Moroccan-Israeli Fish for Passover is an easy, parve recipe for tilapia (or your solid white fish of choice) in a flavorful, slightly spicy tomato and red pepper sauce that’s kosher for Passover.
Moroccan Jews brought this savory dish to Israel when they fled Morocco.
Since talpia was easy to find and inexpensive, it replaced the sea bass or grouper in the original recipe and it became a popular dish in Israeli cuisine.
While the dish is delicious as is, the flavors—including the level of spiciness—are customizable to your taste!
Israeli Moroccan Fish for Passover is a delicious dish for any fish lover. It is perfect for the week of Passover and even for the day of the seder!
The flavor in the recipe is customizable to your own taste!
You can make the sauce very spicy, slightly spice, or not at all.
This unique dish is perfect for family, guests, or if you have to bring a parve dish to a host!
Great as an appetizer!
Note: The dish itself normally contains quite a bit of oil, but I use minimal in this recipe, so less calories!!
Also, this dish can be eaten on the day of the seder because it contains no matzo!
Eating on the day of the seder
Jews who keep the laws of Passover do not eat matzo or any foods that contain anything from matzo (such as matzo meal or matzo cake meal) the entire day before the seder, which is in the evening.
Some people even have the custom of not eating such foods for two weeks before, beginning on Rosh Chodesh Nissan or even as far back as Purim, which is a month before.
Food on Passover
Torah-observant Jews do not eat chametz (the fermented products of five grains: wheat, spelt, barley, oats, and rye).
In addition, Torah-observant Ashkenazi Jews do not eat kitniyot (or kitniyos as pronounced in Ashkenazi Hebrew). These include legumes, corn, rice, and similar foods that were deemed forbidden to eat by rabbis in the medieval period and are still not eaten today. Sephardi and Mizrachi Jews do not follow this tradition.
Many observant Ashkenazi Jews will not even eat the derivatives of these kitniyot, while others do (each family holds their own traditions regarding this).
Then, there are Ashkenazim who don’t eat “gebrokts” (or gebrochts).
Gebrokts (gebrochts) means “broken” in Yiddish, and in this case refers to matzo that has absorbed liquid. Not eating gebrokts is observed by many in the Hasidic Jewish community and Ashkenazim who have taken on this tradition, where they basically don’t mix anything wet with matzo.
So, things like matzo sandwiches, fried matzo, and even matzo balls are a no-no for them.
There is a joke that sums it all up:
On Passover, we should remember people who have little to eat on this holiday. They are called Ashkenazim.
Over the years, I have learned to adapt “normal” food for Passover so that my family won’t complain about boring, tasteless, or repetitive meals.
I find that having good food and variety makes the week of Passover a very pleasant experience, and I hope this recipe will help make yours just that!
A little about Israeli cuisine
Some people complain about cultural appropriation in cuisine when food from one country is attributed to another country.
However, national cuisine in itself is often a mingling of food from a variety of cultures, often due to a change of ruling countries and a shifting of borders.
When people move from country to country, they will take their cultures with them, and they often share recipes with others.
Descendants may adapt their traditional cuisine with that of their new home.
Then, recipes are passed from generation to generation, and although decades have passed, the foods are still known by the culture they came from, and everyone seems to have their own way of making them.
“Israeli cuisine” is mostly Middle Eastern (as opposed to Eastern European food) that was brought to Israel by Jews when they fled or were expelled from Muslim countries and moved to Israel mostly after the declaration of the State of Israel (collectively known as Mizrahi Jews).
That said, there are many variations of pretty much any “Israeli” recipe because of background, custom, or even just taste.
When choosing a recipe, one has to know what actually constitutes a main ingredient—what makes the dish what it is—and what is left up to individual taste.
Moroccan Jews in Israel
The majority of Moroccan Jews in Israel are the descendants of Jews that immigrated to Israel from Morocco.
Before the establishment of the State of Israel, the British put a quota on the amount of Jews that could immigrate to Israel, so most of the immigration was considered “illegal.”
However, many Jews risked their lives to flee their countries of origin, including Arab and Muslim countries, such as Morocco.
Because the Muslims were against the establishment of the State of Israel, after the declaration of the state and the civil war that followed, life became more difficult for the Jews of Morocco, because the Muslims would attack Jews as a result.
