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Kuwaiti · Gulf Arab

Mutabbaq samak

Non-vegetarian

مطبق سمك · mutabbaq samak

Spice-rubbed fish fried until golden and layered over rice cooked in a fragrant fish broth with caramelised onions and dried lime. A classic of Kuwait's seafaring kitchen, traditionally made with zubaidi (silver pomfret).

Mutabbaq samak is a Kuwaiti rice dish, ready in about 1 hour 20 minutes and made with white fish fillet and basmati rice. It serves 4 and is rated intermediate to cook.

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Prep
20 min
Cook
50 min
Rest
10 min
Total
1 h 20 min
Serves
4
Level
Intermediate
Calories
706

Ingredients

4 servings

For the rice

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Mix the turmeric (opens in a new tab), cumin (opens in a new tab), coriander, pepper (opens in a new tab) and 1 tsp salt. Rub over the fish, then dust lightly with flour.

    • 5 min

  2. Step 2

    Shallow-fry the fish in 3 tbsp of the oil until golden on both sides and just cooked. Set aside.

    Food safety: Fish is cooked when it flakes easily and reaches 63 °C.

  3. Step 3

    In a heavy pot, fry the onions (opens in a new tab) in the remaining oil until deep golden. Add the garlic (opens in a new tab), dried limes (opens in a new tab), cardamom (opens in a new tab) and cinnamon (opens in a new tab), then the stock and salt, and bring to the boil.

    Onions frying golden in a pan
    How it looks · Photo: Magda Ehlers on Pexels

  4. Step 4

    Add the drained rice and cilantro (opens in a new tab) and boil until the liquid sinks below the rice. Lay the fish on top, drizzle with saffron (opens in a new tab) water, cover tightly and steam on the lowest heat.

    • 20 min
    • low heat

  5. Step 5

    Rest for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a platter with the fish on top.

    • 2 min

About this dish

Origin
Kuwait · Commonly attributedA traditional Kuwaiti dish; also cooked in Bahrain.Also popular in BahrainMore food from Kuwait
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Rice dishes · Main courses
Cooking method
Shallow-fried, Simmered, Steamed
Taste
aromatic / warmly spiced, savoury, sour
Diet
Pescatarian · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · High-protein
All labelsPescatarian · Non-vegetarian · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · High-protein
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Cook more with
White fish fillet · Basmati rice · Turmeric · Cumin · Ground coriander · All-purpose flour
Techniques
Shallow-frying · Boiling · Simmering · Steaming

Allergens

  • Contains: Fishfrom white fish fillet, fish stock
  • May contain: Crustaceansfrom fish stock
  • Contains: Wheatfrom all-purpose flour
  • Contains: Glutenfrom all-purpose flour
  • May contain: Celeryfrom fish stock

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

706 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 524 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 22%
  • Carbohydrate 52%
  • Fat 26%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy706 kcal135 kcal
Protein37.4 g7.1 g
Carbohydrate91.1 g17.4 g
Net carbohydrate87.6 g16.7 g
Sugars2.6 g0.5 g
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre3.5 g0.7 g
Fat20.2 g3.9 g
Saturated fat2 g0.4 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol83 mg16 mg
Sodium1496 mg285 mg
Salt equivalent3.7 g0.7 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
951 mg
Calcium
91 mg
Iron
5.7 mg
Magnesium
83 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
32 µg
Vitamin C
8 mg
Vitamin D
0.8 µg
Vitamin B12
4 µg
Folate (DFE)
432 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: saffron.
  • Dried lime (loomi): Raw lemon peel used as a stand-in; dried limes are dehydrated whole limes and are used in small amounts for flavour.
  • Basmati rice: Generic long-grain white rice (FDC 168877); basmati has very similar composition.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Serve with

  • Serve with daqqus tomato sauce and lime wedges.

Food safety

  • Cool cooked rice and fish promptly; eat within 1 day.

Storage

  • Best eaten on the day; refrigerate leftovers within 1 hour.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 1, 4

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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