Persian style marinated fish with cacik
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
10 mins
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Cook Time
20 mins
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Total Time
30 mins
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Servings
2
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Calories
425 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Persian
Persian style marinated fish with cacik
Description
In this recipe, a yogurt marinade enriched with warming spices and fresh herbs coats the fish, helping to tenderize and infuse it during a 30–45-minute marinating period. Baking at 400°F cooks the fish gently, preserving moisture without dryness. The accompanying basmati rice is cooked with fresh parsley and dill, then finished with butter for richness and herbaceous notes.
The cacik sauce combines finely grated and drained cucumber with Greek yogurt, dill, and garlic granules to produce a cool, creamy side that contrasts the spiced fish. This dish is an elegant but approachable way to enjoy Persian flavors, offering freshness from herbs and layers of spice balanced by creamy yogurt elements.
For a more complex herb rice, you can opt for sabzi polow style with additional cilantro and herbs if time allows. The marinade recipe is adapted from a well-regarded Persian cookbook, ensuring authenticity in flavor.
Ingredients
For fish:
- 1 tablespoon Greek yogurt
- ¼ teaspoon Turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon ground coriander
- ¼ teaspoon cumin ground
- 1 teaspoon garlic grated/crushed
- 1 teaspoon ginger grated
- 1 teaspoon dill (chopped fresh)
- ½ lime zest (ie from ½ lime)
- 2 teaspoon lime juice
- 1 lb halibut or other firm white fish
For rice:
- ½ cup basmati rice
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon parsley (chopped fresh)
- 1 tablespoon dill (chopped fresh)
- 1 teaspoon butter approx
For cacik sauce:
- 2 tablespoon cucumber finely grated (2tbsp is approx 2in/5cm piece)
- 3 tablespoon Greek yogurt
- ½ teaspoon dill (chopped fresh)
- 1 pinch garlic granules
Instructions
For fish
- Mix together the yogurt, turmeric, coriander, cumin, garlic, ginger, dill, lime zest and juice in a small bowl. Line a baking dish with foil large enough the fish to lay flat. Rub the yogurt mixture over all sides of the fish then leave to marinade approx 30-45 minutes (no more than an hour).
- Preheat oven to 400F. While oven is warming, bring fish to room temperature. Bake the fish for approx 20 minutes until cooked through, but do check as it will depend on the thickness of the fish and you don’t want it overdone. It should be transparent and with a little juice coming out but not dry.
For rice
- While fish is cooking, put rice and water in a pan and bring to a boil. Once cooked, stir through the parsley and dill. Dot the butter on top and cover the pan again. Leave to sit a couple minutes to melt then stir through.
For cacik sauce
- While rice is resting, grate the cucumber and squeeze out the excess water. Mix it with the yogurt, dill and garlic and stir well.
- Serve the fish with the herbed rice and cacik sauce on the side.
Notes
- For the rice, consider making herb rice from sabzi polow mahi for added complexity.
- Additional fresh herbs like cilantro can be added to the rice to enhance flavor according to taste.
- Marinate the fish for no longer than 1 hour to avoid overpowering the delicate fish texture.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 2Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 425 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 425kcal | 21% |
| Carbohydrates | 41g | 14% |
| Protein | 48g | 96% |
| Fat | 5g | 8% |
| Saturated Fat | 2g | 10% |
| Cholesterol | 118mg | 39% |
| Sodium | 195mg | 8% |
| Potassium | 1091mg | 23% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 1g | 2% |
| Vitamin A | 375IU | 8% |
| Vitamin C | 10.2mg | 11% |
| Calcium | 67mg | 7% |
| Iron | 1.2mg | 7% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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