🐟 Masgouf

Name: Masgouf
Total time: 75 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Iraq · Baghdad
Ingredients: 1 whole carp, about 1.5 kg, butterflied and cleaned; 2 tbsp tamarind paste; 1 tsp ground turmeric; 1½ tsp salt; 2 tbsp vegetable oil; 2 onions, sliced; 3 tomatoes, sliced; 1 lemon, in wedges

Origin: Iraq · Baghdad

560kcal

per serving · 350 g

160kcal

per 100 g

63 gProtein18 g / 100 g

32 gFat9 g / 100 g

7 gCarbs2 g / 100 g

Masgouf is Iraq's national fish dish: a whole carp split open along the back, seasoned with salt, tamarind and turmeric, and grilled slowly beside an open wood fire. The flesh turns flaky and smoky with a gentle sour edge. It is served with sliced onion, tomato and lemon, usually shared straight from the platter.

Diets

✓

No pork

✓

Gluten-freeno wheat, barley or rye in a typical recipe

✓

Dairy-freeno milk, cheese, butter or yogurt in a typical recipe

✓

Keto-friendly2 g carbs per 100 g

✓

High protein18 g protein per 100 g — 45% of the calories

Not vegetarianbecause of: carp

Not veganbecause of: carp

Allergens

Contains (in a typical recipe):

⚠ Fish

What it is made of

carpsalttamarindturmericoniontomato

Recipe

4 servings75 min

Ingredients

1 whole carp, about 1.5 kg, butterflied and cleaned
2 tbsp tamarind paste
1 tsp ground turmeric
1½ tsp salt
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 onions, sliced
3 tomatoes, sliced
1 lemon, in wedges

Method

Rinse the carp, pat dry and open it flat along the backbone.
Mix tamarind, turmeric, salt and oil; rub over the flesh side.
Grill skin side out beside a hot wood fire or under a high oven grill for 40–50 minutes until the flesh flakes.
Briefly place over the coals skin side down to crisp the skin.
Top with onion and tomato for the last 5 minutes and serve with lemon.

How to make it lighter

Fish is the bulk of the plate; pair it with salad and extra vegetables to keep the meal light.
Brush on just 1 tbsp oil (≈ 120 kcal) instead of basting repeatedly.
A 200–250 g portion of flesh is a satisfying, high-protein serving.

History

Masgouf is strongly associated with the banks of the Tigris in Baghdad, where riverside restaurants on Abu Nuwas Street grilled freshly caught carp for generations. Its roots are usually traced to the long tradition of river fishing in Mesopotamia, though no exact origin is documented.

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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 →