• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Munaty Cooking
  • Recipe Index
  • Chicken
  • Videos
  • Main Meals
  • About Me
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipe Index
  • Chicken
  • Videos
  • Main Meals
  • About Me
×

Home » Main Meals

Sayyadieh Middle Eastern Fish Pilaf

Published: Aug 8, 2017 · Modified: Jul 1, 2021 by Muna · This post may contain affiliate links ·

Recipe
sayyadieh served in a pan


The word Sayyadieh comes from the word Sayd and it means to hunt or to fish in Arabic. This dish is mostly prepared using fish but you can rarely find it made with chicken. It is a Middle Eastern dish, some say from Lebanon, others say it’s from Palestine but for today, this dish is from my kitchen!

sayyadieh with wooden spoon

Making Sayydieh with Different Types of Fish.

I prefer cooking with Basa fish since it has a mild flavor and when you cook Basa, even if you fry it, the smell of fried fish won’t fill your house, this is a great advantage, if you are having guests over. You don’t have to fight the smell of fish out of your house and having said that, you can use any type of fish you like.

sayyadieh overhead shot

Sayyadieh is available in different versions, I choose the version with more spices and flavor because you know how particular I am about good tasting food, besides I won’t share it with you if it didn’t meet the expectations.

This recipe is easy to make and light, perfect if you are working since it doesn’t take much time, and is easy on your wallet too.

sayyadieh served in cast iron skillet

When making Syyadieh be careful when seasoning it with salt, most of the time the stock has plenty of salt. I have used long grain rice, feel free to use any type of rice you prefer but keep in mind that according to the type you choose you may add more or less water to cook the rice.

Let’s make dinner!

sayyadieh 3

Sayyadieh Middle Eastern Fish Pilaf

4.67 from 3 votes
Print Rate
Author: Muna Kenny

Ingredients

  • FOR COOKING THE RICE:
  • 1 cup long grain rice washed and soaked for 15 minutes
  • 1 large onion chopped
  • 1 teaspoon cumin powder
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon powder
  • Salt to taste
  • ½ teaspoon ginger powder
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper powder
  • ¼ teaspoon clove powder
  • 2 cup fish stock or chicken stock
  • 4 tablespoon oil
  • ¼ cup roasted pine nuts for garnishing optional
  • FOR FRYING THE FISH
  • 500 gm Basa fillet or two fillets cut into 3-inch cubes
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • Salt to taste
  • Black pepper
  • Enough oil to shallow fry the fish

Instructions

  • In a pan, add the oil and when hot add the onion and fry until brown in color. Add the spices and mix for one minute on medium heat.
  • Add the stock and let it come to a boil. Add the soaked and rinsed rice and let the mixture come to a boil again. Cover and reduce the heat to the lowest.
  • After 15 minutes, uncover the pan and stir the rice gently, cover and let it cook for another 17 to 18 minutes. Turn off heat and let sit for at least 10 minutes.
  • FRYING THE FISH
  • Season the fish, both side with salt and black pepper. Dredge in flour and keep aside.
  • Heat the oil and fry the fish on both sides until golden brown.
  • TO SERVE SYYADIEH
  • Transfer the rice to a serving plate, place the fish over the rice and sprinkle the pine nuts.
DID YOU TRY THIS RECIPE?Follow me on Instagram @munatycooking or tag #munatycooking!

Follow me on Pinterest!

Share this post:

Share on PinterestShare on FacebookShare on Twitter
« Tender Steak with Mushroom and Sunny Side Up Egg
Blueberry Waffles Recipe »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Angie@Angie's Recipes

    August 09, 2017 at 1:46 am

    A fantastic every day meal, Muna, and the fish is perfectly pan seared.

    Reply
  2. Stacie @ Divine Lifestyle

    August 11, 2017 at 7:21 am

    That looks delicious! I've never head a dish like this before. I love all the flavors here, though. I'll have to give it a try.

    Reply
  3. Natasha

    August 11, 2017 at 9:49 am

    GAH! This looks so delicious! I kind of want to send my husband a grocery list and see if I can whip this up today! You got me with the ability to make it and not slave over the stove for hours!

    Reply
  4. Connie

    August 11, 2017 at 2:05 pm

    This looks delicious. I love fish. Your other dishes look great too.

    Reply
  5. Roger D Willis

    August 11, 2017 at 2:10 pm

    I'd be lying if I said I like to eat fish. I mean, I don't dislike it. I have to be in a mood for it. I understand the high nutritional value of fish, and should add some to my diet. This recipe looks like a winner!

    Reply
  6. Gingermommy

    August 11, 2017 at 3:31 pm

    This looks really yummy! I love that it is a complete meal. We have been looking for other ways to cook our fish, this is going right on the meal plan!

    Reply
  7. Sadie Roach

    August 11, 2017 at 4:06 pm

    That looks like it tastes really good! It's always a plus when it isn't too hard to make either. I like that you can use any fish you want to as well.

    Reply
  8. Liz Mays

    August 11, 2017 at 7:19 pm

    Wow, what a delicious dish! I think this would be a lovely meal to make for my family. Trying Basa would be fun!

    Reply
  9. Claudia Krusch

    August 11, 2017 at 7:59 pm

    Fish is always a popular dish in my house. This Sayyadieh Middle Eastern Fish Pilaf looks so delicious and easy to make. I am excited to give it a try.

    Reply
  10. Pamela::Still Dating My Spouse

    August 11, 2017 at 8:18 pm

    I'm always looking for new recipes to try. This looks really tasty!!!!! I will add this to next week's meal plan.

    Reply
  11. Shelby @ For The Love of Paws

    August 11, 2017 at 8:26 pm

    LOVE the quality of these photos!! The fish looks good too. 🙂

    Reply
  12. krystal

    August 11, 2017 at 9:26 pm

    Sayyadieh is new to us but it looks like a delicious dish! I am really into seafood so this would be a new way to make it!

    Reply
  13. Amy Desrosiers

    August 11, 2017 at 10:14 pm

    Ok, I have never head of this but I am glad I found it. These dishes look so fantastic!

    Reply
  14. Eeyore Braybrook

    March 06, 2021 at 8:54 am

    5 stars
    I made this yesterday as an alternative to paella as I did not have any left over chicken. I tweeked it a bit to fit our taste and larder with the addition of some diced red pepper and half a green chilli (finely diced). I also used frozen fish pie mix as I did b=not have basa fillets. I laid the fish on the rice to steam from frozen about ten minutes from cooked. I rested the dish as descibed above and it was, to quote my wife, "yummy".

    Reply

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

I'M GLAD YOU'RE HERE!

Hello there, and welcome! I’m Muna, the writer, food photographer, and videographer at Munaty Cooking. I’m also the mother of a handsome young man. I’m from and reside in Sharjah. Oh, and there are more fun facts about me!

Footer

AS FEATURED ON

Footer

About

  • About Me
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact

Newsletter

  • Sign Up! for emails and updates

Recipes

  • Dinner Recipes
  • Chicken Recipes
  • Dessert Recipes

Affiliate Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases from Amazon.com. You can learn more about our affiliate policy. Please read my disclosure policy.

Copyright © 2021 Munaty Cooking