Grilled fish

Home-grilled ikan siakap, ready to be served.

The idea of having ikan bakar (grilled fish) usually brings to mind a road trip to some smokey roadside stall in some kampung far away from the city centre.

However, it is actually a super simple dish that can easily be recreated at home.

I came up with this recipe years ago after “spying” on various ikan bakar stalls and did a bit of improvising of my own. The taste is surprisingly good.

All you need is a flat pan (cast iron pan would be good), banana leaves and some seasoning.

Happy to share the recipe as it’s a very simple dish with no special ingredient or marinade required. The use of banana leaf to cook fish ensures that the skin is edible and never charred. — Contributed by TEOH KAR YEONG

IKAN BAKAR

Ingredients

600g to 800g ikan siakap (barramundi or you can also use stingray or any other fish of similar size)

Turmeric powder (or curry powder)

2 teaspoons salt

Lime

2 pcs of banana leaves big enough to cover the fish

A few tablespoons of cooking oil

Method

1. Clean and dry the fish. Cut 2 slits on both sides of the body of the fish for faster cooking.

2. Use a generous amount of turmeric and the two teaspoons of salt to rub all over the fish. Set aside for at least a few minutes.

3. Heat up a flat surface frying pan with a bit of oil, then place the banana leaf on top. This is to ensure that the leaf doesn’t burn through quickly. Then, pour 2 or 3 tablespoons of oil on top of the leaf and pan-fry the fish on the leaf for about 10 mins.

4. Proceed to fry the other side of the fish the same way with a fresh piece of banana leaf for another 8 minutes.

5. Serve with a couple slices of lime and sambal.