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Plated fish filets over rice on a serving platter garnished with fried nuts and fresh cilantro with a bowl of tomato sauce in the back.
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5 from 4 votes

Sayadieh (Middle Eastern Fried Fish with Spiced Rice)

Sayadieh is a showstopping Middle Eastern fried fish and spiced rice dish that is delicious, comforting and highly customizable. My version includes a savory tomato sauce that I think brings the whole dish together. Make it for a weeknight dinner or a special occasion.
Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Levantine, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern
Servings: 4 people
Author: Luay Ghafari
Cost: $20

Ingredients

Spiced Rice

  • 1 tbsp Olive oil
  • ½ White onion - Finely chopped
  • 1 Garlic clove - Finely minced
  • 1 tsp Ground coriander
  • ½ tsp Ground cumin
  • ½ tsp Turmeric powder
  • ⅛ tsp Saffron - Just a pinch (Optional)
  • 1 ⅓ cups Basmati rice
  • 2 cups Water
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp Fresh cilantro - Roughly chopped

Tomato Sauce

  • 1 tbsp Olive oil
  • ½ White onion - Finely chopped
  • 1 Garlic clove - Finely minced
  • ½ tsp Chili flakes - Optional
  • 1 ½ cups Crushed tomatoes
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • 2 tbsp Fresh cilantro - Roughly chopped

Fish

  • 4 Fish filets - See note
  • Paprika - Enough to dust the fish filets
  • Salt and pepper - Enough to season all sides
  • Flour for dredging
  • Vegetable oil for frying

Garnish

  • Fresh cilantro leaves, fried nuts, lemon wedges

Instructions

Prepare the Spiced Rice

  • Fry aromatics. To a small pot, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, chopped onion, minced garlic and spice mixture. Sautee on medium heat for 1-2 minutes until the onions turn translucent. If the spices start to brown, turn down the heat or add a splash of water to cool the pot down.
  • Add Rice. To the same pot, add your washed basmati rice and stir to combine everything, making sure to scrape any bits from the bottom of the pan.
  • Add water. Add the water and salt to the pot and bring to a boil. As soon as the rice comes to a boil, turn to the lowest setting and cover. Steam for 15-20 minutes.
  • Add Cilantro. When the rice is cooked, add chopped cilantro and fluff it up with a fork, making sure to incorporate the cilantro evenly. Add the cover back on and set aside until needed.

Prepare the Tomato Sauce

  • Fry aromatics. To a small pot, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, chopped onion, minced garlic and optional chili peppers. Fry on medium heat for 1-2 minutes until the onions soften.
  • Add crushed tomatoes. Carefully add your crushed tomatoes to the pot, along with ½ cup of water to loosen the sauce up. Season with a pinch of salt and fresh cracked black pepper. Cook the sauce on low heat for 10 minutes.
  • Add Cilantro. Add the fresh cilantro to the sauce, stir to combine, taste and adjust the seasoning level. Cover and set aside until needed.

Fry the Fish Filets

  • Prepare fish. Lay your fish filets on a tray and pat them dry. Season them with salt, pepper and paprika on all sides.
  • Flour. Cover each piece evenly with flour.
  • Fry. Set a frying pan or large skillet on medium-high heat and warm up ½ inch of oil. When the oil is hot, fry the fish on both sides until golden brown. Fry the fish in batches and don’t overcrowd the pan.
  • Drain. Transfer fried fish filets to a paper towel lined tray to absorb excess oil.

Serve

  • Serve your sayadieh on a large plate or on individual plates. Garnish with fresh cilantro leaves, fried almonds and pine nuts (optional). Don’t forget the lemon wedges. Lemon juice will make the fish pop! Serve the tomato sauce on the side in a small bowl.

Notes

Refer to the blog post above for step-by-step recipe photos! I highly recommend you go back up and take a look if you haven’t already.
A few important ingredient notes:
  • Fish: I recommend using fresh or frozen white fish filets such as haddock, cod, sea bass, pollock or tilapia. I would definitely avoid using salmon or trout. If you’re not a fan of fish, you can definitely use shrimp or calamari instead. Follow the same seasoning and dredging steps.
  • Rice: Basmati rice all the way! If you don’t have basmati, I would recommend you pick up a bag at your local grocery store. In a pinch, you can use jasmine rice or any other long-grain rice. Avoid using short-grain rice, it’ll be too sticky.
  • Spices: You’re going to raid your spice cabinet for this recipe! For the rice, turmeric, coriander and Cumin are a must. I like adding saffron too, but you can omit that if you don’t have it. You can also add cardamom pods or dried limes to the rice if you wish. I like seasoning the fish with paprika but feel free to change things up here. Old Bay, garlic powder, onion powder… the possibilities are endless.
  • Herbs: Coriander is what I recommend, but I know many of you are not fans. If you’re not a fan, use parsley instead.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 383kcal | Carbohydrates: 60g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 455mg | Potassium: 596mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 785IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 78mg | Iron: 3mg