🐟 Fish mandi
Fish mandi is a whole fish rubbed with turmeric, cumin and cardamom, roasted until flaky and served on fluffy yellow rice that has been lightly smoked. Onion and lemon add sweetness and freshness, and the rice absorbs the spices and the fish juices. It is popular in coastal Yemen and the Gulf and is served on a shared platter.
Diets
Allergens
Contains (in a typical recipe):
What it is made of
Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 kg whole fish such as hamour or sea bream, cleaned
- 400 g basmati rice
- 1 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp cardamom
- 2 onions, sliced
- 2 lemons
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil, salt
- A piece of charcoal for smoking (optional)
Method
- Score the fish, rub it with half the spices, salt, lemon juice and 1 tbsp oil and leave for 20 minutes.
- Fry the onions in the rest of the oil, add the remaining spices, rinsed rice, salt and 700 ml water; cover and cook on low heat for 20 minutes.
- Roast the fish at 220 °C for 20–25 minutes until it flakes.
- Smoke the rice with a hot piece of charcoal in a foil cup and a few drops of oil, covered, for 5 minutes.
- Serve the fish on the rice with lemon wedges.
How to make it lighter
- Fish is lean, so the rice portion decides most of the calories — keep it to a measured scoop.
- Roast the fish rather than frying it.
- Add a big salad and lemon to make the plate more filling.
History
Fish mandi is a coastal variation of Yemeni mandi, the pit-roasted meat and rice dish from Hadramaut. It is common in seaside towns of Yemen and in restaurants around the Gulf.
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Values are estimates per 100 g for a typical recipe; home and restaurant versions vary. Diets and allergens are worked out from the ingredients of a typical recipe — always check with whoever cooked the dish. Not medical advice. Nutrition data: Me Nutrition dish database v13. How we count →