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Fish, Maghreb and Middle East

Samke harra, Lebanese spiced fish with tahini sauce

Samke harra is a Lebanese fish dish, roasted and topped with a creamy sauce of tahini, garlic, chili, and cilantro, served with basmati rice. It serves 4, takes 1 hour, is rated easy, and costs about €4.60 per person. The key is whisking the tahini well and not overcooking the fish.

Here's samke harra, Lebanese roasted fish under a spicy tahini sauce with chili, garlic, and walnuts, served with white rice.

Samke harra, Lebanese spiced fish with tahini sauce
Total time
1 h
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€4.60
Calories per person
760 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall

Samke harra pairs tender, just roasted white fish with a sharp tahini sauce loaded with raw garlic, fresh chili, and cilantro. Crushed walnuts add crunch in every bite, and lemon keeps the whole dish bright instead of heavy. It's a fragrant plate, but not an overwhelming one, you control the heat by how much chili you use.

This is a recipe worth keeping for a dinner when you want to move past the usual breaded fish, whether it's a weeknight or a Sunday with curious guests. It appeals most to adults and to palates already used to raw garlic and chili, less to young kids. Mon Chou suggests it when you want a meal that looks light but carries real character.

The ingredients

4 people

Fish counter

  • Cod or sea bream fillets 800 g

Pantry

  • Tahinioften in the pantry 3 tbsp
  • Walnut halves 50 g
  • Ground cuminoften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • Basmati riceoften in the pantry 300 g
  • Olive oiloften in the pantry 4 tbsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Fruits and vegetables

  • Garlic 4 cloves
  • Fresh red chili 1
  • Fresh cilantro 1 bunch
  • Lemon 2

Allergens Fish, Sesame, Tree nuts

The step by step recipe

  1. Season the fish fillets with salt, cumin, and a little oil, then place them in a baking dish.

    Choose fillets of similar thickness so they cook at the same rate.

  2. Bake the fish at 200 °C until the flesh turns opaque. 15 min

    Start checking after twelve minutes, fish goes from juicy to dry fast.

  3. Crush the garlic, seeded chili, and cilantro in a mortar, then add the tahini, lemon juice, and water to make a smooth sauce.

    Add the water little by little, the sauce should pour like cream.

  4. Spoon the sauce over the fish, scatter with crushed walnuts, and return it to the oven. 5 min

    This step is just to warm the sauce through, don't let it boil.

  5. Meanwhile, cook the basmati rice in salted water, then serve it with the fish and a squeeze of lemon. 12 min

    Drizzle a little oil over the drained rice, the grains stay separate.

Our tips to get it right

  • Remove the chili seeds if you want flavor without too much heat, the white membrane holds most of the spice.
  • Crush the garlic and cilantro with a mortar and pestle rather than a blender, the texture stays rustic and the sauce won't turn foamy.
  • Serve the sauce warm rather than piping hot, tahini keeps its creamy texture better and its flavors come through more clearly.

The variations

  • Swap the cod for sea bream or whiting, two white fish that hold up well under this kind of sauce.
  • For a vegetarian version, spoon the same tahini sauce over roasted eggplant slices instead of fish.
  • To save time, make the sauce while the fish bakes, everything is ready at the same moment.

What to serve it with

  • Plain basmati rice
  • Lebanese flatbread for dipping
  • Cucumber and mint salad

Storage

Keep the fish and the sauce separately in the refrigerator, in a sealed container, for up to 2 days. Freezing isn't recommended, tahini loses its texture and the fish turns mealy. Reheat gently in the oven or in a pan over low heat, without letting the sauce boil.

Questions about this dish

Can you make the tahini sauce ahead of time?

Yes, you can make it a few hours ahead and keep it refrigerated. Take it out just before topping the fish so it isn't too cold, and loosen it with a little water if it has thickened.

Why does my tahini sauce turn lumpy?

Tahini firms up when it first meets cold water before turning smooth again, that's normal. Keep adding water bit by bit while whisking, the sauce always loosens up in the end.

Can you swap the walnuts for something else?

You can use pine nuts or lightly toasted sliced almonds instead of walnuts. The crunch matters more than the exact nut in this recipe.

What kind of chili works best for samke harra?

A medium fresh red chili works well, like a mild bird's eye or a long red chili. Remove the seeds before crushing it if you want to tone down the heat without losing the flavor.

How long does it take to make a samke harra?

Count 1 h in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “easy”.

How many calories are in a samke harra?

About 760 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 samke harra cost?

About €4.60 per serving, or €18.40 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains fish, sesame, tree nuts. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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