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An Easy Halal Seafood Paella Recipe For A Taste Of Spain

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Ili •  Jun 28, 2021

If you've been experimenting in the kitchen with easy Korean recipes, Italian desserts and simple Thai dishes, then take your culinary journey to the heart of Spain by making one of their best-known dishes - paella. Most traditional paellas are made with alcohol like white wine, but you can simply omit it from the recipe to make a halal version. Let's get started!

Ingredients (serves 2-3)

  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1/2 onion
  • 1/2 red bell pepper
  • 1 tube of squid, cleaned and cut into small squares
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 cup tomato puree
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
  • Sea salt
  • Black pepper
  • 2 1/2 cups fish broth
  • 1 sachet Spanish saffron in powder form (you can find this online at Shopee or Lazada)
  • 1 cup round rice
  • 12 raw jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 8 fresh mussels, debearded and cleaned
  • Fresh parsley
  • Lemon

Directions 

  1. Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat and add 1/3 cup of olive oil. Season it with salt, add the cut squid and cook for about 2 minutes before removing the squid and setting aside.
  2. Add onions and garlic into the same pan, then add red bell pepper. Cook for about 3 minutes and add 1/2 cup of tomato puree. Season everything with smoked paprika, a pinch of sea salt and black pepper. Continue to cook for another 2 minutes. Add the squid back into the pan followed by 1/2 cup of fish broth and saffron. Mix everything together.
  3. Bring the broth to a boil, add 1 cup of round rice and gently distribute throughout the pan using a wooden spoon - make sure not to mix the rice.
  4. After 5 minutes, add the shrimp and mussels. Let it cook for another 5 minutes and adjust to low-medium heat.
  5. After 10 minutes of simmering and very little broth is left, turn the fire back to a medium-high heat for 1 minute. Turn off the heat, cover the pan and let it rest for 5 to 7 minutes.
  6. Garnish the paella with freshly chopped parsley, a couple of lemon wedges (both optional).
  7. Serve and enjoy!

Check out Spain On A Fork's take on a seafood paella below ?