The Joy of Building A Sukkah: Fish Pilau Im’Tabak

Why is it that Sukkot always has a way of sneaking up on us?

No matter what day the holiday falls on, Neil and I always find ourselves in the sukkah at midnight, still putting on the final touches.

In each of our homes, our sukkah was the first thing we built. We build a permanent structure that stands in our back garden all year long and every Sukkot, we cover the top with palm leaves and add trellis on the sides.

Decorating the Sukkah is a major creative outlet for me. I hang Moroccan table clothes and curtains on the sides. I hang twinkle lights and Moroccan lanterns. It’s just like a casbah. 

Little tea lights and beautiful flowers adorn my tables. 

Of course when my kids were young, we had plenty of their art projects and they proudly displayed it. 

Neil and I grew up in apartments, so we don’t take our Sukkah for granted. Its with great joy and gratitude that we sit in our sukkah with family and friends with lots of festive and traditional foods.

Its a lot of work but these moments are what bring us together and create lasting memories.

—Rachel

The first Sukkah in my memory bank is forever engraved in my mind. I must have been four years old when my brother Rafi and I came home from school and my father proudly showed us the Sukkah he had built in our backyard. 

I was amazed by the little hut he had built! The roof and walls were made completely of s’chach — spiky green palm fronds artfully arranged. My father decorated the sukkah with fruit — stems of fresh yellow dates, oranges, pomegranates and green and red apples—all hanging from the ceiling of the sukkah with butcher’s twine. 

I remember my father’s pride and happiness that my brother and I were so excited about that first Sukkah. 

Every year, my father joyfully took on the mitzvah of building the Sukkah. He would always be in search of palm fronds because it wasn’t a real Sukkah without the palm fronds.  

Every year, my father joyfully took on the mitzvah of building the Sukkah. He would always be in search of palm fronds because it wasn’t a real Sukkah without the palm fronds.

Over the years he planted date palms in all our homes, so that he would be guaranteed palm fronds for Sukkot. He loved palm trees and dates were his favorite food, a legacy of his childhood in Baghdad. 

This Sukkot, my brother Danny will take on the mitzvah of building a Sukkah for my mother. He will use palm fronds for s’chach and he’ll arrange the entrance of the Sukkah with the same arch made of the long palm fronds that was my father’s signature. 

My extended family will gather in my parents home and we will remember how much my father loved this holiday. 

My father’s other favorite foods were rice and sautéed onions. And even better when they were served together. He would tell my mother “Please fry more onions! I’ll peel and chop them for you.”

So this Sukkot in my father’s memory, my mother will cook one of his favorite dishes — Fish Pilau Im’tabak — a classic dish from the Iraqi/Babylonian Jewish kitchen.

This layered dish is an exquisite marriage of sautéed onions, tomatoes, rice and fish with a dash of curry lending an earthy, spicy sweetness. 

This layered dish is an exquisite marriage of sautéed onions, tomatoes, rice and fish with a dash of curry lending an earthy, spicy sweetness. 

When we’re done eating, one of us will repeat what my father used to say when he was finished eating “I’ve lost my appetite!” And we’ll be grateful for the old memories and the new ones. 

—Sharon

Nana Sue’s Fish Pilau Im’tabak

2 lbs firm whitefish fillets
1 lemon
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp white pepper
1 tsp turmeric
Oil for frying

Squeeze juice of lemon over the fish. Sprinkle the salt, pepper and turmeric on the fish.
Warm oil in a large skillet over medium heat, then add the fish and fry until golden brown. Place fish on a dish and set aside.

3 cups basmati rice
4 1/2 cups cold water
2 tsp salt
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

In a heavy pot, soak the rice for 10 minutes, then rinse well.
Add the water, salt and olive oil, then bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally.
When all the water has boiled away, remove from heat and place lid on the pot.

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
5 medium onions, cut into 1/4 inch round slices
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp curry
6 large tomatoes, cut into 1/4 inch round slices

Warm oil in the large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, sugar and salt, then sauté about 5 minutes until the onion has caramelized.
Layer the tomatoes over the onions, then add half the cooked rice over the tomatoes.
Layer the fish and onions over the rice and top with the remaining rice.
Cover the skillet, lower the heat and allow to steam for half an hour.
Place a large serving platter over the pot and carefully flip the pot over.
The Im’tabak should look like an upside down layer cake.

Rachel Sheff and Sharon Gomperts have been friends since high school. They love cooking and sharing recipes. They have collaborated on Sephardic Educational Center projects and community cooking classes. Follow them on Instagram @sephardicspicegirls and on Facebook at Sephardic Spice SEC Food.