Ikan pari bakar is one of the most recognisable Singaporean/Malaysian national dishes. Extremely popular in both countries, “ikan pari bakar” which means “grilled stingray” in Malay, consist of a succulent marinated ray grilled on a banana leaf, lavishly topped with a layer of spicy and aromatic sambal chilli sauce. The dish shouts passion and joy in a tropical moonlit night!

Normally, this dish requires an outdoor charcoal grill for maximum effect. This is an adaptation for home cooks. Hope you can enjoy it as much as I have.

To make ikan pari bakar, here are two recipes, the first to make the sambal chilli sauce called “Sambal Belachan Goreng“, the second to make the grilled stingray.

Sambal Belachan Goreng

Ingredients:

  • 20-25 large dried red chilies
  • 10 small dried Thai Birds Eye chilies (optional)
  • 10 cloves garlic, skinned
  • 8 candle nuts
  • 1 large white onion, skinned and roughly chopped
  • 100ml water
  • 100ml vegetable oil
  • 1 tsp belachan or shrimp paste
  • 3 tbs tamarind pulp
  • 70g or 3tbs tomato concentrate
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tbs sugar

Instructions:

  1. Rinse then soak your dried chilies in lukewarm water for an hour until they are rehydrated. Optionally include Thai bird’s eye chilies if you like it really hot. Once ready, drain and set aside.
  2. In a blender, blend the chilies, onion, garlic, candle nuts into a fine pulp. Add up to 100ml of water to make it easier to blend if necessary
  3. In a pan, heat up your oil on medium heat. Stir fry your shrimp paste or belachan paste until the odour is released. Add in your paste and continue to stir fry for 10 minutes until the paste is thick and glistening.
  4. Add the tomato concentrate, tamarind, sugar and salt and continue to stir fry for another 3 minutes.
  5. Once done, set aside to cool down. Your sambal belachan goreng can be stored in a jar and kept in the fridge for up to a week.

Ikan pari bakar

Ikan pari bakar is a hallmark Malay dish, which values fresh tropical seafood and cleverly combines with a gigantic array of wonderful Southeast Asian spices and aromatics.

Traditionally, ikan pari bakar is made with banana leaves, which also contributes to its final fragrance. But I am using wax paper here should you not be able to find fresh banana leaves.

You can use any fish in the ray family, such as skate.

The first step of pan-frying is to caramelise the wing and make it crispy, thus locking the moisture inside the fish. The second step of steaming with the sambal will cook it completely.

Ingredients

  • 500g ray or skate wing
  • 1 tbs ketjap manis
  • 1 tbs sugar
  • Dash of sea salt
  • Dash of grounded black pepper
  • 5 tbs vegetable oil
  • Sambal belachan goreng

Garnishing:

  • Wedge of green lime
  • Rings of onion or shallots

You will need:

  • A large ziplock bag
  • A large non-stick pan with a cover
  • A large sheet of wax/baking paper

Instructions:

  1. Rinse and dry your ray. Enclose it in a ziplock bag with ketjap manis, salt and sugar, and leave to marinate in the fridge for an hour.
  2. Heat a pan with oil on medium high heat. Fry your ray on both sides until crispy. Once ready, place the ray including the oil on a plate or a tray.
  3. Rinse your pan and dry, then place it back on the fire on medium heat. Place a your baking paper in the pan, then put your ray and oil ion the paper.
  4. Add your desired amount of sambal belachan goreng on your ray then cover to let it steam for 5 minutes.
  5. Serve immediately on a plate with a wedge of lime and some fresh shallots or onion.