This mellow and fragrant kingfish stew is a delicious dish from Oman. Kingfish steaks are first marinated in lemon juice then gently simmered with vegetables and spices typical to the local cuisine. It is a simple casserole to put together that allows you to experience some of the less known Middle Eastern flavours.
The Flavour Affair:
Kingfish + White Onions + Tomatoes + Green Pumpkin + Cardamom + Coriander + Cumin + Turmeric + Cinnamon + Chili + Lemon
While there is more to this list, the above ingredients provide for the stew’s prominent fresh character and complex flavour.
Kingfish is a type of fish with firm, fairly dense flesh and a robust taste. While it is moderately oily and gets dry easily, slow cooking allows it to retain a more tender texture. Its meatiness adds substance to the light stew, making it a refreshing yet satisfying meal.
White onions: when my friend shared this recipe with me, I got a little worried. The cooking method here involves boiling onions, and the taste of boiled onions in my head firmly associates with remarkably bad kindergarten soups. Turns out, the onions were not to blame. Gently simmered, they lose their bitterness but retain subtle sweetness without the sulphurous undertones.
Fresh tomatoes add a tart, sour notes to balance the sweet components of the stew.
Green pumpkin, cardamom and coriander are primarily responsible for the fresh feel and invigorating aromas. Highly fragrant, with floral, citrusy and minty notes, they set the overall light, vibrant tone of this dish.
Cumin and turmeric are both earthy and pungent and contribute with savory, grounding elements.
Cinnamon brings in different, warm and woody nuances of sweet, adding complexity to the flavour profile.
Lemon brings in the bright acidic component.
Lastly, a rare Middle Eastern dish does not contain a fair amount of heat. Here, the original recipe contains a green chili, red chili powder and black peppercorns. I decided to give red chili powder a miss and half the green chilis for a more tolerable heat level.
Preparation tips for Kingfish Stew with Green Pumpkin and Fragrant Spices:
- Brush the steaks with a little flour and marinate in lemon juice for half an hour, the rinse the flour off. This simple trick helps get rid of the fishy smell.
- Cook the white onions in water over low-medium heat for 15-20 minutes so that they slightly caramelize. Add garlic to the pan with onions to deepen their sweet warm flavour.
- Use a hand blender to blitz the mixture of onions, garlic and tomatoes to smooth and give the sauce a uniform, luscious texture.
- Pop a few potatoes into the stew – starchy potatoes add substance and create a more comforting feel. They take the longest to cook, so add them first and allow 5-10 minutes before the pumpkin goes in.
- If you own a spice grinder, take two minutes to grind the whole spices and enjoy their freshly released flavours.
Serving suggestions:
This casserole already has everything to satisfy your appetite! However, if you feel like a more substantial meal, you can serve it alongside Rice with Dill and Cardamom.
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Kingfish Stew with Green Pumpkin and Potatoes
Ingredients
- 4 kingfish steaks
- 3 medium white onions sliced
- 10 garlic cloves bruised
- 4 medium tomatoes peeled and chopped
- 1/2 green pumpkin
- 3 medium potatoes
- 1 green chili
- 1 tsp salt
- Handful fresh coriander leaves
- Fresh lemon juice
For the spice mix:
- 1 tsp each coriander and cumin seeds
- 1/2 tsp each black peppercorns green cardamom seeds, red chili powder and ground turmeric
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Grind the whole spices to a fine powder (see notes)
- Cut green pumpkin and potatoes into semi-circles approximately 7mm wide.
- Brush the fish steaks with a little flour, season with lemon juice and leave to marinate for 30 minutes, then wash the flour off (this will help get rid of the fishy smell).
- Add onions and garlic to a large non-stick skillet or casserole, pour in water to just cover and boil over medium heat for 15-20 minutes until soft.
- Add the chopped tomatoes and the spice mix and continue simmering for 10 minutes, adding water if necessary.
- Smash or blitz the mixture to smooth using a hand blender.
- Add the salt, green chili and potatoes and cook for 5 minutes.
- Add green pumpkin and arrange the fish steaks on top.
- Pour in a little more water if needed, cover and continue to cook until the fish and vegetables are done, for about 20 minutes (depending on the size of the pieces). Taste and adjust for salt.
- Serve garnished with fresh coriander leaves and lots of lemon juice.
Notes
- You can substitute whole spices with equal quantities with ground store-bought spice.
- The stew can be refrigerated for two days.
