Indonesian Grilled Mackerel
Ingredients
- 1 kg mackerel fish (or substitute with other fish)
- Salt to taste
- Juice of 1 lime (or tamarind paste to taste)
Ground spices
- 3-4 cloves garlic
- 8 shallots
- 4-6 bird's eye chilies (or substitute with curly red chilies)
- 8 curly red chilies (to taste)
- 1 inch ginger
- Salt to taste
- 1 cm turmeric (optional, baked or not)
- 3 candlenuts (toasted)
- 100-150 ml vegetable oil for blending
Seasoning additions
- 1/4 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper powder
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
- Lime juice or other acid to taste
- Sweet soy sauce to taste (e.g., 5-7 tablespoons, optional)
Preparation
Clean the fish, rub with salt and lime juice, let sit for 15 minutes, then wash and drain. Optionally, fry until half-cooked in a non-stick pan.
Mix the ground spices with oil, chicken bouillon powder, black pepper, sugar, sweet soy sauce, and lime juice, stir well, taste, and ensure sweet soy sauce is prominent.
Coat the fish evenly with the spice mixture and add margarine if desired.
Marinate for 30 minutes to allow flavors to absorb.
Grill until cooked, basting occasionally with the sauce.
Tips
Reduce the amount of chilies if you do not like spicy food.
Always add oil when blending the spices to avoid thickness and ensure it's suitable for basting during grilling.
