Zubaidi

Ingredients

Fish

• 2whole silver pomfret, about 600 g each, cleaned
• 2 teaspoonssalt
• juice of 1 lemon

Spice rub

• 2 teaspoonsground turmeric
• 2 teaspoonsbaharat
• 1 teaspoonground cumin
• 1 teaspoonground coriander
• 3garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 tablespoonsplain flour or rice flour

To fry

• oil, for shallow frying

Muhammar rice

• 400 gbasmati rice, soaked
• 150 gdate syrup, dibs
• 50 gsugar
• 4 tablespoonsghee
• a pinch of saffron
• 4cardamom pods
• 1 teaspoonrosewater

To serve

• daqqus, tomato and garlic sauce
• lemon wedges

Directions

1. Rinse the fish inside and out. Pat it completely dry with kitchen paper. Score the flesh diagonally three times on each side. Cut down to the bone but not through it. They also help it cook evenly.
2. Rub the fish with salt and lemon juice. Let it sit for about ten minutes. Rinse it off and pat it dry again. Making the rub takes a moment. Mix all the ground spices with the garlic.
3. Add the flour and mix it through. The flour helps it crisp in the pan. Rub the mixture into the fish on both sides. Let it stand for fifteen minutes. Making the muhammar is done alongside. Rinse and soak the rice for thirty minutes. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil.
4. Add the drained rice and the cardamom pods. Boil it for six minutes and no more. The grains should still be firm in the centre. Drain it immediately in a colander. Heat two tablespoons of ghee in a heavy pot. Stir in the date syrup and the sugar. Let it bubble gently for a minute. Add half the parboiled rice over the syrup.
5. Add the rest and mound it into a cone. Melt the remaining ghee with the saffron. Cover the pot with a cloth-wrapped lid. Set it over the lowest possible heat. Steam it for twenty-five minutes. Sprinkle the rosewater over it at the end.
6. Heat oil in a wide frying pan to a depth of one centimetre. It should be hot enough to sizzle immediately. Lay the fish in carefully, away from you. Fry it for five to six minutes on the first side. Do not move it while it fries. Turn it once with two fish slices.
7. Fry the other side for four or five minutes. The skin should be deep golden and crisp. Lift it onto kitchen paper to drain. Serving it is done on a shared platter. Pile the muhammar onto a large platter. Lay the whole fried fish over the rice. Serve daqqus and lemon wedges alongside.

Technique

• Silver pomfret is Pampus argenteus and is fished throughout the Gulf.
• Kuwait’s seasonal ban on catching it is intended to protect the stock during spawning and is publicly announced each year.

Substitutions

• Sea bream, sea bass or any firm white fish can be cooked the same way.
• Date syrup is sold in Middle Eastern shops and is essential to muhammar.

Variations

• Zubaidi is also baked whole in the oven with the same spice rub.
• A grilled version over charcoal is popular in summer.
• Some households serve it with plain rice and daqqus instead of muhammar.

History

Local pomfret commands the highest prices in Kuwait’s fish market, especially served with muhammar rice.

Frequently asked questions

What is Zubaidi?

Zubaidi is a main from Kuwait: silver pomfret, Kuwait’s most prized fish, fried or baked over rice. Local pomfret commands the highest prices in Kuwait’s fish market, especially served with muhammar rice.

How long does Zubaidi take to make?

Zubaidi takes 20 minutes of preparation and 30 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes serves 4. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Zubaidi?

Yes, within limits. Sea bream, sea bass or any firm white fish can be cooked the same way. Date syrup is sold in Middle Eastern shops and is essential to muhammar.

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

Add the drained rice and the cardamom pods. Boil it for six minutes and no more. The grains should still be firm in the centre. Drain it immediately in a colander. Heat two tablespoons of ghee in a heavy pot. Stir in the date syrup and the sugar. Let it bubble gently for a minute. Add half the parboiled rice over the syrup.