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Libyan Haraimi will change your perception of fish stew. You can make this dish to warm your family table on freezing winter days.
It’s perhaps the Libyan dish par excellence, the most loved and well-known by anyone who has experienced the local cuisine. Try this Haraimi immediately because it is so tasty!
What is Haraimi?
Libyan Haraimi is a Mediterranean fish stew that is made up of a rich spicy tomato sauce, fish steaks, and potatoes ( optional) and seasoned with a delicious spice blend.
The dish has a spicy tomato sauce that you can pair with bread, rice, or Couscous.
If you are afraid of the fishy smell, don’t be worried. Fragrant spices like onions, garlic, and pepper will eliminate the smell of the dish. The spicy flavor will complement the fish flavor, giving you the most sophisticated taste.
Origin of Libyan Haraimi
This stew dish can be traced back to when the Italians colonized Libya. The origins of this dish came from the Libyan Jews.
Currently, there aren’t that many Jews living in Libya but there once used to be over 6,000. Now, this dish is a staple in every Libyan household.
The stew is served with bread but you can make rice on the side as well or couscous.
Be Sure to Try These Other Libyan Dishes!
Haraimi is essentially a dish of fish fillets in an extremely spicy sauce. Do you think your palate can take it? Try this recipe, and you will most likely change your mind. Your taste buds will be on fire!
Haraimi
Ingredients
- 3 slices fresh tuna or other chunky fish *
- 1 finely chopped onion
- 1/2 glass olive oil
- 2 full tablespoons of tomato paste
- 1/2-1 teaspoon chili powder careful!
- 2 crushed garlic cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground caraway
- juice of 1/2 a lemon
Instructions
- Fry the finely chopped onion in plenty of olive oil; you should use a large non-stick pan with a high edge, if possible.
- While still on low heat, add pepper, tomato paste and 2 cloves of crushed garlic; then, add a large glass of water and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
- When the sauce starts to simmer, put the fish in the pan and cook over medium heat until you obtain a thick sauce. (*) You can also use 300 g of tuna fillets in oil, to speed up the recipe in an unorthodox way, but these must be of excellent quality, very large and compact.
- Add a scant 1/2 teaspoon of ground caraway to the sauce, and cook for a few more minutes, then at the end of cooking, add the juice of 1/2 a lemon.
- Serve as an appetizer, at room temperature, with plenty of bread (the sauce, if it is well made, is usually a huge success!).
