This quick and easy salmon tikka masala cooks up in 30 minutes for a perfect weeknight dinner. The creamy tikka masala sauce can be made in advance or at the time of cooking, either way, it packs the flavor!
Rinse the salmon and pat it dry with a paper towel.
Chop the salmon into 2-inch pieces.
Combine all the ingredients under the marinade section in a steel bowl.
Add the salmon pieces to the marinade and coat them one at a time so that each piece is evenly marinated.
Cooking the curry
Heat oil in an Instant Pot using the Saute function set at 'Normal' mode.
Once the oil is hot, add all the spices -black peppercorns, cloves, and cinnamon stick. Let them sizzle for about 10-15 seconds.
Add chopped onions, cashews, chopped ginger, and garlic. Saute them for about 2-3 minutes.
Add tomatoes along with salt, turmeric powder, and Kashmiri chili powder. Mix well.
Let the tomatoes cook for about 2 minutes.
Add 1/2 cup of water and mix well. Deglaze the pot - scrape the bottom of the pot to make sure there is nothing stuck.
Place a trivet over the sauce. Carefully place the steel bowl with marinated salmon over the trivet.
Hit cancel and cover the lid. Move the steam valve to sealing position. Pressure cook on high for 4 minutes.
Once the cooking cycle is complete, release the pressure immediately by moving the steam valve to the venting position.
Open the lid and carefully remove the steel bowl with salmon using tongs. Remove the trivet as well.
Stir the sauce. Use an immersion blender and puree it to a smooth paste. If using a blender, allow the masala sauce to cool down for at least 10 minutes before pureeing it.
Add garam masala and honey (if using).
Garnish it with dried fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi) or cilantro. Mix well.
Set the Instant Pot on Saute mode. Select the 'Less' setting.
Add the salmon to the curry. Use a ladle to pour the sauce over it instead of mixing the salmon in. This is to prevent the salmon from falling apart.
Simmer for about 2 minutes to allow the flavors to meld in.
Press cancel to turn off the Instant Pot.
Serve with rice or naan.
Notes
You can use skinned salmon for this recipe but skinless salmon is preferred because it is easier to chop them.
Using other fish varieties - While I use salmon in this recipe, you can also try out different fishes to make this dish. Halibut, swordfish, and Mahi Mahi work well with this recipe.
If you do not want to use nuts, replace it with 1/4 cup of heavy cream. Make sure to add it in the end.
If you have leftover Tandoori salmon and a batch of tikka masala sauce, combine the two to make this salmon tikka masala. All you need to do is get the sauce to come to a boil, add the cooked salmon pieces and mix well. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes.
How to use Tikka Masala Sauce in this recipe
If you plan to use premade tikka masala saucein this recipe, replace the part where it calls for adding onions/ginger/garlic/cashews and tomatoes with the masala sauce. These are the steps to follow –
Heat oil in an Instant Pot using the Saute function set at 'Normal' mode.
Once the oil is hot, add black peppercorns, cloves, and cinnamon stick to the pot - let them sizzle for about 10-15 seconds.
Add about 2 cups of tikka masala sauce and mix well. Let the mixture come to a boil.
Season it with salt and Kashmiri chili powder, if required.
Next, put the marinated salmon directly to the sauce. Gently fold it in.
At this point, hit cancel and cover the lid. Move the vent to sealing position. Pressure cook on high for 3 minutes.
Once the cooking cycle is complete, release the pressure immediately by moving the steam valve to the venting position.
Stir in garam masala and honey (if using) until combined.
Finally, garnish with dried fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi) or cilantro.