Mahi Shekampor (Persian Stuffed Baked Fish)

About This Recipe

Mahi shekampor, meaning 'fish with a full belly,' is a Persian preparation for whole fish, particularly popular for Nowruz (Persian New Year) celebrations, where the fish is stuffed with a distinctive filling combining fresh herbs, ground walnuts, and a tart-sweet paste of pomegranate molasses and tamarind. It's a coastal Caspian and Persian Gulf specialty that showcases Iran's love of combining sour, sweet, and herb-forward flavors in a single dish. The technique that defines this dish is building the stuffing to balance tartness and richness: ground walnuts provide body and fat, while pomegranate molasses and tamarind paste bring the distinctive Persian sour note, and a generous amount of fresh herbs (parsley, cilantro, dill) keeps the filling bright rather than heavy. The whole fish is scored, stuffed generously, and either baked or wrapped and steamed, with basting throughout to keep the flesh moist as it cooks. Served whole at the table, especially for Nowruz alongside sabzi polo (herbed rice), mahi shekampor represents Persian New Year's symbolic dishes -- the fish representing life and the herbs representing rebirth -- making it as culturally significant as it is flavorful.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 1 wholewhite fish(about 1.2kg, cleaned)
• 2lemons(1 juiced, 1 sliced)
• 1 tspsalt
• 0.5 cupwalnuts(finely ground)
• 1 cupfresh cilantro(chopped)
• 0.5 cupfresh parsley(chopped)
• 0.5 cupfresh dill(chopped)
• 3 clovesgarlic(minced)
• 3 tbsppomegranate molasses
• 1 tbsptamarind paste
• 2 tbspolive oil(plus extra for basting)
• 0.5 tspturmeric

Instructions

1. 1

   Prep the fish

   Score the fish 3 times on each side. Rub inside and out with lemon juice and salt. Let sit 15 minutes.

2. 2

   Make the stuffing

   Combine ground walnuts, cilantro, parsley, dill, garlic, pomegranate molasses, tamarind paste, olive oil, and turmeric into a thick, cohesive paste.

3. 3

   Stuff the fish

   Fill the fish cavity generously with the stuffing mixture, packing it in firmly.

4. 4

   Secure and arrange

   Secure the cavity closed with kitchen twine or toothpicks if needed. Place lemon slices on top of the fish.

5. 5

   Bake

   Preheat oven to 190C/375F. Bake fish on a lined tray for 30-35 minutes, basting with olive oil halfway through, until the fish flakes easily.

6. 6

   Serve

   Serve whole, spooning some of the stuffing alongside, with herbed rice.

Variations

• •

  Use a whole trout or sea bass if a larger Caspian-style fish isn't available.

• •

  Add dried barberries to the stuffing for extra tartness and traditional Persian flavor.

• •

  Serve with sabzi polo (herbed rice) for the traditional Nowruz pairing.

Storage

Best eaten fresh the day it's made. Leftovers keep refrigerated up to 2 days; reheat gently in a low oven to avoid drying out the fish.

Frequently Asked Questions