Ginger-Turmeric Salmon Rice Bowl with Lime & Chili

Ingredients

• 3 (6 oz each) fillets Salmon fillets, skin-on or skinless, your preference
• 1½ cups Jasmine rice, rinsed well
• 2 cups Water
• 1½ inch piece Fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
• 1½ tsp Ground turmeric
• 2 tbsp Coconut aminos
• 1 lime Lime
• 4 tbsp Rice vinegar
• 1½ tbsp Honey
• 2 tbsp Neutral oil
• 2 small chilies Fresh red chili, thinly sliced, divided
• 2 cloves Garlic, finely grated or minced
• 1 tsp Fish sauce
• 1 tsp Fine sea salt
• 1 medium Cucumber, thinly sliced into rounds or half-moons
• 2 cups Purple cabbage, finely shredded
• 2 medium Carrots, julienned or coarsely grated
• 2 ripe avocados Avocado, halved, pitted, and sliced
• a large handful Fresh cilantro, roughly torn
• ½ tsp Sugar

Instructions

1. Rinse 1½ cups (300 g) jasmine rice in cold water until the water runs mostly clear, then add to your rice cooker with 2 cups (480 ml) water. Start the rice cooker and let it do its thing. The rice will be ready in about 25 minutes and will hold warm while you prep everything else.
2. Make the marinade and lime-chili sauce, they share most of the same ingredients, so knock both out now. In a small bowl, grate a 1½-inch piece of fresh ginger on a microplane and 2 cloves garlic into a paste. Add 1½ tsp ground turmeric, 2 tbsp (30 ml) coconut aminos, 1½ tbsp (30 g) honey, 2 tbsp (30 ml) neutral oil, the zest of 1 lime, and the juice of that same lime. Now add 3 tbsp (45 ml) rice vinegar to make up the acidity from the two limes you don't have, taste as you go and add the full amount if you like a bright, punchy bowl. Stir everything together, then split the mixture roughly in half. One half goes into a medium bowl for the salmon marinade. To the other half, stir in 1 tsp (5 ml) fish sauce and half of your sliced red chilies. This becomes the drizzle sauce. Set the sauce aside.
3. Pat 3 salmon fillets (170 g each) dry with paper towel, this helps the marinade cling and the outside caramelize. Season lightly with ½ tsp fine sea salt, then place in the marinade bowl and turn to coat. Leave them for 10 minutes while you prep the vegetables.
4. While the salmon marinates, shred 2 cups (180 g) purple cabbage finely. In the medium bowl, toss the shredded cabbage with 1 tbsp (15 ml) rice vinegar, ½ tsp sugar, and a small pinch of salt. Scrunch it lightly with your hands and set aside. It will soften slightly as it sits, which is exactly what you want.
5. Julienne or coarsely grate 2 medium carrots and slice 1 medium cucumber into thin rounds or half-moons. Keep these separate for plating.
6. Preheat your air fryer to 400°F (200°C) for 3 minutes. Line the basket with a small piece of foil or use a light brush of oil so the salmon doesn't stick.
7. Lift the 3 salmon fillets out of the marinade, letting excess drip off. Place them in the air fryer basket, leaving a small gap between each. Cook at 400°F (200°C) for 10 to 12 minutes. The fillets are ready when the top is slightly sticky and deeply golden, and a thin knife inserted into the thickest part meets just a little resistance. Don't stress if one is slightly thicker; just give it an extra 90 seconds.
8. While the salmon is cooking, halve, pit, and slice 2 ripe avocados. A small splash of the drizzle sauce or a drop of the remaining rice vinegar over the slices will keep them bright.
9. Fluff the cooked rice with a fork and season with the remaining ½ tsp fine sea salt. Divide it between three wide bowls, using about two-thirds of the bowl for rice and leaving room for the toppings.
10. Arrange toppings around the rice in sections: a neat pile of pickled cabbage, fanned cucumber slices, a tangle of julienned carrots, and the sliced avocado. Lay one salmon fillet over the rice in each bowl. Spoon the lime-chili drizzle sauce generously over the salmon and let it run onto the rice. Scatter fresh cilantro and the remaining sliced red chili on top.