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Fish, Maghreb and Middle East

Baked fish with hawaij spices and flatbread

Baked fish with hawaij spices is cod or hake roasted over soft tomatoes, flavored with the Yemeni spice blend hawaij. It serves 4, takes 40 minutes, is rated easy, and costs about €3.90 per person. Success depends on rubbing the spice paste onto the fish before baking and keeping the cooking time short so the flesh stays tender.

Tonight, roasted fish with Yemeni hawaij spices and soft tomatoes, a dish that smells like travel.

Baked fish with hawaij spices and flatbread
Total time
40 min
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€3.90
Calories per person
510 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Summer, Fall

Hawaij gives the fish a golden color and a warm scent of cumin, turmeric, and cardamom, without ever turning spicy hot. The tomatoes cook gently underneath the fish and turn into a slightly tangy sauce that coats the fillets. A squeeze of lemon at the end brightens everything, and fresh coriander adds a green note that lifts the whole baked dish.

This is a good dish for a weeknight when you want to move past plain pan seared fish, or for a simple Sunday when you want something a little different without spending hours in the kitchen. Warm pita bread is made for mopping up the soft tomatoes, which turns this into a meal you share at the table. Mon Chou likes this dish because the spices change everything with very little effort.

The ingredients

4 people

Fish counter

  • Cod or hake fillets 4

Fruits and vegetables

  • Tomatoes 5
  • Onion 1
  • Garlic 3 cloves
  • Lemon 1
  • Fresh coriander 1 bunch

Pantry

  • Cuminoften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • Turmericoften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • Ground corianderoften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • Cardamomoften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • Black pepperoften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • Olive oiloften in the pantry 4 tbsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Bakery

  • Pita bread 4

Allergens Fish, Gluten

The step by step recipe

  1. Mix the hawaij spices with two tablespoons of oil and the salt, then rub this paste onto the fish fillets. 15 min

    Let the fish rest, it absorbs the flavor of the spices.

  2. Slice the tomatoes into rounds, cut the onion into strips, and chop the garlic.

    Seed the tomatoes if they are very juicy, the sauce will be more concentrated.

  3. Spread the vegetables in a baking dish, drizzle with oil, and bake at 200°C. 15 min

    The tomatoes should start to soften before you add the fish.

  4. Lay the fillets over the vegetables and bake again until the fish flakes easily. 12 min

    Do not overcook, the fish keeps cooking once out of the oven.

  5. Drizzle with lemon juice, sprinkle with coriander, and serve with warm pita bread.

    Warm the pita wrapped in foil during the last few minutes.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pick thick cod or hake fillets, they stay tender even if they bake a minute or two longer than planned.
  • Salt the tomatoes lightly before baking, they release their water faster and the sauce turns out less watery.
  • If you do not have every spice for homemade hawaij, cumin and turmeric alone already give a good result, the other spices just refine the aroma.

The variations

  • Swap the cod for salmon, it will cook a bit faster and taste richer.
  • For a vegetarian version, replace the fish with rinsed chickpeas and bake them with the tomatoes until heated through.
  • For kids, cut the pepper and cardamom in half, the dish keeps its aroma without being too spicy.

What to serve it with

  • Warm pita bread for dipping
  • A fresh cucumber salad
  • Plain basmati rice

Storage

Keep leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Fish does not freeze well since the texture turns stringy once thawed. Reheat gently in a pan or a low oven so the fillets do not dry out.

Questions about this dish

What exactly is hawaij?

Hawaij is a Yemeni spice blend made with cumin, coriander, turmeric, pepper, and cardamom. It is used in soups as well as with meat and fish. You can make your own by mixing these spices in the proportions used in this recipe.

Can you prepare this dish ahead of time?

You can rub the fish with the spices and cut the vegetables a few hours ahead, then keep everything in the fridge. Bake it only at the last moment so the fish stays tender.

What fish can I use instead of cod or hake?

Any firm white fish like pollock or haddock works just as well. Avoid very thin fillets since they tend to fall apart during baking.

How do you know the fish is cooked without drying it out?

The fish is ready when it flakes easily with a fork at the center of the fillet. Take the dish out of the oven as soon as that happens, since residual heat finishes the cooking.

How long does it take to make a baked fish with hawaij spices, served with flatbread?

Count 40 min in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “easy”.

How many calories are in a baked fish with hawaij spices, served with flatbread?

About 510 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a baked fish with hawaij spices, served with flatbread cost?

About €3.90 per serving, or €15.60 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains fish, gluten. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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