Malaysian Ikan Bakar (Grilled Fish) Recipe

When it comes to grilling seafood, especially fish, there is hardly a recipe better than the ones found in tropical lands. One such exotic grilled fish recipe being the Indonesian Ikan Bakar, which is fish fillet smothered in a fiery spice paste, sambal, covered in a banana leaf and cooked on a charcoal fire. Needless to say, this Malay classic cannot be missed. Follow the recipe below to try out this smoky grilled fish tonight.

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Malaysian Ikan Bakar (Grilled Fish) Recipe

A spiced Malaysian grilled fish.

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Course

Side Dish, Snacks, Starters

Cuisine

Malaysian

Prep Time

25 minutes

Cook Time

20 minutes

Servings

fish MetricUS Imperial

Ingredients

For The Sambal Belacan and Sliced Shallots Dipping Sauce

• 3 fresh red chilies deseeded
• 2 bird's eye chillies deseeded
• 1 tsp toasted belacan
• 2 Shallots thinly sliced
• 8 tbsp water + tamarind pulp
• sugar to taste
• salt to taste

Fish

• 450 gram fish fillet or whole fish

For The Sambal

• 170 gram fresh red chilies deseeded and cut into small pieces
• 1 tbsp toasted belacan (Malaysian shrimp paste)
• 140 gram Shallots
• 1/4 tsp Salt or to taste
• 2 tsp fish sauce or to taste
• 2.5 tsp sugar or to taste
• Juice from half a lime or one whole calamansi lime
• 2 Lemongrass cut into thin slices
• 1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
• 4 tbsp Oil

Course Side Dish, Snacks, Starters Cuisine Malaysian Prep Time 25 minutes Cook Time 20 minutes Servings fish MetricUS Imperial Ingredients For The Sambal Belacan and Sliced Shallots Dipping Sauce 3 fresh red chilies deseeded 2 bird's eye chillies deseeded 1 tsp toasted belacan 2 Shallots thinly sliced 8 tbsp water + tamarind pulp sugar to taste salt to taste Fish 450 gram fish fillet or whole fish For The Sambal 170 gram fresh red chilies deseeded and cut into small pieces 1 tbsp toasted belacan (Malaysian shrimp paste) 140 gram Shallots 1/4 tsp Salt or to taste 2 tsp fish sauce or to taste 2.5 tsp sugar or to taste Juice from half a lime or one whole calamansi lime 2 Lemongrass cut into thin slices 1/4 tsp Turmeric powder 4 tbsp Oil

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Instructions

For The Sambal

1. Grind the chilies, shallots, belacan and lemongrass in a food processor to get a well blended and smooth.
2. Heat up a wok and stir-fry the sambal paste until aromatic or until the oil separates from the sambal paste.
3. Add the seasonings: salt, sugar, and fish sauce and stir. Dish out and set aside.

For The Dipping Sauce

1. Soak the tamarind pulp in water for 15 minutes and extract the juice.
2. Pound/blend the red chilies, bird’s eye chilies, and toasted belacan in a blender or a pestle and mortar.
3. Add tamarind juice, sugar, salt, and sliced shallots to the sambal. Stir well and set aside.

Grilling the Fish

1. Lay a few sheets of banana leaves and grease the surface of the banana leaves with some oil. Lay the fish fillet on top of the banana leaves and add about 2 – 3 tablespoons of sambal on top of the fish. Spread the sambal evenly.
2. Place the fish on top of the grill (upper rack with indirect heat) and cover the grill. Wait for approximately 8 minutes (depending on the heat) and flip the fish over to the other side. Add 2 – 3 more tablespoons of sambal on the other side of the fish. Cook for another 8 minutes or until the fish is cooked.
3. Transfer the fish and the banana leaves to the lower rack and grill for a couple of minutes with direct heat and cook until you smell the aroma of burnt banana leaves.
4. Serve immediately with sambal belacan and sliced shallots dip.