Oven Roasted Salmon and Rice with Coconut-Tomato Sauce
This oven roasted salmon is tossed in simple seasonings and baked to perfection, then served with lime basmati rice and a mouthwatering coconut-tomato sauce. A simple, easy weeknight dinner that’s packed with all the good stuff!
Ingredients
- 1 cup white basmati rice
- kosher salt
- 2 Tablespoons ghee unsalted butter or coconut oil, DIVIDED
- 2 limes
- 1 large shallot finely chopped
- 1 red fresno chile pepper finely chopped
- 6 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika divided
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander divided
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin divided
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 1 13.5 fl oz can coconut milk (I used full-fat)
- 2 Tablespoons unrefined olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon maple syrup or honey or agave
- 1 ½ pounds skinless salmon cut into 1 ½ ” pieces
- Garnish: fresh cilantro finely chopped
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, combine 2 cups of water, the rice, a big pinch of salt, and 1 Tablespoon of the ghee/butter. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 18 minutes. Remove from heat and let the rice sit (covered) for 10 minutes. Fluff it with a fork and then stir in the juice of ½ a lime.
- Preheat the oven to 450 F degrees. Position a rack 6 inches from the heat source.
- Warm a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add 1 Tablespoon of the ghee/butter. As soon as it has melted, add the shallots and chile peppers. Season with a pinch of salt. Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring often. Add the garlic and cook, until fragrant, about one minute. Do not let the garlic burn.
- Add 1 teaspoon of the smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon of the coriander, ½ teaspoon of the cumin, and all of the cardamom. Add the tomato paste and combine with the spices. Cook for a few seconds. Add the coconut milk a little at a time, stirring constantly to columbine, and add a pinch of salt. Bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until thickened. Stir in the juice of 1 lime.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix together the olive oil, maple syrup, juice of ½ a lime, remaining 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon of coriander, and ½ teaspoon of cumin, and a pinch of salt. Add the salmon and toss to combine.
- Arrange the salmon on a baking sheet (I wouldn’t line it with parchment because it will burn). Roast for 4-6 minutes. If you are cooking wild salmon or sockeye, you can cook for 4 minutes. You want to cook the fish until it’s underdone. Turn the oven to high broil and broil for 1-2 minutes, or until slightly charred and cooked though.
- Scoop some rice onto individual bowls and place the salmon on top. Spoon the sauce over everything. Garnish with cilantro.
Notes
- The juice of 1 lime is generally about 1 Tablespoon.
- This recipe was adapted from The Original Dish.
- Make it vegan: Swap in extra-firm tofu (not silken) for the salmon. I like to dry it off with a paper towel, cube it, and pan sear it before adding it to the sauce. You can also bake it or air fry it. OR go in a different direction and roast large florets of cauliflower until tender and add to the sauce with a can of cooked chickpeas, white beans, or frozen peas.
- Store leftover salmon in an airtight container for 3-4 days. Reheat in a skillet and serve over a fresh batch of rice and more sauce. The sauce can be stored in its own container for up to a week. Gently reheat and serve over this salmon, chicken, veggies, tofu, and more!