Tishtâr dried fish

🐟 Dried fish gently rehydrated and simmered with tomato and aromatics, distinct from dried meat tichtar.

Ingredients

  • 🐟 160 g dried tishtâr fish, a food product ready to cook and of known origin
  • 🍚 240 g uncooked rice, rinsed, to serve
  • 🧅 2 medium onions, sliced
  • 🍅 3 ripe tomatoes, chopped, or 250 g no-salt-added canned tomatoes
  • 🧄 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 🫚 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger, optional
  • 🫒 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 💧 600 ml safe water for the sauce, plus soaking water to discard
  • 🍋 1/2 lemon, optional, for serving
  • 🌶️ Fresh chilli, optional, served separately
  • 🧂 Pepper; add salt only after tasting the fish and sauce
  • 🌿 Fresh coriander or parsley, optional

Preparation

📦 Read the tishtâr label and ask the seller whether it needs rinsing, desalting or a specific cooking step. Use only a food product from a known source, with no mould or unusual smell. Keep the package closed and the fish dry until needed.

❄️ If the product needs softening, place it in a clean bowl of safe cold water and soak for 15 minutes in the refrigerator, unless the package gives a different time. Discard the soaking water, rinse if the maker recommends it, then drain. Do not soak at room temperature or reuse the water.

🍚 Rinse the rice, place it in a saucepan with 450 ml water and cook covered over low heat according to its type, usually 15–18 minutes. Rest off the heat for 5 minutes; the rice can cook while you make the sauce.

🧅 Heat the oil in a clean saucepan. Soften the onions for 6–8 minutes without browning, add the garlic and optional ginger, then stir for one minute to release their aroma.

🍅 Add the tomatoes and about 250 ml water. Simmer over medium heat for 10–12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the raw tomato taste is gone. Keep the remaining hot water to adjust the sauce.

🐟 Add the drained tishtâr and enough hot water to keep the mixture loose. Partly cover and simmer for 12–15 minutes; stir gently to retain some pieces. If the product is still firm, continue according to the maker’s guidance and add water if needed.

🧂 Taste before salting: dried fish may already contribute substantial salt. Add pepper, keep chilli on the side and make sure the fish is hot throughout. Add a squeeze of lemon and herbs at the end if desired.

🍽️ Spoon the rice onto plates and serve the fish and sauce beside it. Avoid mixing the entire pot if guests want to control the amount of dried fish. Chill leftovers promptly; do not leave the sauce at room temperature. ♨️