Let’s make Qasha Sahna, a beautiful Omani dish made of dried anchovies. It’s tangy, spicy, and so fresh. It’ll make you feel like you’re walking on an ocean of lemon trees.
Ingredients:
For the Qasha Sahna:
- 2 large onions, thinly sliced
- A good amount of chilies
- A few cloves of garlic
- Optional: Porcelain (Farfina)
- 100g dried anchovies (Qasha)
- Salt, to taste
- A hefty bunch of dried za’atar
- Chili flakes, to taste
- A drizzle of Omani ghee
For the Rice:
- 3 cups of aromatic white rice (e.g., Qanari)
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- A tiny amount of ghee
- 2.5 cups of water
Preparation Time: 1 hour
Instructions:
- Thinly slice the onions, chilies, and garlic. Optionally, chop some porcelain (Farfina).
- Clean the dried anchovies by removing the heads and bellies.
- Grind the anchovies into a semi-fine powder using a blender or mortar and pestle.
- Mix the anchovies with the chopped vegetables, salt, dried za’atar, chili flakes, and a drizzle of Omani ghee.
- Wash and soak the rice for 30 minutes.
- Heat a tiny amount of ghee in a pot, add cumin seeds and let them sizzle.
- Add the rice and toast for a couple of minutes.
- Pour in 2.5 cups of water, bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Once the rice is cooked and fluffy, serve it on a large plate.
- Drizzle with more ghee, top with the Qasha Sahna, and garnish with greens.
- Enjoy this traditional Omani dish!
Chef’s Tip: Enjoy with fresh lemon juice for extra tanginess.