I’ve made sayadiya with grouper a few times in my kitchen, usually on Fridays when the family wants something filling from the fishmonger. It’s a straightforward dish where you fry up grouper fillets, cook rice in fish stock, and mix them together with crispy onions and pine nuts on top. The side sauce is just thickened stock with basic spices, nothing fancy. We eat it straight from the pot sometimes, family-style. What I like is how the fish stays flaky if you don’t overcrowd the pan. The first time I tried this, I skipped rubbing the garlic mix on the fish properly and it lacked that punch, so now I always mash it well and let it sit a minute. Prep isn’t bad—about 25 minutes if your rice is soaking while you chop onions. Frying everything in one skillet saves washing up, which is practical when my counter’s small. The grouper holds up nice, not like cheaper fish that falls apart. It’s for 4, so leftovers heat okay. Keeps the meal balanced with carbs, protein, and that tangy sauce to cut the richness.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds grouper fillets
- 2 garlic cloves, mashed
- 1 teaspoon salt (plus more to taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (plus more to taste)
- 1/2 cup flour, mixed with 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil, for frying fish
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 3 onions, sliced thin
- 3 tablespoons oil, for rice
- 3 cups white rice, washed, soaked 30 minutes, drained
- 3 cups ready-made fish stock, for rice
- 1 1/2 cups ready-made fish stock, for sauce
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Wash the grouper fillets thoroughly and pat dry with paper towels.
- Mix mashed garlic with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, rub lightly on fish.
- Coat fish pieces in the seasoned flour.
- Heat 1/2 cup oil in a large skillet, fry pine nuts till light brown, set aside, then fry onions till golden, drain on towels.
- In same oil, fry fish till golden and cooked, about 3-4 minutes per side, drain.
- Reserve some fried onions and pine nuts for garnish; chop rest for rice.
- Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a pot, add drained rice, stir 3 minutes till coated.
- Add chopped fried onions and fish pieces to rice, pour in 3 cups fish stock, bring to boil, then cover and simmer low till stock absorbed, about 20 minutes.
- For sauce: whisk cornstarch into 1 1/2 cups fish stock in small pot, boil while stirring till thick, add salt, pepper, cumin, lemon juice.
- Serve rice garnished with reserved onions and pine nuts, sauce on side.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Rice cooks with fish stock so flavors soak in without extra steps.
- Fried onions add crunch against soft rice and flaky fish.
- Fits weeknight dinners or weekend family meals, scales easy.
Chef’s Tips for Perfection
- Soak rice at least 30 minutes or it sticks to pot bottom.
- Fry fish in batches, medium heat keeps it from steaming instead of crisping.
- Swap grouper for any firm white fish if needed.
Storage and Reheating
Store leftovers in airtight container in fridge up to 2 days. Reheat rice gently on stovetop with splash of water or stock, stir to loosen. Sauce thickens, thin with stock if reheating.
Nutritional Notes
Per serving: around 650 calories, mostly from rice and oil. High in protein from fish, carbs from rice. Onions and pine nuts add some fiber.
(Fried Grouper Rice Pilaf)
