Description
A delicious Middle Eastern fish and rice dish, seasoned with aromatic spices and garnished with fresh cilantro.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 tbsp Olive oil
- ½ White onion (Finely chopped)
- 1 Garlic clove (Finely minced)
- 1 tsp Ground coriander
- ½ tsp Ground cumin
- ½ tsp Turmeric powder
- ⅛ tsp Saffron (Just a pinch, Optional)
- 1 ⅓ cups Basmati rice
- 2 cups Water
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp Fresh cilantro (Roughly chopped)
- 1 tbsp Olive oil
- ½ White onion (Finely chopped)
- 1 Garlic clove (Finely minced)
- ½ tsp Chili flakes (Optional)
- 1 ½ cups Crushed tomatoes
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 2 tbsp Fresh cilantro (Roughly chopped)
- 4 Fish filets (See note)
- Paprika (Enough to dust the fish filets)
- Salt and pepper (Enough to season all sides)
- Flour for dredging
- Vegetable oil for frying
- Fresh cilantro leaves, fried nuts, lemon wedges for garnish
Instructions
- Fry aromatics. To a small pot, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, chopped onion, minced garlic and spice mixture. Sautee on medium heat for 1-2 minutes until the onions turn translucent. If the spices start to brown, turn down the heat or add a splash of water to cool the pot down.
- Add Rice. To the same pot, add your washed basmati rice and stir to combine everything, making sure to scrape any bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Add water. Add the water and salt to the pot and bring to a boil. As soon as the rice comes to a boil, turn to the lowest setting and cover. Steam for 15-20 minutes.
- Add Cilantro. When the rice is cooked, add chopped cilantro and fluff it up with a fork, making sure to incorporate the cilantro evenly. Add the cover back on and set aside until needed.
- Fry aromatics. To a small pot, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, chopped onion, minced garlic and optional chili peppers. Fry on medium heat for 1-2 minutes until the onions soften.
- Add crushed tomatoes. Carefully add your crushed tomatoes to the pot, along with ½ cup of water to loosen the sauce up. Season with a pinch of salt and fresh cracked black pepper. Cook the sauce on low heat for 10 minutes.
- Add Cilantro. Add the fresh cilantro to the sauce, stir to combine, taste and adjust the seasoning level. Cover and set aside until needed.
- Prepare fish. Lay your fish filets on a tray and pat them dry. Season them with salt, pepper and paprika on all sides.
- Flour. Cover each piece evenly with flour.
- Fry. Set a frying pan or large skillet on medium-high heat and warm up ½ inch of oil. When the oil is hot, fry the fish on both sides until golden brown. Fry the fish in batches and don’t overcrowd the pan.
- Drain. Transfer fried fish filets to a paper towel lined tray to absorb excess oil.
- Serve your sayadieh on a large plate or on individual plates. Garnish with fresh cilantro leaves, fried almonds and pine nuts (optional). Don’t forget the lemon wedges. Lemon juice will make the fish pop! Serve the tomato sauce on the side in a small bowl.
Notes
- Use your favorite type of fish for this recipe.
- The optional chili flakes can add a spicy kick to the sauce.
- Fried almonds or pine nuts make for a nice crunchy topping.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Frying, Steaming
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 plate
- Calories: 550
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 900mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 75g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 30g
- Cholesterol: 60mg