Why Dr Rupy swears by this one-tray salmon tikka bowl every week

Dr Rupy Aujla’s spicy one-tray tikka bowl is a high-protein, high-flavour fix that’s as good for your taste buds as it is for your gut. Just don’t skip the pickle

A high protein lunch with plenty of gut-loving fibre (Andrew Burton)

Every Tuesday in the Doctor’s Kitchen household, it’s salmon bowl night,” says Dr Rupy Aujla. “In this recipe we use a single tray to make the most delicious and easy bowls, packed with vegetables, grains and high-protein oily fish. It’s something I always look forward to. You can easily use an air fryer to cook the salmon instead in half the time.

“The brassica vegetables with spices, fruity Kashmiri chilli and sharp red cabbage pickle are a delicious combination of contrasting flavours that work harmoniously for your health and taste buds.”

Salmon tikka bowls with quick fennel and cabbage pickle

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

2 tbsp tikka masala paste or mild curry paste

300g salmon, skin on, cut into thick 4cm chunks

300g cauliflower, broken into 2cm florets

1 tsp mustard seeds

½ tsp ground turmeric

½ tsp Kashmiri chilli or sweet paprika

1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra to drizzle

For the fennel and cabbage pickle:

100g red cabbage, finely shredded with a mandoline

2 tsp fennel seeds

4 tsp red wine vinegar

4 tsp apple juice or 1 tsp sugar

½ tsp salt

To serve:

150g cooked short-grain brown rice, warmed

2 tbsp Greek yoghurt

100g rocket leaves

Method:

‘Healthy High Protein’ by Dr Rupy Aujla, packed with flavourful, functional recipes (Ebury Press)

1. Preheat the oven to 200C fan.

2. Smother the salmon in the curry paste and cover with foil in a bowl. Leave to marinate in the fridge for 20 minutes (it’s even better overnight).

3. Add the cauliflower to a baking tray, sprinkle over the spices and drizzle over the olive oil and mix well. Then season well and bake for 15 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, add the cabbage, fennel seeds, vinegar, apple juice or sugar and salt to a mixing bowl and scrunch everything together with your hands for 30 seconds. Set aside.

5. Remove the tray from the oven, toss the cauliflower florets and turn up the heat to 220C fan. Nestle the salmon, skin-side up, between the cauliflower florets and bake for another 10-12 minutes until the salmon is cooked through and golden coloured with some charring.

6. Build your bowls with the warmed rice, fennel and cabbage pickle, dollops of yoghurt, salmon and cauliflower, and rocket leaves with a drizzle of oil.

Protein boost: Add more salmon

Protein: 46.9g | Fibre: 7.4g

Recipe from ‘Healthy High Protein’ by Dr Rupy Aujla (Ebury Press, £26).