Main Dishes/ Rice

Fish Pilao

This is a recipe from my mum’s friend who taught us Arabian, Pakistani and Kenyan dishes, you could never visit her and not be fed a whole meal!

Fish Pilao

Print Recipe
Cuisine: Arabian Serves: 6 Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

    Stage 1

  • 1lb (50g) white fish fillets
  • 1tsp salt
  • qtr tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp red chillies
  • 1 tsp lime/lemon juice

    • Stage 2

  • half cup oil
  • whole masalas – 1 tsp peppercorns, 1 stick cinnamon, 4 cloves, 1 tbs whole cumin, 1 tbs whole dry coriander
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 2 tbs tom puree
  • 1 tsp red chillie powder
  • 1 tbs crushed garlic
  • 3½ cups water
  • 1 tsp garam masala (optional)
  • 4 tbs fresh sliced green coriander (optional)

Instructions

1

Rinse 2 mugs of rice and soak in cold water for 2 hours or more.

Stage 1

2

Wash and pat dry the fish pieces.

3

Apply all ingredients and marinate for 2 hours.

4

Grill or shallow fry and remove into a flat dish without piling up.

Stage 2

5

Switch on oven GM3-4/160C

6

Put half cup oil into in a large pan, add the sliced onion, and fry until dark brown, then add the whole masalas, measured water, salt, tomato puree, red chillies, garlic and bring to the boil.

7

Drain the rice in a colander, discard water add rice to the pan, return to the boil, cook uncovered on medium heat until mixture reduces and most of the water is absorbed. Switch off.

8

Gently arrange the cooked fish on top of the rice, cover tightly with aluminium foil and a tight lid and place in the oven on a low heat for 15 mins, or cook on lowest setting on stove top for 10mins (dhum).

9

Carefully use a fish slice to disturb the rice and fish and remove generous helpings onto a serving platter.

10

Garnish with garam masala and fresh coriander if using, take to the table steaming hot.

11

Serve with a cooling cucumber raita, bundi raita or plain low fat yoghurt.

Meal: Main Dishes Rice
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