For fish lovers, there is only one way of making fish curry, with an abundance of spices and hours of cooking. While there is another set of fish lovers who like to dig into fish and chips for the meal. While both, fried fish and spicy curry-based dishes have a peculiar taste to them, there are other delicious ways of preparing a fishy meal. Just like grilled chicken, there are several ways of grilling fish dipped into mild spices. One among them is the Egyptian Samak Singari. While Samak in the modern Arabic language is referred to as fish, Singari is the style of cooking the fish, hence Samak Singari. This style of cooking involves opening and cleaning the fish from the backbone and not from the bottom.
Fish and other seafood items are common in Egyptian coastal areas that relish them. As per historical accounts, ancient Egyptian cuisine was not just about bread and alcohol but also comprised fruits, vegetables, and fish. There are carvings that point toward cuisines dating back to the Old and New Kingdom periods. In fact, the areas of Alexandria and the coast of Egypt comprise fish and other seafood.
Samak Singari
Ingredients:
For the marinade:
1. 1 whole sea bass fish (cleaned)
2. 9 garlic cloves
3. 6 tbsp lemon juice
4. 2 tbsp oil
5. ½ tbsp white vinegar
6. Salt, to taste
7. 1½ tsp cumin
8. ½ tsp black pepper powder
9. ½ tsp ground coriander
10. ¼ tsp red chilli powder
11. 1 green chilli
12. 50 gm small bunch of coriander
For the topping:
1. 1 carrot
2. 1 onion
3. 1 tomato
4. 1 lemon
5. 1 green chilli
Method:
1. Chop the green chilli and coriander. Keep aside.
2. In a blender, add all the marinade ingredients and blend them into a chunky paste.
3. Over an oven tray, place the fish and bath it with a few tablespoons of the marinade, even the inside of the fish. Make sure to make slits on the sides and fill them with the marinade paste. Let this fish sit for 15-20 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, chop the tomato and onion into thin slices, finely grate the carrot and chop chilli into rounds.
5. In a bowl add tomatoes, onions, carrots, and chilli along with a few tablespoons of the marinade. Mix all together to combine.
6. Now add this topping onto the fish or into the slits. Make sure that the entire fish is covered in an even layer of vegetables.
7. In the preheated oven, place the tray and cook till the fish is tender. Keep checking in between to see if it is not overcooked. It should not take more than 16 minutes to cook.
This simple recipe of fish is a powerhouse of all the healthy fats, vitamins, nutrients, and minerals. With the mix of vegetables, this dish becomes all the more important to be out on the table. And on top of that, there is less to no effort required in preparing and waiting for hours to cook it. All it takes is a set of simple vegetables and a basic masala from the kitchen to whip this dish out.
