My Bahrain, Your Bahrain - Eats and Treats by Tania Rebello
TDT | Manama
The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com
It was not too long ago when I visited a local fish market and browsed through the catch of the day wondering what to select for lunch.
I was interrogating the fisherman about the freshness of the fish that was available and as we were conversing, an elderly Bahraini gentleman walked to my side and said ‘’Choose the sheri fish, apply masala and fry it’’.
As an Indian who lived in Saudi Arabia for a couple of decades, I have never heard the word ‘masala’ from a Saudi national.
I turned to him and smiled feeling a sense of warmth in my heart as he had used a word that I could relate to.
I know that if I had continued a conversation with him, I would have found out that he knows Hindi too.
As I went on to make my purchase, I remembered the time when I visited a restaurant in Budaiya and ordered grilled sheri.
The fish was deboned and butterflied, marinated with a spice paste (masala) that contained red chilli, cumin, coriander, lemon juice and oil, which are typical ingredients of an Indian marinade.
Of course, it was delicious! Influenced by the culture of various countries, the Bahraini cuisine appeals to most palates.
Being an important seaport and trading junction since ancient times, various ingredients from numerous countries were imported into the country through the Bahraini seaport.
An interesting fact is that the families of many traders that conducted imports and exports with Bahrain over a hundred years ago still reside here and operate their growing businesses.
Even today, Bahrain does not hesitate to import food products from other nations to ensure that residents are at ease and feel at home. As we celebrate this beautiful country that has
Shrimp M achboos
For the Rice
• 2 cups (400g) basmati rice
• For the Shrimps:
• 1 kg large shrimp or prawns
• 1 tsp garam masala
• ¼ tsp turmeric
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
• 2 Tbsp olive oil, separated – 1 Tbsp for marinade, 1 Tbsp for cooking
• Salt and black pepper
For the Broth
• 1 onion, cut into four wedges
• 1 lemon, halved
• 1 head garlic, cut in half widthways
• 3 ½ cups (800ml) chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 tsp salt
For cooking the Rice:
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 green pepper, deseeded and cut into ½ inch pieces
• 6-8 cardamom pods, roughly crushed in a mortar
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 4 cloves garlic, crushes
• ¾ inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and very finely minced
• 1 green chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp turmeric
• 1 pinch ground cloves
• 3 tomatoes, coarsely grated and skins discarded
• ½ cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
• Salt and pepper
• 1 ½ Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into cubes
For the Onions:
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp butter
To mix in with the Shrimp at the end
1½ Tbsp fresh dill leaves, roughly chopped 2 Tbsp fresh cilantro, roughly chopped ¼ tsp chilli flakes
1. Soak rice in cold water for 2 hours
2. Tip the soaked rice into a sieve and leave to drain.
3. Peel and de-vein the prawns, saving the shells. In a bowl. Mix the peeled prawns with the garam masala, turmeric, garlic, a tablespoon of olive oil, ½ teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper, then refrigerate.
4. Put the onion wedges in a large saucepan. Add the prawn shells, lemon halves, head of garlic, stock, one cinnamon stick and a teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil on a medium-high heat, then lower the heat to medium-low, cover the pot and simmer for 25 minutes. Strain through a sieve set over a saucepan; discard the solids.
5. Measure out 2 ¾ cups (650ml) of the liquid and keep warm (reserve any excess prawn stock for another dish).
6. On a medium-high flame, heat two tablespoons of oil in a large saucepan.
Add the chopped onion, green pepper, cardamom and one cinnamon stick, and cook, stirring occasionally, for about eight minutes, until the onion is soft and lightly browned.
Add the four cloves crushed garlic, ginger and green chilli, and cook for a minute more, until fragrant.
Add the spices, tomatoes, cilantro and two tablespoons of the prawn stock, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture has thickened – about seven minutes.
7. Stir in the rice, to coat, then add the remaining prawn stock, one and three-quarter teaspoons of salt and a grind of pepper, stir again to mix.
Bring to a boil, cover tightly first with foil and then with the lid, turn down the heat to low and cook for 15 minutes.
Turn off the heat, keeping the lid on, and leave to rest for 15 minutes.
8. Uncover the rice pot, dot with butter, cover again, and leave to sit for 10 minutes more, until the butter has melted through the fluffy rice.
9. Meanwhile, heat a tablespoon of oil and a tablespoon butter in a large sauté pan on a medium-high flame.
Add the sliced onion and cook, stirring often, until soft and deeply browned – about 12 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
10. Return the pan to high heat and add the remaining tablespoon of oil.
In batches, if needed, add the marinated prawns and cook until browned and cooked through – about three minutes.
Transfer the prawns to a bowl and mix through the dill, chilli, lemon juice and chopped cilantro.
11. Spread the rice on a large platter, top with the browned onions and then the prawns.
The Bahraini kebab
The Bahraini kebab is an interesting snack. Unlike the name suggests, this ‘kebab’ is 100% vegetarian.
Flavours are derived from the use of spices along with chickpea flour and formed into ‘kebabs’ and fried.
This snack is quite popular during Ramadan but can be eaten at any time of the year.
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup kebab flour/gram flour
¼ cup chopped spring onion
¼ cup chopped red onions
¼ cup chopped tomoto
¼ tsp baking powder
1 pinch garam masala
1 green chilli, chopped
1 tsp chopped garlic
Water ½ cup
Salt to taste
Oil for frying
INSTRUCTIONS:
Add chickpea flour,baking powder,salt,chilli powder and garam masala into a medium mixing bowl.
Pour in the water, whisking all the ingredients together until the batter is smooth.
Add in the tomato, onion, spring Onion, chilli and garlic, mix all the ingredients together and leave the batter (covered) to rest in the fridge for about 25 to 30 minutes.
Heat oil in frying pan and once heated, place tablespoons of batter carefully into the hot oil and fry until deep golden, flipping the kebab over, cooking the other side.
Transfer onto a plate covered with some paper kitchen towel to absorb any excess oil.
Serve warm with cold yoghurt.
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