Malauysian Grilled Fish Recipes
I came from an island in Malaysia called Penang where fish are abundant and caught off the coasts of the island. We have many great fish recipes but this Grilled Fish with banana leaf is the best!
The local name for this recipe is ikan bakar or ikan panggang. Imagine fresh fish grill marinated with a spice marinade, wrapped with banana leaves and grilled to perfection! My mouth is watering at the very thought of it.
Sambal is the spice paste and marinade for fish. It’s spicy, aromatic, pungent, salty, sweet, with perfect balance of taste.
How to Grill Fish?
You can grill fish on an outdoor grill. You can also use the stove top.
I really urge you to try this grilled fish recipe and have put together a step-by-step picture guide in the gallery above for your easy reference. I think my late grandmother and parents would have been so proud of me had they tasted my grilled fish with banana leaf.
How Many Calories per Serving?
This recipe is only 325 calories per serving.
What Dishes to Serve with This Recipe?
For a wholesome meal and easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes.
Grilled Fish with Banana Leaf
Malaysian grilled fish wrapped with banana leaves. Moist, aromatic, spicy, and full of flavor. The best grilled fish recipe ever!
Ingredients
- 1 lb. red snapper, cleaned and scales removed
- A few sheets banana leaf rinsed with water thoroughly and pat dry with paper towels
Grilled Fish Sambal:
- 6 oz. fresh red chilies, seeded and cut into small pieces
- 1 tablespoon toasted belacan Malaysian shrimp paste
- 4 oz. shallots
- 1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce
- 2 1/2 teaspoons sugar or to taste
- 1/2 lime extract juice
- 2 lemongrass cut into thin slices
- 4 tablespoons oil
Sambal Belacan and Sliced Shallots Condiment:
- 3 red chilies seeded
- 2 bird’s eye chilies seeded, optional
- 1 teaspoon toasted belacan
- 2 shallots thinly sliced
- 1/8 teaspoon sugar
- Salt to taste
- 8 tablespoons water + tamarind pulp size of a small ping pong ball
Directions
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1Banana leaves in a flat pan
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2Lay the fish in the pan
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3Add sambal on top of the fish
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4Spread it evenly on the fish
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5Turn up heat and cover with a lid
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6Cover the corners with a towel to trap the heat
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7Flip the fish over and add more sambal
Grilled Fish Sambal
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1
Prepare the sambal by grinding chilies, shallots, belacan and lemongrass in a food processor. Make sure the sambal paste is well blended and smooth.
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2
Heat up a wok and "tumis" (stir-fry) the sambal paste until aromatic or when the oil separates from the sambal paste. Add the seasonings: salt, sugar, and fish sauce and do a quick stir, dish out and set aside.
Sambal Belacan and Sliced Shallots Condiment
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1
Soak the tamarind pulp with water for 15 minutes and extract the juice. In a mortar and pestle or food processor, pound/blend the red chilies, bird’s eye chilies, and toasted belacan. Add tamarind juice, sugar, salt, and sliced shallots to the sambal. Stir well and set aside.
Grilled Fish with Banana Leaf
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1
Grease a flat pan (I used a Japanese tamagoyaki pan) and then lay a few sheets of banana leaves in the pan. Add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil on top of the banana leaves and spread the oil evenly. Lay the fish on top of the banana leaves and add 3 tablespoons of sambal on top of the fish. Heat up the pan on your stove top over medium heat and cover it with a lid.
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2
Use a towel to cover the corners of the pan in case the lid is too small to completely cover the pan. This will ensure the heat traps inside the pan during the grilling process. Wait for 8 minutes or so and flip the fish over to the other side. Add 3 more tablespoons of sambal on the other side. Cook for another 8 minutes or so. By then, you can smell the sweet aroma of burnt banana leaves and grilled fish. Dish out and serve immediately with sambal belacan and sliced shallots condiment.
I have tried this recipe in multiple occasions. It is excellent.
Hello Bee
Can this sambal be made without belachan. My family do not like belachan and what can I use as substitute. Thanks.
Fish sauce.
Hi can I know how many Chillies and shallots are we looking at in 6oz and 4oz respectively? Thank u.