Masgouf-Style Baked Sea Bass (Iraqi)

This Iraqi classic provides high quality lean fish protein paired with antioxidant-rich tamarind sauce and fresh vegetables without heavy frying.

Ingredients

Calories next to each ingredient are for that ingredient across the whole recipe (4 servings), not per serving.

• 720 g (1.6 lbs) sea bass fillets · 893 kcal in the whole recipe
• 30 g (2 tbsp) tamarind pulp · 72 kcal in the whole recipe
• 150 g (1 medium) yellow onion, finely chopped · 60 kcal in the whole recipe
• 350 g (2-3 medium) tomatoes, diced · 63 kcal in the whole recipe
• 12 g (3 cloves) garlic, minced · 18 kcal in the whole recipe
• 15 g (1 tbsp) olive oil · 133 kcal in the whole recipe
• 128 g (2 round) whole wheat pitas, warmed and cut into quarters · 335 kcal in the whole recipe
• 150 g (1 medium) cucumber, diced · 24 kcal in the whole recipe
• 20 g (1 small bunch) fresh parsley, chopped · 7 kcal in the whole recipe
• 30 g (2 tbsp) fresh lemon juice · 7 kcal in the whole recipe

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

   

2. Mix strained tamarind, 7 g olive oil, turmeric, salt, and pepper; rub evenly over sea bass fillets.

   

3. Sauté onion, garlic, and 200 g tomatoes with remaining 8 g olive oil in a pan for 4 minutes, then spoon over the sea bass and bake for 15-18 minutes.

   

4. Toss cucumber, remaining 150 g tomatoes, parsley, lemon juice, sumac, and a pinch of salt to create a fresh salad.

   

5. Serve baked sea bass hot with the sumac salad and warmed whole wheat pita quarters.

   

A Besly kitchen recipe — portions, macros and step photos by Besly.