This brought about a wave of immigrants to Israel from Morocco, as did every Arab-Israeli war that followed.
So, during the 1950s and for decades afterward, waves of Moroccan Jews immigrated to Israel.
Morocco was once the home of the largest Jewish community in the Muslim world. However, by the time of the Yom Kippur war, the majority of Morocco’s Jews had immigrated to Israel, and they brought their delicious cuisine with them.
What does it mean when recipes say “to taste” about an ingredient?
When recipes say “to taste,” it means that you can put in as little or as much as you like to your own taste. Some recipes have many ingredients that a cook can adjust to their own taste when cooking (not so much when baking though).
The best way to calculate what your taste is with a recipe that you are not yet familiar with is to first taste the dish and then add the “to taste” ingredient GRADUALLY, a little at a time—a splash of this or a pinch of that—until the dish is just the way you like it.
Make sure to stir the ingredient after each time you add it so that the flavor will distribute evenly and become part of the dish. Then taste again. Repeat until you reach your personal preference.
Note: If you plan on using the recipe again, it is highly recommended to make a note of what and how much you added so that you can refer to it next time.
What does it mean when a recipe says that an ingredient is “optional”?
If an ingredient is “optional,” it means that you can add it in or not based on your own preference. An optional ingredient can be flavor related (i.e., salty, sweet, spicy, etc.), appearance related (garnish), or even something like nuts or chocolate chips in baking.
What does “savory” mean?
“Savory” refers to foods that are not sweet, such as foods that taste salty, spicy, or herbal.
Kosher for Passover Seasoning Essentials (Suggestion)
- salt
- ground black or white pepper
- granulated garlic or garlic powder
- onion powder
- ground cinnamon
- paprika
- sugar (white, granulated)
- brown sugar
- chicken consommé powder
- onion soup mix
- various herbs
- additional spices to adapt taste to preference
What does it mean when recipes say “to taste” about an ingredient?
When recipes say “to taste,” it means that you can put in as little or as much as you like to your own taste. Some recipes have many ingredients that a cook can adjust to their own taste when cooking (not so much when baking though).
The best way to calculate what your taste is with a recipe that you are not yet familiar with is to first taste the dish and then add the “to taste” ingredient GRADUALLY, a little at a time—a splash of this or a pinch of that—until the dish is just the way you like it.
Make sure to stir the ingredient after each time you add it so that the flavor will distribute evenly and become part of the dish. Then taste again. Repeat until you reach your personal preference.
Note: If you plan on using the recipe again, it is highly recommended to make a note of what and how much you added so that you can refer to it next time.
But what do you need for this recipe, you ask?
These are the ingredients that you need to make this recipe:
tilapia fillets (or other solid white fish)
canned diced tomatoes (or or fresh)
red bell pepper
granulated garlic
tomato paste
sweet paprika
chili pepper flakes or hot pepper flakes (optional for spicy)
turmeric
salt
oil for frying
If you like Moroccan-Israeli dishes, then you should try Moroccan-Israeli Eggplant Salad for Passover and Moroccan-Israeli Meatballs and Olives for Passover!
Easy Moroccan-Israeli Fish for Passover
Parve and flavorful, Israeli-style Moroccan Fish that's kosher for Passover.
Ingredients
- 4-5 pieces fillet tilapia without skin (I use whatever fish that I find)
- 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes (or 4 - 5 medium tomatoes, chopped)
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 tablespoon granulated garlic
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste, slightly heaped
- 2 tablespoons sweet paprika
- 1 tablespoon chili pepper flakes or hot pepper flakes (optional for spicy)
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 tablespoon salt (or to taste)
- oil for frying
Instructions
- Coat the bottom of the pot with a thin layer of oil.
- Cut the sweet pepper into thin strips and lightly fry on a medium heat.
- Add tomatoes, granulated garlic, tomato paste, paprika, turmeric, water, salt, and chili or hot pepper flakes if desired.
- Cook for approximately 20 minutes or until everything has become a chunky sauce.
- Add the fish and poach until cooked through.
Notes
FOR PASSOVER, MAKE SURE ALL NON-FRESH INGREDIENTS ARE KOSHER FOR PASSOVER
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 375Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 121mgSodium: 1154mgCarbohydrates: 16gFiber: 6gSugar: 8gProtein: 59g