Go Back
+ servings
grilled fish
Print Recipe
4.67 from 21 votes

Spicy Grilled Fish

Spicy Grilled Fish - grilled fish wrapped with banana leaves with spice marinade and seasoning. The fish is so tender, moist, with intense aroma and flavors.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time5 minutes
Total Time20 minutes
Course: Malaysian Recipes
Cuisine: Fish
Keyword: Grilled Fish
Servings: 3 people
Calories: 388kcal
Author: Bee Yinn Low

Ingredients

  • 1 lb (500g) fish fillet or whole fish (for example: red snapper)

Grilled Fish Sambal:

  • 6 oz (170g) fresh red chilies seeded and cut into small pieces
  • 4 oz(120g) shallots
  • 1 tablespoon toasted belacan Malaysian shrimp paste
  • 2 lemongrass cut into thin slices
  • 4 tablespoons oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
  • 2 teaspoons fish sauce to taste
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons sugar or to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 1/2 lime or 1 calamansi lime extract the juice

Sambal Belacan and Sliced Shallots Condiment:

  • tamarind pulp ping pong ball size
  • 8 tablespoons water
  • 3 fresh red chilies seeded
  • 2 bird's eye chilies seeded
  • 1 teaspoon toasted belacan
  • sugar to taste
  • salt to taste
  • 2 shallots thinly sliced

Instructions

Grilled Fish Sambal:

  • Prepare the sambal by grinding chilies, shallots, belacan and lemongrass in a food processor. Make sure the sambal paste is well blended and smooth.
  • Heat up a wok and add the oil. "Tumis” (stir-fry) the sambal paste until aromatic or when the oil separates from the sambal paste. Add the seasonings: salt, fish sauce and sugar and do a quick stirs, dish out and set aside.

Sambal Belacan and Sliced Shallots Condiment:

  • Soak the tamarind pulp with the 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.

Grilling the Fish:

  • 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 rub the turmeric powder on both sides of the fish. Add about 2 - 3 tablespoons of sambal on top of the fish. Spread the sambal evenly. Drizzle the lime juice on the fish.
  • Place the fish on top of the grill (upper rack with indirect heat) and cover the grill. Wait for 8 minutes or so (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.
  • Transfer the fish and the banana leaves to the lower rack and grill for a couple of minutes with direct heat, or when you smell the sweet aroma of burnt banana leaves.
  • Transfer out and serve immediately with sambal belacan and sliced shallots condiment.

Notes

    Nutrition

    Serving: 3people | Calories: 388kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 39g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 152mg | Sodium: 798mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 13g