Mutabbaq Samak

Mutabbaq Samak (Kuwaiti Fish and Rice)

A beloved Kuwaiti dish of spiced fish layered over fragrant, golden rice and gently steamed with bread and broth. It is traditional fare of the Gulf, where freshly caught fish is cooked with rice in a single pot until the grains turn saffron-yellow and tender.

Prep

25 min

Cook

60 min

Total

85 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •600 g (1 lb 5 oz) firm white fish fillets (zubaydi/haamour or similar Gulf snapper/grouper), skin removed, deboned
• •30 g (¼ cup) all-purpose flour, for dredging the fish
• •60 ml (¼ cup) neutral oil, for frying fish + 2 tbsp for the rice
• •400 g (2 cups) basmati rice, long-grain, rinsed until water runs clear
• •1200 ml (5 cups) fish or light chicken stock, hot
• •2 g (1 tsp) saffron threads, bloomed in 60 ml hot water
• •4 g (2 tsp) ground turmeric
• •4 g (2 tsp) ground coriander
• •3 g (1½ tsp) ground cumin
• •3 g (1½ tsp) ground cinnamon
• •5 g (1 tsp) ground black pepper
• •8 g (1½ tsp) salt, plus more to taste
• •2 g (1 large) onion, finely chopped
• •4 g (3 cloves) garlic, minced
• •30 g (¼ cup) dried lime (loomi), poked with a fork; substitute 2 tbsp lime juice if unavailable
• •40 g (½ cup) diced tomato, fresh or canned
• •2 g (1 medium) thin flatbread or khubz, to seal the pot; any plain wheat flatbread works
• •30 g (¼ cup) fresh cilantro, chopped, for garnish

Steps

1. 1 Rinse the rice 4–5 times in cool water until it runs clear, then soak in salted water for 20 minutes. Drain well.
2. 2 Pat the fish dry and cut into 5 cm (2 in) pieces. Rub with 1 tsp salt, half the turmeric, cumin, coriander, cinnamon and black pepper.
3. 3 Heat 60 ml (¼ cup) oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Lightly dredge each fish piece in flour and fry 2–3 minutes per side until golden. The fish will finish cooking in the rice. Transfer to a plate.
4. 4 In a heavy pot or Dutch oven, heat 2 tbsp oil over medium heat. Sauté the onion 5–6 minutes until translucent, then add garlic and cook 1 minute until fragrant.
5. 5 Stir in the remaining spices (turmeric, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, black pepper), the diced tomato, and the dried lime. Cook 2 minutes until the tomato breaks down.
6. 6 Add the drained rice and stir gently for 1 minute so every grain is coated in the spice mixture.
7. 7 Pour in the hot stock and the bloomed saffron with its soaking water. Season with salt to taste (about 1½ tsp). Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low.
8. 8 Lay the flatbread over the surface of the rice to seal in steam, then cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid. Simmer for 15 minutes — do not lift the lid.
9. 9 Remove the lid and the bread. Place the fried fish pieces on top of the partially cooked rice. Drizzle a few spoonfuls of hot stock over the fish if the rice looks dry, then replace the bread and lid.
10. 10 Continue cooking on the lowest heat for a further 20–25 minutes until the rice is tender and the fish flakes easily and reaches an internal temperature of 63 °C / 145 °F on an instant-read thermometer.
11. 11 Turn off the heat. Let the pot rest, covered, for 10 minutes. Lift off the bread (it will be stiff and chewy — it is used as a lid, not eaten).
12. 12 Spoon the rice onto a wide platter, arrange the fish on top, and finish with the fresh cilantro. Serve hot with additional lime wedges and a simple tomato-cucumber salad.