Hamour Mahshi (Arabian-Style Stuffed Fish)

Hamour is a type of grouper that is commonly found in the waters of the Persian Gulf and is the fish of choice in a lot of gulf recipes.Unfortunately, it is only available in the Gulf countries and is quite expensive because of its future danger of extinction Banned Fish Traps Threaten Hamour. Here's a common recipe that is popular throughout the GCC countries,if you cannot find hamour you can replace it with sea bass or cod.

Yield:2-3 Servings

Ingredients:

1 hamour, cleaned and scaled

3 Tbsp. olive oil

1 plus 1/2 tsp. turmeric

sea salt, to taste

3 garlic cloves,crushed

1/8 tsp. ginger,ground

1 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. black pepper

sea salt, to taste

1 3/4 oz. almonds, sliced

3/4oz. pine nuts (optional)

3/4 oz. walnuts,roughly chopped

3 Tbsp. cilantro, roughly chopped

1/2 small yellow onion, sliced

1.Preheat oven to 350F.

2.Oil an oven-proof baking dish with the olive oil and place fish in it. Rub 1 tsp. of the turmeric allover hamour and sprinkle it with salt and set aside.

3. In a small bowl, blend together the crushed garlic, ground ginger,cumin, and remaining turmeric,black pepper, and sea salt until it becomes a paste.

4. Add the almonds, pine nuts (if using),walnuts and cilantro and combine together until well blended.

5. Stuff the hamour with the nut stuffing and place some on top.Place the half the sliced onions inside the fish and the other half on top.Bake for 45-55 minutes.Serve with yellow or white rice.

Siliq bi Tahina (Swiss Chard with Tahina)

I was told this recipe is from the UAE.I don't know if this is true, if anyone knows , please let me know.This swiss chard dish is good paired with either chicken or fish.

Servings:4

Ingredients:

2 1/2 lbs. swiss chard, stems removed, cut into med. sized pieces

4c water

salt

2 large garlic cloves, mashed

2 oz. tahini

1 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil

2 oz. lemon juice

1/4 c fresh mint, chopped

1.Rinse the swiss chard under cold water and add them to salted water pot and cook until tender, maybe 20 minutes.

2.In the meantime, in a small bowl add the garlic, tahina, olive oil, and lemon juice and combine.It should have a salad dressing-like consistency.If not, add a little bit of water to thin it out.

3.Once swiss chard is cooked,remove from water and drain and put in a serving bow.Add the tahina dressing and mix thoroughly.Garnish with the fresh mint and serve immediately.

Mahmous Rubyan (Shrimp with Garlic and Cilantro)

This dish is popular all over the Arab Gulf States.It is usually served with rice and Arab flatbread.It is the perfect dish for when you are in a rush because it takes about 30 minutes to put together and prepare.

4 Servings

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp. olive oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

5 garlic cloves, mashed

1/2 tsp. ground cardamom

1 tsp.Baharat spice

handful fresh cilantro, chopped

1/2 Tbsp.salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1 1/2 lbs. large shrimp, peeled & deveined

basmati rice, to serve

Arab flatbread, to serve

1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.Add the onions and stir for about 5 minutes.Add the garlic, cardamom,Baharat,cilantro, salt, and pepper.Keep stirring for another 8 minutes.


2. Add shrimp and continue stirring untill all the shrimp turn pink, 8-10 minutes.Remove from heat.


3. Serve with basmati rice and Arab flatbread.

Baharat ( Arab Gulf Spice Blend)

Baharat is a popular spice mixture used in Arab Gulf cooking. It varies from region to region but with the addition with 1-2 spices. For example, the kuwaiti mixture includes ground ginger and cayenne pepper while the Saudi version includes loumi (dried limes). Baharat is used in rice, soups, poultry, fish, and meat dishes to give them that distinctive character.Like most middle-eastern spice mixtures, Baharat does not require any hard to find ingredients as most of them you most likely have on hand in your spice cupboard.Belw is a recipe from the United Arab Emirates UAE.



Yeild: 1 1/2 c

Ingredients:

4 Tbsp. ground black pepper

2 Tbsp. coriander seeds

2 Tbsp. ground cinnamon

2 Tbsp. ground cloves

3 Tbsp.ground cumin

1 tsp. cardamon

4 tsp. ground nutmeg

4 tsp. paprika

1. Combine thoroughly all ingredients in a bowl and store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.



2. Will keep for 6 months.