could also try this recipe with trout or sea bass, if you like.
- Potatoes – The ‘aloo’ of the saag aloo. No need to peel them – absolutely intentional because I cannot be bothered with unnecessary peeling on a weeknight (plus there are loads of vitamins in the skin!) White potatoes work really well here because they soften nicely without collapsing completely. You want them tender, not mashed.
- Onion, garlic and ginger – This is your flavour base and it makes SUCH a difference. The ginger especially gives the potatoes warmth that lifts the whole dish.
- Curry powder – I’ve used medium curry powder here because it keeps things easy and accessible while still bringing loads of flavour.
- Garam masala – This goes directly onto the salmon and gives it that gorgeous warm, fragrant coating as it cooks. If you can’t get hold of garam masala, you can try making your own spice mix or use more curry powder.
- Spinach – the ‘saag’ of the saag aloo. Folded through at the end for freshness and colour.
- Natural yoghurt – Very important. The cool yoghurt against the warm spices pulls the whole dish together beautifully. And definitely add that little pinch of salt over the yoghurt before serving – it sounds tiny, but it really wakes everything up.
How to make Garam Masala Salmon with Saag Aloo
1. Start the potatoes
Peel and finely chop the onion, garlic and ginger.
Cook them gently in the vegetable oil over a low heat for 2–3 minutes until softened and fragrant. Meanwhile, chop the potatoes into roughly 1cm chunks. Add them to the pan and cook for another couple of minutes, stirring regularly so they pick up all those lovely flavours.
Stir through the curry powder and tomato puree, then pour in the water.
Turn the heat down and simmer gently for around 15 minutes until the potatoes are cooked through.
2. Cook the salmon
While the potatoes cook, rub the salmon fillets with garam masala, vegetable oil, salt and pepper.
Heat a frying pan over a medium heat and place the salmon skin side down.
Now leave it alone.
This is the key to crispy skin. If you keep moving it around, it won’t crisp properly.
Cook for around 5–6 minutes until the skin is crisp and golden, then turn and cook for another 2 minutes on the other side.
3. Finish the potatoes
Once the potatoes are cooked, stir through the spinach and allow it to wilt into the mixture.
If things look a little dry, add another small splash of water.
4. Serve
Spoon the saag aloo into bowls and top with the salmon fillets.
Add a spoonful of natural yoghurt to each bowl and finish with a pinch of salt over the yoghurt.
Then eat immediately while the salmon skin is still crisp.
Why saag aloo and salmon work so well together
Saag aloo is a vegetarian Indian curry made from spinach and potatoes, and is often served as a side dish for other curries (sometimes meaty ones like a chicken Balti, sometimes veggie ones like butter halloumi curry).
In this dish, it’s the joint star of the show nestled under that lovely flaky salmon. Fish and potatoes go well together, fish and spinach go well together, fish and saag aloo was always going to be a match made in heaven.
If you like, you could try serving this garam masala crusted salmon with a saag paneer, saag halloumi or aloo gobi instead (or as well as!) the saag aloo – both would work equally as well.
Garam Masala Salmon with Saag Aloo
Equipment
- large saucepan
- Frying pan
- Knife
- Chopping board
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 onion peeled and finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 30 g ginger finely chopped
- 3 large white potatoes chopped into 1cm chunks
- 2 tsp medium curry powder
- 1 tsp tomato puree
- 150 ml water
- 100 g baby leaf spinach
- 2 salmon fillets
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp vegetable oil
- Salt and pepper
- 2 tbsp natural yoghurt to serve
Instructions
Cook the onion, garlic and ginger
- Add the vegetable oil to a saucepan over a low heat. Add the chopped onion, garlic and ginger and cook gently for 2–3 minutes until softened and fragrant.
Cook the potatoes
- Add the chopped potatoes and cook over a medium heat for another 2–3 minutes, stirring regularly.
- Stir through the curry powder and tomato puree, then pour in the water.
- Reduce the heat and simmer gently for around 15 minutes until the potatoes are tender but still holding their shape. Add another splash of water if needed.
Cook the salmon
- Rub the salmon fillets with the garam masala, vegetable oil, salt and pepper.
- Heat a frying pan over a medium heat and place the salmon skin side down. Cook for 5–6 minutes until the skin is crisp and golden.
- Turn the salmon and cook for another 2 minutes on the other side.
Finish the potatoes
- Stir the spinach into the potatoes and allow it to wilt.
- The finished potato mixture should be soft and coated in the spices without becoming overly saucy.
Serve
- Spoon the saag aloo into bowls and top with the salmon fillets.
- Add a spoonful of natural yoghurt to each bowl and finish with a small pinch of salt over the yoghurt before serving.
Notes
- Leaving the skins on the potatoes keeps prep quick and adds texture.
For the crispiest salmon skin, avoid moving the fish around in the pan while it cooks. - Add extra water to the potatoes if needed during cooking, but avoid making the mixture too wet.
- Kale can be used instead of spinach.
- Sweet potatoes also work well, though they may cook more quickly.
More Fish and Seafood Recipes
If you enjoy cooking fish at home, you’ll find plenty more inspiration in my fish and seafood recipes collection. Fish is brilliant for weeknight dinners – it cooks quickly, feels light and fresh, and can be packed with flavour.
Try some of the most popular recipes from the site:
- Pan Fried Sea Bass with Olive Linguine – crisp-skinned sea bass served with a punchy olive pasta. Simple but incredibly satisfying.
- Asian Style Whole Baked Black Tilapia – a fragrant oven-baked fish with bold Asian flavours.
- Lightly Smoked Salmon with Crushed New Potatoes and Mustard Cabbage – a fresh, elegant dish that works beautifully for lunch or dinner.
- Baked Cod with Creamy Chorizo Beans – flaky cod served with rich, smoky beans. A proper flavour-packed dinner.
If you’re looking for easy fish dinners for tonight, these recipes are a great place to start.
PACKED full of flavour for such an easy dish!