Go Back
Print Recipe

Mutabbaq Samak Zubaidi (Silver Pomfret Fish Rice)

1 hour

Ingredients

  • 2 cups basmati rice washed and soaked in cold water for 30 minutes.
  • 1 lb onion
  • 1 cup almonds
  • 1 cup raisins
  • 2 to 3 tbsp noomi basra ground dried limes
  • Green onion red radish, and basil for garnish
  • 1 cup vermicelli broken noodles
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 tsp saffron or turmeric for the rice
  • 3 whole Zubaidi fish silver pomfret fish
  • 1 to 2 freshly squeezed lemons
  • 1 tbsp curry
  • 1 tbsp turmeric
  • Salt to taste

Instructions

Prepare the fish:

  • 1. Clean the fish and lay out on a sheet pan.
  • 2. Combine the lemon juice, curry, turmeric, and salt. Spoon over the fish and marinate for half an hour.
  • 3. Bake the fish in a 350-degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes

Prepare the rice:

  • 1. Boil the almonds until done, remove the skin and roast in a skillet until golden brown. (Alternatively, you can use pre-roasted almonds)
  • 2. Wash the raisins and fry
  • 3. Thinly slice the onion and fry until golden.
  • 4. In a large bowl, combine the fried onions, almonds, raisins and noomi. Set aside.
  • 5. In a large pot add 2 tbsp vegetable oil, fry the broken noodles until brown. Add soaked rice, saffron and turmeric. Mix well. Add 3 cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until rice is fully cooked. Add the onion mixture, combine well.
  • 6. Spoon the rice onto a serving platter. Top with the baked fish and garnish with basil, radish, green onions, if desired.
  • Serves 5 to 6.
  • Taghreed takes special care in preparing this traditional fish dish and uses lemon colonia and incense in the kitchen to counter the smell of cooking fish.“We always serve fish with yellow rice because fish comes with lots of bones some of them are tiny like thorns. So yellow rice will make it easier to see the bones rather than white rice," she says. "To eat delicious fish, I should make it right. I believe something to do with the taste, but a lot of it is in the heart.”