Name: Ikan Bakar Sambal (Malaysian Grilled Sambal Fish)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Malaysian
Ingredients: 350 g Mackerel, whole cleaned fish or thick pieces; 2 Banana Leaves, cleaned and softened over heat; 8 Dried Red Chili Peppers, soaked; ½ cup Shallots, roughly chopped; 3 clove Garlic, roughly chopped; 1 inch Ginger, sliced; 1 Lemongrass, tender lower part sliced; ½ tsp Shrimp Paste, belacan-style; 1 tbsp Tamarind Paste; 1 tsp Palm Sugar, grated; 1 tbsp Lemon Juice, for serving; 2 tbsp Cooking Oil; ¾ tsp Salt, divided

Ikan Bakar Sambal (Malaysian Grilled Sambal Fish)

1 hrtotal

45 min hands-on15 min hands-off

Prep 20 min · Cook 25 min

Serves: 2
Difficulty: Medium
Spice: Spicy

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Method

Blend soaked chilies, shallots, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, shrimp paste, tamarind paste, palm sugar, and part of the salt into a thick sambal paste.
Heat oil in a pan and cook the sambal paste until it darkens slightly and smells rounded, not raw.
Rub the fish with remaining salt, then coat generously with the cooked sambal paste. Rest for 15 minutes.
15 min
Place the fish on softened banana leaves and grill or pan-grill until the fish is fully cooked and lightly charred at the edges.
Brush with any remaining sambal while cooking, but avoid burning the paste.
Finish with lemon juice and serve hot.

How to tell it's done

The fish should flake easily, the sambal should cling as a thick coating, and the banana leaf should give a smoky aroma.

Getting it right

Tip

Cook the sambal before marinating; raw chili paste can taste harsh and may burn before the fish cooks.

What to serve it with

Serve with plain rice, cucumber slices, and extra lemon wedges.

Substitutions

Use another firm fish if mackerel is unavailable, but keep the sambal paste thick so it clings during grilling.

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Ingredients