Caribbean · lunch, dinner
Jamaican Steamed Fish with Okra and Pumpkin
Video by caribbeanpot on YouTube · Open on YouTube
- Pescatarian
- Gluten-free ingredients
- Dairy-free
- Nut-free
Contains: Fish. Check labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes.
Each serve gives about 32 g lean protein from the snapper plus a big helping of pumpkin, okra, christophene and peppers, for about 17 g fibre and plenty of vitamins A and C, cooked in olive oil rather than butter.
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Ingredients 23
Method
Tap a time to watch that step in the video.
- Wash the cleaned snapper with a little lime juice, pat dry and cut two slashes on each side. Season lightly inside and out with salt and pepper, then stuff the cavity with thyme sprigs and squeezed scallions. 3:13
- Heat the olive oil in a wide pan, turn the heat to low and sweat the onion, garlic, more thyme and the bell peppers. Add black pepper, a few slices of scotch bonnet, the allspice berries, crushed bay leaves and a pinch of salt; cook 2 minutes. 5:36
- Add the pumpkin, carrot and christophene and cook a minute. Push the vegetables aside, fry the tomato paste in the middle, then pour in the fish stock with the rest of the scallion and thyme and bring to the boil. 7:34
- Melt in the coconut cream and simmer about 7–10 minutes until the vegetables are just tender. 9:17
- Lay the fish in the pan, tuck the okra around it and add the tomato and half the lemon juice. Cover and cook on low for 10–12 minutes, spooning the gravy over the fish halfway, until it flakes easily. 10:21
- Finish with the parsley and the rest of the lemon juice and serve the fish with the vegetables and gravy. 13:23
Tip. Serves 2 (one fish each, our estimate). Use a low-salt or homemade stock to keep sodium down. Any firm white fish works; fillets need less time. Add potato or sweet potato with the pumpkin for a heartier meal.
The method is a summary in our words — the video shows every step.
One serve gives you 1 of 2
Where the energy comes from one serve
- Net carbs 32%
- Protein 31%
- Fat 37%
For comparison, low-carb eating usually gets under 26% of its energy from carbs, and ketogenic eating under 10%. Why this is here
About 38% of the 43 g of net carbs come from the pumpkin.
One serve has about 70% of a day’s sodium. Use less salt, stock or sauce, or a reduced-salt version, to bring it down.
Vitamins & minerals % of a day, one serve · tap for more
Vitamin C High231%
208 mg a serve, mostly from bell pepper (46%). An antioxidant needed for collagen, immunity and iron absorption. Long cooking destroys some, so raw herbs, citrus and capsicum help.
Vitamin A High192%
1728 µg a serve, mostly from pumpkin (73%). Keeps eyes, skin and the immune system healthy. Orange vegetables and dark greens give beta-carotene, which the body turns into vitamin A.
Vitamin B12 High179%
4.3 µg a serve, mostly from red snapper (100%). Keeps nerves and blood cells healthy. Found almost only in animal foods and fortified foods (some plant milks, nutritional yeast), so vegans need a reliable source.
Vitamin K High167%
201 µg a serve, mostly from parsley (41%). Needed for blood clotting and bones. Leafy greens and herbs are very rich in it. If you take warfarin, keep your intake steady and talk to your doctor.
Selenium High119%
65 µg a serve, mostly from red snapper (92%). Part of the body's antioxidant enzymes and needed for thyroid hormones. Seafood, eggs, meat and Brazil nuts are rich sources.
Vitamin B6 High100%
1.7 mg a serve, mostly from red snapper (33%). Helps turn food into energy and make brain messengers. Chickpeas, fish, poultry, potatoes and bananas are good sources.
Potassium High56%
2620 mg a serve. Balances sodium to help control blood pressure and keeps muscles and nerves working. Beans, potatoes, leafy greens and fruit are rich sources.
Vitamin E High55%
8.3 mg a serve, mostly from pumpkin (35%). An antioxidant that protects cell membranes. Nuts, seeds and plant oils such as olive oil are the main sources.
Folate High54%
215 µg a serve. Needed to make DNA and new cells — especially important before and in early pregnancy. Legumes and leafy greens are rich sources.
Magnesium High53%
222 mg a serve, mostly from pumpkin (29%). Takes part in hundreds of reactions — energy, muscles, nerves, blood sugar and bones. Nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grains are good sources.
Omega-3 High42%
0.7 g a serve, mostly from red snapper (55%). Omega-3 fats support the heart and brain. Oily fish give EPA and DHA; walnuts, flax, chia and canola give ALA, which the body converts only a little.
Iron High31%
5.5 mg a serve, mostly from pumpkin (25%). Carries oxygen in your blood. Iron from plants absorbs better with vitamin C in the same meal — lemon, tomato or capsicum.
Calcium High25%
329 mg a serve, mostly from pumpkin (28%). Builds bones and teeth and helps muscles and nerves work. Dairy, calcium-set tofu, sardines with their bones and some greens supply it.
Zinc High22%
2.5 mg a serve. Needed for immunity, wound healing, taste and growth. Meat, seafood, legumes, seeds and whole grains supply it.
Show the other 1
Vitamin D9%
1.8 µg a serve, mostly from red snapper (100%). Helps you absorb calcium for bones and supports muscles. Few foods have much — oily fish, eggs, UV-exposed mushrooms, fortified milks. Sunlight is the main source.
Estimated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central values; % of a day uses the food-label daily values. How this works
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Recipe and video by caribbeanpot; the method summary, nutrition estimate and diet notes are Notbroken’s. General information about food, not dietary advice.