Muhammar

Ingredients

Rice

• 500 gbasmati rice, rinsed and soaked 1 hr
• 2 tbspsalt (for the boiling water)
• 180 mldate syrup (dibs tamr)
• 60 gsugar (optional, for a darker sweetness)
• ½ tspsaffron threads steeped in 3 tbsp hot water
• 1 tspground cardamom
• 1 tbsprosewater
• 80 gghee
• 1 tspground cinnamon

Fish

• 4thick fish steaks or 2 whole safi/rabbitfish, about 800 g, scaled and scored
• 1 tspground turmeric
• 1 tbspbaharat
• 1 tspsalt
• juice of 1 lime
• 3 tbspoil, for frying

To serve

• lime wedges
• 2 tbspfried slivered almonds

Directions

1. Rub the fish with turmeric, baharat, salt and lime juice and leave to sit for 20 minutes while you deal with the rice.
2. Boil a large pot of heavily salted water, add the drained rice and cook 5–6 minutes until the grains bend but still snap at the core. Drain immediately.
3. Warm the date syrup with the sugar, cardamom, cinnamon and 60 ml water in a small pan until pourable and loose, then stir in the rosewater.
4. Melt half the ghee in a heavy pot, spread a thin layer of rice over the base, then build alternating layers of rice and spoonfuls of the date syrup, finishing with rice — do not stir, or the whole pot turns uniformly brown and heavy.
5. Trickle over the saffron water and the remaining melted ghee, poke three steam holes down to the base with a spoon handle.
6. Wrap the lid in a tea towel, clamp it on and steam on the lowest heat for 30–35 minutes. A caramelised crust will form on the bottom, which is wanted.
7. Meanwhile fry the fish in hot oil, 4–5 minutes a side, until the skin is crisp and the flesh flakes at the thickest point; or grill over charcoal, which is the Bahraini preference.
8. Turn the rice out so the streaks of dark and pale show, scatter the almonds, and serve the fish on top with lime wedges. The plate should read sweet, then savoury, then sour.

Technique

• Muhammar means ‘reddened’ — the colour comes from date syrup caramelising against the pot, not from spice.
• Layering rather than stirring is essential: you want ribbons of sweet rice against plain rice, so each mouthful varies.
• It is almost never eaten alone. The salt-and-spice fish is structurally part of the dish, as is the sour lime.

Substitutions

• No date syrup: use 150 g soft dates blitzed with 100 ml hot water and sieved, or dark molasses cut with honey — molasses alone is too bitter.
• Any firm grilling fish stands in for safi; sea bream, mullet or snapper all work.

Variations

• Muhammar bil sukkar, sweetened with sugar and saffron only, paler and more perfumed, common in Kuwait.
• Some Bahraini households serve it with fried prawns or with salted, dried fish (maleh) instead of fresh.

History

Sweet rice cooked with date syrup or sugar and served with salted fish, a Bahraini signature pairing.

Frequently asked questions

What is Muhammar?

Muhammar is a main from Bahrain: sweet date-syrup rice paired with fried or grilled fish. Sweet rice cooked with date syrup or sugar and served with salted fish, a Bahraini signature pairing.

How long does Muhammar take to make?

Muhammar takes 20 min of preparation and 50 min of cooking. The recipe makes 4 servings. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Muhammar?

Yes, within limits. No date syrup: use 150 g soft dates blitzed with 100 ml hot water and sieved, or dark molasses cut with honey — molasses alone is too bitter. Any firm grilling fish stands in for safi; sea bream, mullet or snapper all work.

What is the most important thing to get right in Muhammar?

Melt half the ghee in a heavy pot, spread a thin layer of rice over the base, then build alternating layers of rice and spoonfuls of the date syrup, finishing with rice — do not stir, or the whole pot turns uniformly brown and heavy.