Muhammar is perhaps the most distinctly Bahraini dish of all: rice sweetened with date syrup or caramelized sugar, perfumed with saffron, cardamom and rose water, and always, without exception, eaten with fried fish. The pairing comes from the island's two great resources, the date palm groves and the sea. Sweet rice and salty, spiced fish argue happily on the plate, and nobody in Bahrain would consider serving one without the other.

It is a family dish of the old pearling and fishing communities, and today it is served at lunch and at celebrations across the country. The rice is parboiled, then steamed with the sweet syrup until each grain turns amber. It is easier than it sounds, and the result looks like something from a palace kitchen.

The sweet rice

Ingredients

• 2 cups (400 g) basmati rice
• 1 tablespoon fine salt
• 1/2 cup (160 g) date syrup
• 2 tablespoons (25 g) sugar
• 1/4 cup (55 g) ghee
• 1 pinch (about 1/4 teaspoon) saffron threads
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) rose water
• 1 teaspoon ground cardamom

The fried fish

Ingredients

• 4 small whole fish
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fine salt
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 lemon
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) vegetable oil

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