SANDEEP AIL

PUNJAB GRILL ABU DHABI

Passionate about food from a young age, SandeepAil’s culinary journey began at a tender age of 11 with a quest to recreate Maggi noodles exactly as was shown on the packaging.To convert his passion into a career, Sandeep pursued his culinary studies at the Institute of Hotel Management in his hometown, Mumbai. Although trained in a wide variety of cuisines, Sandeep decided to focus his career on Indian cuisine as it was closest to his heart. Sandeep is the Executive Chef at the awardwinning restaurant, Punjab Grill in Abu Dhabi. With his extensive understanding of Indian cuisine as well as its versatility, he ensures that the menu at Punjab Grill is a perfect balance of both traditional as well as modern impressions of Indian food. Having spent over 10 years in Abu Dhabi’s Indian fine dining scene, and enjoys introducing soulful Indian food tothe uncompromising gourmet visiting Punjab Grill which won him the 2021 Chef of The Year by What’s On Abu Dhabi. An avid reader, Sandeep’s recipe book collection occupies a place of pride at his home. Apart from Indian food, the soft-spoken chef also takes great interest in discovering music from yesteryears, specifically around the Woodstock era.

DILL SALMON TIKKA

by SANDEEP AIL

INGREDIENTS

4 salmon steaks 300gms each 1 green lime, juice 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1 tsp ginger garlic paste 2 tbsp chopped fresh dill ½ tsp chopped green chilli ½ tsp green cardamom powder 1 tbsp cashew powder 4 tbsp labneh/ Greek yoghurt 2 tbsp cream cheese 2 tsp chaat masala 1 green lime, wedges 2 tbsp melted butter 2 tbsp cream Salt for seasoning

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 200C. In a bowl, mix the olive oil, salt, ginger garlic paste and lime juice. Marinate the salmon steaks in the flavoured oil, chill in refrigerator for half hour. Prepare the second marinade by whisking the labneh with salt, cream cheese, chopped dill, green chilli, cardamom powder and cashew powder. Store in the refrigerator for half hour. Remove the salmon steaks and pat dry with a paper towel. Rub the dill marinade on the salmon and let it rest for another half hour. This resting process allows the yoghurtbased marinade to stiffen and stick better to the salmon. Bake for 10 to12 minutes at 200C. The salmon is cooked at an internal temperature of 55C. Remove from oven and rest for 5 minutes. Season with a heavy dusting of chaat masala, squeeze of green lime and a lashing of cream and butter. Serve with cucumber raita or salad. Note: Salmon Tikka can be cooked in a tandoor or over a sigri with the same marinade. Recommend portioning the salmon into smaller pieces or “tikkas” for faster and even cooking.