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Mutabbaq Samak

Name: Mutabbaq Samak
Total time: 90 min
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: Kuwait
Ingredients: 4 fillets White Fish Fillet; 400g (long-grain rice) Rice; 2 Onion; 3 cloves Garlic; 1 tsp Turmeric; 1 tsp Cumin powder; 1 tsp Ground Coriander; 3 Cardamom; 1 Cinnamon stick; 1 Lime; To taste Oil for frying; 2 tsp Salt; 800ml Water

Rice

⏱ 90 min

👥 Serves 4

Difficulty ⭐⭐

Spice-marinated fried fish set on spiced rice — Kuwait's signature fish dish.

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📖 The Story Behind This Dish

Mutabbaq samak is a Kuwaiti specialty: zubaidi (pomfret) or hamour (grouper) from the Gulf is marinated in spices, fried, and placed on spiced rice cooked in fish broth. As its name — 'layered fish' — suggests, the rice, fish, and fried onions are served in layers.

🌆 Where it's eaten: At a seaside restaurant in Kuwait, crisp fried fish is laid on a big platter of spiced rice and served with lime and tomato sauce.

🥕 Ingredients (serves 4)

White Fish Fillet 4 fillets
Rice 400g (long-grain rice)
Onion 2
Garlic 3 cloves
Turmeric 1 tsp
Cumin powder 1 tsp
Ground Coriander 1 tsp
Cardamom 3
Cinnamon stick 1
Lime 1
Oil for frying To taste
Salt 2 tsp
Water 800ml

👩‍🍳 Instructions

Rub the fish with turmeric, cumin, grated garlic, salt, and lime juice and let stand 30 minutes.
Fry the fish in 170°C oil until golden.
Fry the sliced onion in a pot, add the cardamom, cinnamon, coriander, salt, and water, and simmer 10 minutes.
Add the rinsed rice, cover, and cook on low for 20 minutes.
Mound the rice on a platter, top with the fried fish, and serve with lime.

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