Wouldn't it be fantastic if celebrity chefs cooked dinner for you every night? StarChefs offers the next best thing — Quick Meals, fast and easy recipes from the country's hottest chefs. Every week you'll receive a QuickMeals newsletter including: 5 QuickMeal recipes from a different celebrity chef, shopping list for the week, chef's "ideal" pantry list, and wine pairings.

Vikas Khanna

Vikas Khanna shares his contemporary Indian cuisine in this week's QuickMeals. Born in Amritsar, India, Khanna started his own banquets and catering company at the age of 17. Soon after, he attended the Welcomgroup Graduate School of Hotel Administration in Manipal, India, where he trained under Asian chefs Oberoi Sheraton and Leela Kempenski. Khanna eventually moved to the United States where he attended New York University, the Culinary Institute of America, and Cornell University.

Chef Khanna is currently the consultant and executive chef of several restaurants in New York, including Salaam Bombay, Purnima, and the Caf? at the Rubin Museum of Art, all of which showcase his seasonal menus based on pan-Indian ingredients. Chef Khanna's unique approach to Indian cuisine continues to earn him rave reviews from the press and culinary peers.


By Vikas Khanna

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, and thinly sliced
• 1 ½ cups cherry tomatoes, quartered
• ½ red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch slices
• 3 Tablespoons chopped red onion
• 2 Tablespoons chopped cilantro
• 2 Tablespoons lime juice
• 5 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 6 5-ounce salmon fillets
• 3 Tablespoons ground coriander
• 2 teaspoons garam masala
• Lime wedges for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS:

METHOD:

To make the chutney, in a bowl, combine the cucumber, tomatoes, pepper, onion, and cilantro. In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, 3 teaspoons oil, honey, red pepper flakes, and salt. Add to the chutney.

Season the salmon with salt and pepper, coriander, and garam masala. Heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the salmon until opaque, about 4 to 5 minutes per side. Serve with the chutney and lime wedges.

Adapted by StarChefs.com

Yield: 6 Servings

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

Round Out the Meal:
With roasted fingerling potatoes.

Kid Friendly:
Go easy on the red pepper flakes.

Wine Pairing:
A Sauvignon Blanc.

From Modern Indian Cooking by Hari Nayak and Vikas Khanna (Silverback Books)