Fish with Chickpeas and White Rice

• 1½ kg fish fillets, cutlets
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

• For the rice:

• 2½ cups rice or 500 g
• 4½ cups water or 1125 ml
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 cubes 

• For the chickpeas mixture:

• 3 tablespoons ghee
• 1 large onion or 200 g, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 medium green capsicum pepper or 150 g, diced
• ½ cup split chickpeas or 75 g, boiled and drained
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
• 2 tablespoons raisins
• 4 tablespoons coriander leaves, chopped
• Pinch of salt, to taste
• 1 tablespoon rose water
• 2 cups vegetable oil, for frying the fish

Preparation

Add fish cutlets to a large bowl. Combine with lemon juice (season with salt and pepper) and marinate in fridge for 1 hour.

To prepare the rice: Add the water to a large saucepan. Add the rice, oil and cubes.

Stir constantly until it boils, cover and cook over low heat for 15- 20 minutes or until rice is cooked.

Meanwhile, melt ghee in a medium sauce pan add and cook onion until tender then add garlic and capsicum, sauté for seconds. Add the cooked chickpeas, spices, raisins, coriander, salt and rose water.

Remove fish from fridge and fry in hot oil using a large pan until golden brown and cooked then set aside.

Place the rice in a serving dish, topped with fried fish cutlets and the chickpeas mixture.