Egyptian-Style Sayadeya

Pat the white fish fillets dry. Mix the juice of 1 lemon, 1 tsp cumin, 3 minced garlic cloves, salt and black pepper; rub this mixture over the fish, cover and leave to marinate for 30 minutes.

Rinse the rice in cold water until the water runs clear, then drain well.

Heat 30 ml vegetable oil in a wide pot. Add the finely chopped onion and cook over low heat for 15–20 minutes, stirring often, until deep golden brown. Set aside about a third of the onions for serving.

To the remaining onions add the tomato paste, 1 tsp cumin, salt and black pepper. Pour in 700 ml hot water, stir, bring to a boil and simmer for 2 minutes to form a dark onion broth.

Add the rice to the boiling broth and cook for 1 minute over high heat. Cover with a lid, reduce the heat to the lowest setting and cook for 18–20 minutes without stirring. Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, for another 5 minutes.

Coat the marinated fish in flour. Heat 60 ml vegetable oil in a skillet and fry the fillets for 4–5 minutes on each side until golden and cooked through.

Fluff the rice with a fork, spread it on a large platter, arrange the fried fish on top and sprinkle with the reserved onions. Serve hot with wedges of the same lemon.