Oven Grilled Fish With Kaffir Lime Leaves Sambal Filling In Banana Leaf

I love fish and I actually don't mind having fish every day, of course prepared in different ways. Steaming is one of my favorite way but oven grilled is another way to serve the fish.  Especially if wrapped in banana leaf and grilled in the oven.  Today, I want to share with you how I made the fish more appetizing with home prepared sambal fillings. I have added kaffir lime leaves to this sambal mixture making it so lip-smacking good !  This is one modern asian way of grilling fish in banana leaf.  The traditional way is to grill it over a charcoal fire.....but modern times, we just dump it into the oven and grill it :)  I can eat this everyday :)

Step one, pound some fresh chillies using a mortar and pestle , if you want it more hot you can add some bird's eye chillies, while toasting some belacan ( shrimp paste ) in the background. Once the belacan is nicely toasted and fragrant and while still hot, add to the pounded chillies and continue pounding till the belacan  is well combined into the pounded chillies..your sambal is ready for use.

Step two :  slice shallots and kaffir lime  leaves thinly and add to the sambal . This makes the most fragrant and delicious filling for the fish.

Step three :  slit the fish from top to bottom on both sides, stuff the sambal mixture into the slits

Step four :  once the fish is stuffed with the sambal fillings on both sides, wrap with banana leaf 

Step five:  use a cocktail skewer to hold both ends of the banana leaf and place it on an aluminium lined tray and grill for 15-18 mins in a preheated oven of 200C

 Step six:  Take it out of the oven and serve immediately

the most delicious oven grilled fish done the modern asian way

Don't know what to cook this weekend...try this !

ingredient for the kaffir leaves sambal filling

fresh chillies-  a handful, cleaned and deseed
a few bird's eye chillies- for extra hot
1 inch toasted belacan ( shrimp paste )

2 kaffir lime leaves - sliced into fine shreds
5 shallots - thinly sliced

Pound chillies in traditional mortar and pestle till pulp..meanwhile toasting the belacan in a wok over low heat..once the belacan is fragrant and well toasted, add to the pounded chillies and continue pounding till well combined.   Add the sliced shallots and kaffir leaves and mix till well combined.

Fish- Ikan  Cincaru or Ikan Selar or Mambong
a few banana leaves and bamboo skewer for wrapping

Stuff the Cincaru Fish with the kaffir lime
leaves sambal and grill in a preheated oven of 200C for 15-18 mintues wrapped in banana leaf

Happy Friday to all :)