Persian Cod With Herbs and Tamarind
- Total Time
- 1½ hours
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- ¾cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
- 1quart chopped parsley leaves and tender stems (from 2 to 3 bunches)
- 1quart chopped cilantro leaves and tender stems (from 2 to 3 bunches)
- 1½cups chopped scallions (the whites and greens)
- 1cup chopped fresh fenugreek leaves or mint leaves
- ⅓cup dried fenugreek or mint
- 1teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1medium onion, finely diced
- 5large garlic cloves, chopped
- 2tablespoons ground turmeric
- 2teaspoons red-pepper flakes, or to taste
- ¼ to ⅓cup tamarind paste, to taste (see note)
- 3tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2½teaspoons kosher salt, plus more as needed
- Sugar, as needed
- 6thick fillets of cod (6 to 8 ounces each), or other meaty white fish such as halibut or striped bass, patted dry
- Cooked basmati rice, for serving
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
557 calories; 32 grams fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 21 grams monounsaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 35 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams dietary fiber; 9 grams sugars; 35 grams protein; 847 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
In a 12-inch skillet (choose one with a lid), heat 3 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Stir in parsley, cilantro, scallions and fresh fenugreek or mint and cook until they start to stick to the bottom, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in dry fenugreek or mint, and black pepper, and sauté 1 to 2 more minutes, until starting to brown. Turn off heat and cover pan so that the steam releases any darker pieces that may have stuck to the bottom, about 5 minutes.
- Step 2
While herbs cook, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until dark golden brown, about 7 minutes. Stir in garlic and sauté for 2 minutes longer, then stir in turmeric and drizzle with a little more oil (this prevents the turmeric from burning); cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add red-pepper flakes and stir well. Stir in 2½ cups water and bring to a simmer, scraping up browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Simmer for 1 minute. Pour onion mixture into skillet with herb mixture.
- Step 3
Return the heat under the skillet of herbs to medium and stir in tamarind paste, lemon juice and 2½ teaspoons salt. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding sugar, more tamarind or both if necessary. You are looking for a balance of sweet and tart.
- Step 4
Drizzle herbs with 6 tablespoons oil, bring to a simmer, cover and continue to simmer very gently over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the oil separates and floats on top, about 1 hour. Taste again and adjust seasoning using more salt, sugar, tamarind or a combination.
- Step 5
Wipe out the 10-inch skillet and heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat until almost smoking. Season fish with salt and pepper to taste, then place skin-side down (if there’s skin) and cook until browned and crispy, 4 to 5 minutes. Do this in batches if necessary.
- Step 6
Use a spatula to transfer fish to the herb sauce, nestling it in so the crisp, browned side is facing up. Continue to simmer sauce and fish together until fish is flaky and cooked through, another 4 to 5 minutes.
- Step 7
Transfer the fish and sauce to serving plates, drizzle everything generously with oil, and serve with basmati rice on the side.
- Different brands of tamarind paste have different levels of sweetness and acidity, so you’ll need to adjust the flavors as you go; taste often and feel free to add a bit more tamarind or sugar to balance things out.
Private Notes
Comments
Yet another recipe that includes absurd directions for caramelizing onions. Seven minutes is not nearly enough time. Twenty minutes might do it, although it could take longer.
Ghalieh mahi is a dish from the south of Iran on the Persian Gulf. Many Persians have never heard of it, much less eaten it. It's one of our favorite dishes to prepare for guests because it is so unique. Fenugreek is a must! Fresh fenugreek is probably not available everywhere, but don't worry, dried fenugreek is preferable. We often use salmon as it is so readily available where we live.
It's one of my pet peeves, too. But there's a shortcut: Zap the sliced onions in the microwave for a minute or so before putting them in the pan. That shortens the cooking time considerately.
Fenugreek leaves are sold fresh in many Indian and Asian Grocery’s and often are labeled as Methi Leaves.
This is yummy, but I messed up and used tamarind concentrate instead of tamarind paste - I thought they were the same thing, they aren’t. I ended up having to add a lot of sugar - still yummy. Don’t make the same mistake I did - I think 1 part concentrate 2 parts water equals tamarind paste.
This has become a go-to recipe for week night happiness. We like it with coconut brown basmati rice and a veg du jour. Works great with frozen/thawed/cooked fish like cod and halibut (we live far from the ocean). Dried fenugreek is easily available online.
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