That Translator Can Cook: Zibdiyat Gambari
Fresh shrimp in a hearty yet spicy tomato stew, which was baked in the oven within a traditional clay pot.
If you take out the hot peppers, I will totally chow down on this. Growing up with a New Englander and Portuguese extended family, I’m an avid seafoodie (yes, that is a word) and always ready to try new seafood recipes. However, I’m really weak against spicy foods, so this recipe would definitely need to be modified before I eat it.
Most of the information in this post comes from the cookbook The Gaza Kitchen, which not only contains down-to-earth recipes, but also cultural and historical information about Gaza. I really recommend it if you’re interested in cooking Palestinian recipes and learning more about Gaza and its people.
Zibdiyat gambari is a traditional Gazan stew, which is not surprising given Gaza’s geographic location, though seafood is not as abundant as it used to be because of the Israeli occupation. Gaza, also known as the Gaza Strip, is a little strip of land located on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, where 1.9 million people live, 1.4 million of whom are Palestinian refugees. It was once famous for its fish, given its geographic location and proximity to a deep channel that connects the Nile Delta and the Aegean Sea. Schools of fish use this channel to migrate and Gazan fisherman would haul over 1,650 pounds of fish a day; fishing supported more than 30,000 people. However, this prosperity has declined over the years.
A fishing zone of 20 nautical miles was established with the Oslo Accords, which has been gradually restricted; currently, Israel severely restricts Gazans access to the fishing zone (only allows about 3-5 nautical miles). Because of the Israeli blockade, no fish are exported, and they are consumed locally. “Violations [of fishing zone restrictions] are punishable by violent harassment, boat seizure, arrest, and gunfire. This has drastically reduced available catches, forcing today’s fisherman…to cull from shoreline waters…” Given the lack of the fish, Gazans have turned to farm fishing, which is less satisfactory, of course, but the alternative is to not have fish at all.
On another note, I have finally found the answer to my question in a previous post in The Gaza Kitchen! I finally know what a zibdiya is: a heavy, handmade, unglazed clay bowl (frequently accompanied by a pestle) that is used to grind spices, to cook the food, and to serve meals. ‘Zibdiya’ means ‘bowl’ in Arabic, so zibdiyat gambari literally means “bowl of shrimp” or “shrimp bowl.”
Here is how to make this ‘bowl of shrimp (recipe and picture belong to Om Wateen).
Ingredients
1 kilo of shrimp, preferably medium or small
2 large tomatoes, peeled and petite diced
2 onions, finely minced
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 green chili peppers, minced
A dash of chili powder
Cardamom
Seafood seasoning*
Black pepper
Salt
Bay leaves
Cumin
1 tablespoon of tomato sauce
Cashews or almonds
Sesame seeds
*According to a Mawdoo3 article, seafood seasoning comprises:
1 tablespoon of basil, rosemary, and dried parsley
2 teaspoons of ground black pepper, salt, dried sage, thyme, and dried marjoram
1 teaspoon of oregano, celery, and garlic powder
As a Marylander, I think any seafood seasoning that’s not Old Bay or Chesapeake Bay seasoning is weird, but this seems interesting and potentially delicious…
Instructions
First, wash and clean the shrimp well. Then, sauté the onions, green peppers, and shrimp until they change color. Next, add the tomatoes, spices, and sauce; let it simmer until it bubbles. After that, pour the stew into a zibdiya or a ceramic dish and sprinkle sesame seeds and cashews or almonds on top. Cover it with foil and put it into the oven for at least 6 minutes, then take off the foil and bake it.
Translators’ Discussion
I don’t know how culinary translators feel about the “petite diced” on the tomato item in the ingredients list, but I thought that ‘diced’ was more commonly used with tomatoes than ‘minced’ was. I know that you can buy cans of ‘petite diced’ tomatoes, but I don’t know what you all think of it being used in a recipe that indicates fresh tomatoes instead of canned ones.
The recipe simply said صلصة, which means “sauce,” so I wasn’t quite sure what kind of sauce was meant to be used. I went with tomato sauce because it’s a tomato-based stew and that’s a safe choice. Personally, I would use tomato paste to make the taste more intense, but I’m getting ahead of myself. Can anyone familiar with zibdiyat gambari shed some light on what this sauce should be?
When the author talks about sautéing the ingredients and adding the other ones, it had trouble with the last verb and decided to use “bubbles” because another verb with the same root could mean “to stew” or “to braise.” Can any Arabic speakers help with this sentence?
نقوم بتشويح البصل والفلفل الاخضر والجمبري الا ان يتغير لونه نضع الطماطم والبهارات والصلصه وندعه الا ان يتسبك