White fish stew is a healthier variation of meat stew and very tasty when treated Persian-style!

There are all kinds of delicious Middle East recipes to choose from on Green Prophet, but not so many from the Persian kitchen. Guest blogger Dave Bishop sent this in and we just had to share. A true Iranian delicacy, this stew livens up white fish with spinach, fenugreek, limes, and turmeric. Although it is possible to use a variety of white fish (preferably farmed or caught sustainably) Persian recipes typically call for sturgeon. It is also usually served with delicious, fluffy white rice, but wholegrain can be used as a substitute.

Persian Fish Stew – Gormh Sabzi Ba Mahi

Ingredients

4 tablespoons of red kidney beans
About 60 grams of butter(you can use a light butter alternative)
4 tablespoons of fresh parsley
2 leeks thinly sliced and thoroughly washed to remove any dirt residue
2 fresh limes (or 4 dried limes) cut in half
500g spinach thoroughly washed and chopped quite fine
3 sticks of celery thinly sliced
350ml of fresh fish stock is best, but bought ready stock is also ok
950g of fresh white fish – usually sturgeon or haddock – chopped
1 tablespoon of fresh fenugreek
2 teaspoons of turmeric
½ teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons of salt
2 cups of rice.

Place the kidney beans in a good size pan, cover with lighty salted water and bring to the boil.

Simmer for one hour.

Melt the butter in a large saucepan, add the parsley, leeks, spinach, celery, and fenugreek, and sauté for a few minutes. Stir continuously.

Add the stock, stir well, cover and cook over a low heat for about 15 minutes.

Add the rice to a pan with 2/3 water and leave to boil at a medium heat with the pan lid on.

Add the limes and fish into the vegetable pan and continue cooking for around 30 minutes on a good heat until the fish skin is flaky.

Switch the rice off and leave with lid on to steam for 10 minutes or until the rice is ready.

When tender, drain the kidney beans and add to the stew. Add pepper, and more salt if needed.

Cook for a few more minutes and serve with the rice. Garnish with a little bit of parsley and your delicious Persian meal is complete. Enjoy!

More recipes from Green Prophet:

Eat The Whole Animal: Lamb’s Testicles

RECIPE: Potato Salad with Fresh Fava Beans

RECIPE: Artichoke Dip

image via Miriam Kresh

Author: Tafline Laylin

As a tour leader who led “eco-friendly” camping trips throughout North America, Tafline soon realized that she was instead leaving behind a trail of gas fumes, plastic bottles and Pringles. In fact, wherever she traveled – whether it was Viet Nam or South Africa or England – it became clear how inefficiently the mandate to re-think our consumer culture is reaching the general public. Born in Iran, raised in South Africa and the United States, she currently splits her time between Africa and the Middle East. Tafline can be reached at tafline (at) greenprophet (dot) com.

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