A sweet reddish-brown rice dish made with locally-grown short red Hasawi rice, sweetened with dates or sugar, classically served with fish, especially hamour. An Eastern Province signature of Al-Ahsa and Qatif.
Muhammar is a signature dish of the Saudi Eastern Province, Al-Ahsa and Qatif, made with the famous locally-grown short red Hasawi rice. The rice is sweetened with dates or date molasses (or sugar) and classically served with fish, especially hamour (grouper). It is distinct from the savoury rice dishes of the Najd, and reflects the Eastern Province's Gulf-coast and Shiite-Arab food tradition, where sweet rice and fish are a defining pairing.
Sweet, faintly nutty, deep reddish-brown rice with a tender, slightly sticky bite, served with savoury, flaky fried or baked fish, the sweet and the salty meeting on the plate. Eaten with a tangy sauce, it is sweet, savoury and the Eastern Province on a plate.
The Hasawi red rice is rinsed and soaked, then cooked in water sweetened with date molasses or sugar and flavoured with cardamom, cinnamon and ghee, which gives it the characteristic reddish-brown colour and sweetness. The rice is cooked until tender and slightly sticky. The fish (hamour) is fried or baked separately and served on or beside the rice. The sweet rice against the savoury fish is the defining contrast of the Eastern Province table.
Variations
A lamb version serves it with lamb instead of fish. Some add saffron.
On the Palate
Where Muhammar sits in the Saudi flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 6How it's made
6 steps · 30 min
- 16 min
Rinse and soak 400g Hasawi red rice 30 minutes; drain.
- 26 min
In a pot, bring 600ml water, 3 tbsp date molasses (or sugar), 2 tbsp ghee, 2 cardamom pods and 1 cinnamon stick to a boil.
- 310 min
Add the rice; simmer covered 20 minutes until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender.
Watch outSimmer covered until the liquid is fully absorbed and the grains are tender and a touch sticky — the sweet spiced liquid should be drunk right into the rice.
- 410 min
Meanwhile, fry 600g hamour (or any firm white fish) fillets in oil until golden; season with salt and turmeric.
Watch outFry the fish separately to golden and keep it firm — the whole dish rides on the contrast of sweet rice against savoury fish, so don't let it go soft or bland.
- 54 min
Mound the sweet rice on a platter; top with the fried fish.
- 64 min
Serve hot, with a tangy tamarind or onion sauce on the side.
