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    Home / Dinner / Sayadieh

    Sayadieh

    Golden seared fish nestled over turmeric-scented rice with caramelized onions and toasted nuts — the Levantine coast’s most comforting plate.

    ⏱ 25 minPrep time
    🔥 45 minCook time
    🍽 6Servings
    🏷 DinnerCategory
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    Sayadieh - seared fish over turmeric rice with caramelized onions

    Sayadieh is the fisherman’s dish of the Levantine coast, fragrant rice cooked in a rich fish broth and crowned with golden fried fish and caramelized onions. It traveled inland across Jordan, where it is now a beloved Friday dish at home. The name means hunter’s meal, and the combination of sweet onions, warm spices, and tender fish is genuinely special.

    Sweet onions, golden fish, and perfumed rice

    The rice absorbs the fish stock and a gentle hand of turmeric, cumin, and cinnamon until every grain is fragrant and lightly golden. The onions are cooked twice — some melted into the rice and some crisped and caramelized on top, along with toasted pine nuts and almonds. Firm white fish is seared until golden and laid over the rice, so its juices season the whole plate. Serve with lemon wedges and a simple salad, and let the sweetness of the onions do the talking.

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    Step by stepInstructions

    1. Season the fish fillets with salt and pepper. Heat half the olive oil in a wide pot and sear the fish until golden, 2 minutes per side. Set aside.
    2. Add the remaining oil and the onions to the pot. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until deep golden and caramelized, 20 to 25 minutes. Set aside 1/3 of the onions for topping.
    3. Stir the turmeric, cumin, and cinnamon into the remaining onions and cook 1 minute.
    4. Add the rice and stir to coat, then pour in the stock and salt. Bring to a boil, cover, and cook over low heat until the rice is tender, 18 to 20 minutes.
    5. Meanwhile, toast the pine nuts and almonds in a dry skillet until golden.
    6. Lay the fish over the rice, cover, and cook 5 minutes more to warm through.
    7. Serve the rice with the fish on top, scattered with the reserved caramelized onions, nuts, and lemon wedges.

    💡 Chef tips & storage

    Save the fish bones and heads from your fillets to make the stock — it is what gives the rice its deep flavor. Caramelize the onions slowly; they are the soul of the dish.

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    Recipe details

    Prep25 min
    Cook45 min
    Servings6
    CategoryDinner
    PublishedAugust 17, 2026
    Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes

    Hi, I'm Emily 🧡

    Hi, I'm Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes. Simple, tested comfort food for real weeknights, written down the way grandma would. Pull up a chair. More about me →

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