Ghaliyeh Mahi - Persian Spicy Fish, Herb and Tamarind Stew
Ghaliyeh Mahi is a southern Iranian dish. The pleasant sourness of tamarind combined with the heat of cayenne pepper and the distinct flavour of coriander and fenugreek make this dish a must-try experience for your taste buds!
Ghaliyeh Mahi is the version of this dish that is prepared with fish but there is also a Ghaliyeh Meygoo, made with prawns and other tasty variations.
Naturally, fish that is local to southern Iran is ideal for this mouthwatering dish. Some examples are Hamoor, Shir, Zobeydi and Sangsar. They can be difficult to get your hands on elsewhere in the world, so I recommend any kind of fish that remains firm when cooked. I used Basa but you could also use King Mackerel, Tilapia, Snapper, Barramundi or Halibut. The fish mustn’t fall apart in the stew, so anything that would work for a fish curry would work here too.
The south of Iran is the only region where you can find spicy dishes, so if that’s your thing, Ghaliyeh Mahi is for you! If you prefer your stews on the milder side it’s still for you. Even if you go easy on the cayenne pepper, this dish is still packed full of multifaceted flavour.
Serve this exciting stew with aromatic Persian saffron rice.
You can download this recipe as a printable PDF for a small fee here.
Cook the most popular Persian dishes at home with the help of my e-book.
Time
Drying time (for the fresh coriander): 2 h
Prep: 20 min
Cook: 1 h 20 min
Total: 1h 40 min
Ingredients (serving 4)
500g/17.5oz Basa fish (You can also use other fish like King Mackerel, Tilapia, Snapper, Barramundi or Halibut)
300g/10.5oz/6 cups coriander/cilantro (cleaned, washed and dried)
250g/8.8oz tamarind paste
2 onions
7 cloves garlic
6 tbsp vegetable oil
3 tbsp dried fenugreek
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 1/2 tsp turmeric for stew + 1/2 tsp for seasoning the fish before frying
1 tsp black pepper for stew + 1/2 tsp for seasoning the fish before frying
1/2 tsp to 1 tsp cayenne pepper (depending on how spicy like your stew)
Salt to taste
Method for cooking Qaliyeh Mahi
Prep the ingredients
2 hours in advance
Wash the coriander/cilantro. You don’t need to remove the stems. Let it dry on a clean kitchen towel, outside of direct sunlight.
Prep before cooking
Skin off and finely chop the onions and garlic, keeping them separate.
Finely chop the coriander.
Making the tamarind paste smooth and runny
In a pot bring 470ml / 2 cups of water to boil and transfer the tamarind paste to it.
Reduce the heat and stir regularly for 10 minutes.
Place a strainer over a bowl and pass the tamarind water through it. Move the tamarind paste that’s still in the strainer around using a spoon. Some of the paste will pass through the strainer but probably not all.
Boil another 235ml / 1 cup of water and repeat the process again. Now the remaining tamarind paste should have loosened up and only the seeds and skin should remain in the strainer.
Sautéing the herbs
Heat a frying pan, add 3 tbsp vegetable oil and sauté the coriander for about 6 minutes until dark green in colour. Stir regularly.
Add the dried fenugreek to the pan and sauté it together with the coriander for 1 more minute. Remove the herbs from the pan and set them aside.
Caramelising onions and garlic
Add 3 tbsp vegetable oil and gently caramelise the onions over low to medium heat in the same pan you used for the herbs, stirring occasionally. After about 15 minutes add the garlic and gently fry them together for a few more minutes.
Get the stew cooking
Keep the heat on low.
Return the sautéed herbs to the pan with the caramelised onions and garlic, add the tomato paste, turmeric and black pepper. Combine everything well.
Add the tamarind broth, put on the lid and let it simmer for 30 minutes.
Sautéing the fish
While your sauce is simmering, season the fish on both sides with turmeric, black pepper and salt.
Heat up a frying pan, add a generous amount of vegetable oil and sauté the fish fillets for 5 minutes on each side. If the fish you are using has skin, place the skin side down first. Remove the fish from the pan and place it on a paper towel to absorb the excess oil.
Once the stew has simmered for 30 minutes, transfer the sautéed fish to the sauce and let it simmer in the sauce for 10 minutes.
Serve your delicious Ghaliyeh Maahi
Serve your Ghaliyeh Maahi with Persian Saffron Rice. Enjoy!
I hope you enjoyed this recipe. I’d love to see your Ghaliyeh Mahi! Feel free to tag me with @igotitfrommymaman on Facebook or Insta so I can take a look and give you a thumbs up!
Want to save this recipe for later? You can pin it to your recipe board.
Looking for more Persian recipes? Here are my more of my free written recipes!
Sign up to Maman’s recipe mail for notifications of new recipes on the blog and special offers on my courses.
If you have any questions please let me know in the comments, I’m always happy to help. Let’s stay in touch via Instagram, Facebook or Pinterest.