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Hamour mashwi
Hamour mashwi (هامور مشوي): Eastern Province grilled grouper with turmeric, loomi and chilli
Along the Corniche in Dammam and in the fish markets of Qatif on Saudi Arabia's Gulf coast, hamour is the fish everyone asks for, and on weekend evenings families grill it over charcoal on the beach. The thick white fillets are rubbed with turmeric, garlic, ground dried lime and red chilli, which gives a sour, smoky edge to the sweet, flaky flesh. Serve it with mashkool rice, a lemony salad and daqqus. The common mistake is turning the fish too early, before the crust has set, so it sticks and tears. Chef's tip: oil the fish, not the grill, and leave it alone until it lifts away by itself.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ lb grouper fillets, skin on4 thick pieces; or sea bass or cod
- 4 garlic clovescrushed
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 2 tsp ground dried black lime
- 1 tsp red chilli powder
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- 1 lemonjuiced
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 handful fresh coriander (optional)chopped
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Pat 1 ¾ lb grouper fillets, skin on dry and slash the skin side twice. Mix 4 garlic cloves, 1 tsp ground turmeric, 2 tsp ground dried black lime, 1 tsp red chilli powder, ½ tsp ground cumin, 1 lemon, 1 tsp salt and 1 ½ tbsp vegetable oil into a paste and rub it all over the fish.
Step 2: Leave to marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes, no longer, or the lemon starts to firm the flesh.
30 minStep 3: Heat a charcoal grill or a ridged grill pan until very hot. Brush the fish with the rest of 1 ½ tbsp vegetable oil.
Step 4: Grill skin side down without moving until the skin is crisp and releases easily, about 5 minutes.
5 minStep 5: Turn carefully and grill the other side until the flesh is opaque all the way through and flakes when pressed with a fork.
4 minStep 6: Scatter with 1 handful fresh coriander and serve straight away with rice.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 260 kcal
- Protein
- 38 g
- Carbs
- 3 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does hamour mashwi take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of garlic cloves?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
- What can I use instead of ground turmeric?
- Leave it out (it mostly adds colour).
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