Ikan Bakar

Name: Ikan Bakar
Cook time: 85 min
Total time: 85 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Malaysian
Ingredients: 2 Ikan Kembungs, scaled and gutted; 2 leaves of Banana Leaves, large enough to wrap the fish; 2 tbsp Cooking Oil, for basting; 4 Calamansis, cut into wedges; 10 Dried Red Chilies, soaked and deseeded; 4 Fresh Red Chilies; 8 Shallots; 4 cloves of Garlic; 2 stalks of Lemongrass, tender inner part only; 2 1/2 centimeters of Galangal, piece; 2 1/2 cms of Fresh Turmeric; 1 tbsp Belacan, lightly toasted; 2 tbsp Tamarind Paste; 4 tbsp Water, for tamarind paste; 1 tbsp Palm Sugar (Gula Melaka), grated; 1 tsp Salt, fine; 3 tbsp Cooking Oil, to fry the paste; 2 tbsp Tamarind Paste; 100ml Water, warm; 1 Red Onion, thinly sliced; 1 Tomato, diced; 2 1/2 Bird's Eye Chilies, sliced; 1 tsp Belacan, toasted and crumbled; 1 tsp Sugar; 1/2 tsp Salt

Ikan Bakar is a smoky, tangy grilled mackerel slathered in a fragrant spice paste and charred on banana leaves. The combination of shallots, chilies, belacan, tamarind and palm sugar creates a glossy, caramelized coating that pairs beautifully with a bright tomato-chili sambal and fresh calamansi.

Ikan Bakar is a smoky, tangy grilled mackerel slathered in a fragrant spice paste and charred on banana leaves. The combination of... Show more

Traditional Malaysian Recipe

Health Grade

A · Excellent

Rating

4.0

Time

1 hr20 min

Price

2,03 €

Calories

572 kcal

low calorie

healthy

nutritious

gluten free

Method

Prep the fish

Rinse the Ikan Kembung under cold water, pat it dry, and make 2 or 3 shallow slashes on each side so the sambal can cling to the flesh. Wipe the Banana Leaves clean with a damp cloth and briefly warm them over a low flame or a dry pan until they become soft and glossy. Cover the Dried Red Chilies with hot water and soak them for 15 minutes until pliable, then drain and deseed them. While they soak, peel the Shallots and Garlic, trim the tender inner part of the Lemongrass, and cut the Galangal and Fresh Turmeric into smaller pieces. Lightly toast the Belacan in a dry pan just until it smells nutty, then let it cool.

Blend the sambal

Add the softened chilies, Fresh Red Chilies, the shallots, garlic, lemongrass, galangal, turmeric, and cooled belacan to a blender with Tamarind Paste, Water, Palm Sugar (Gula Melaka), and Salt. Blend to a thick, slightly coarse paste, stopping once or twice to scrape down the sides; if the blades stall, add just a spoonful more water rather than thinning it too much.

Cook the sambal

Heat the Cooking Oil in a pan over medium heat, then fry the sambal paste for 10 minutes, stirring often so it doesn't catch. Keep cooking until it darkens, smells rich and fragrant, and you can see the oil starting to separate from the paste.

Marinate the fish

Let the sambal cool for a few minutes, then spread it all over the fish, rubbing it into the slashes and inside the cavity. Lay each fish on softened banana leaf, wrap it snugly, and let it marinate for 20 minutes so the flavor sinks in.

Grill the fish

Heat a grill or grill pan over medium-high heat. Lay on the wrapped fish and grill for 6 minutes per side, turning carefully with tongs and brushing the outside with a little oil as needed. The leaves should char in spots, the sambal should smell smoky, and the fish should flake easily at the thickest part.

Mix the dipping sauce

In a small bowl, stir the remaining tamarind paste into warm water until smooth, then add the Red Onion, Tomato, Bird's Eye Chilies, Belacan, Sugar, and salt. Mix well and let the sauce sit for 10 minutes so the onion softens a little and the flavors meld.

Serve hot

Unwrap the fish, transfer it to a platter, spoon over any sambal left in the banana leaves, and serve hot with the dipping sauce and Calamansi wedges. Let everyone squeeze the calamansi over the fish at the table for a bright, tangy finish.