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Ikan bakar
Grilled fish with sambal
Ikan bakar — whole fish smeared with sambal and grilled in banana leaf
Night markets and seaside stalls from Port Dickson to Kuantan announce ikan bakar by smell long before you see the charcoal: whole fish or stingray wings smeared with red sambal, laid on banana leaf and grilled until the leaf blackens and the paste caramelises onto the flesh. The leaf keeps the fish moist and lends a faint tea-like smokiness, while the sambal brings shrimp-paste depth, tamarind sourness and steady heat. It is eaten with the fingers, with plain rice, cucumber and a sharp dip called air asam made from tamarind, chillies and shallots. Chef's tip: score the fish right down to the bone so the sambal seeps into the cuts and the thickest part cooks at the same pace as the tail.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the fish
- 2 whole fish (sea bream, snapper or pomfret)about 600 g each, scaled and gutted
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- 2 banana leaveslarge pieces, wiped clean; or foil
- 1 limecut into wedges
For the sambal
- 15 dried red chilliessoaked in boiling water 15 min, drained
- 6 shallots
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 stalks lemongrasswhite part only, sliced
- 1 tsp shrimp paste (belacan)toasted
- 1 tbsp tamarind pulpsoaked in 60 ml warm water and strained
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 4 tbsp vegetable oil
For the air asam dip
- 1 tbsp tamarind pulpsoaked in 100 ml warm water and strained
- 4 bird's eye chilliesthinly sliced
- ½ red onionvery finely chopped
- 1 tsp sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tomato (optional)small, diced
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Method
0/9 doneStep 1: Rinse and pat the 2 whole fish (sea bream, snapper or pomfret) dry inside and out. Cut 3 deep diagonal slashes on each side, down to the bone, then rub with 1 ½ tsp salt and ½ tsp ground turmeric. Keep in the fridge while you make the sambal.
5 minStep 2: Blend the 15 dried red chillies, 6 shallots, 3 cloves garlic, 2 stalks lemongrass and 1 tsp shrimp paste (belacan) to a paste with a splash of water.
Step 3: Heat 4 tbsp vegetable oil in a small pan over a medium heat and fry the paste for 8 minutes, stirring, until dark red and the oil separates. Add the strained 1 tbsp tamarind pulp and 1 tbsp sugar and cook 2 minutes more to a thick, spreadable sambal. Let it cool slightly.
10 minStep 4: Stir the strained 1 tbsp tamarind pulp with 4 bird's eye chillies, ½ red onion, 1 tsp sugar, ¼ tsp salt and the tomato if using. Set aside so the onion softens.
Step 5: Heat a charcoal grill, gas barbecue or ridged grill pan to a medium-high heat. Soften the 2 banana leaves by passing them briefly over the flame until they turn glossy and bendable.
Step 6: Spread the sambal over both sides of each fish, pushing it into the slashes. Lay each fish on a banana leaf and fold the leaf loosely over the top.
Step 7: Grill for 8–10 minutes, then flip the parcels and grill 8–10 minutes more, until the leaf is charred in patches. A common mistake is to grill the bare fish on high heat: the sambal burns black long before the middle is cooked, so keep the leaf between fish and fire.
18 minStep 8: Open a parcel and check the thickest part next to the head: the flesh should be white, opaque and flake easily from the bone (145°F/145 °F). If it still looks glassy, close it and grill 3–4 minutes more.
Step 9: Serve the fish on its leaf with 1 lime wedges, the air asam dip and steamed rice.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 42 g
- Carbs
- 12 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does ikan bakar take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of ground turmeric?
- Leave it out (it mostly adds colour).
- What can I use instead of lime?
- Lemon, same amount.
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