Portuguese Style Grilled Fish
Ingredients
- 4 large cencaru fish or any other fish, cleaned
- Aluminum foil or banana leaves
- Several stalks of polygonum leaves (daun kesum)
- Sliced okra, boiled (for garnish)
Spice paste
- 4 tablespoons ground dried chili or chili boh
- 2 candlenuts
- 6 shallots
- 4 garlic cloves
- 2 lemongrass stalks
- 2 slices galangal
- 2 kaffir lime leaves
- 1 inch turmeric
Seasonings
- Salt, to taste
- Sugar, to taste
- Monosodium glutamate (MSG), to taste
Preparation
Sauce
Grind the candlenuts, shallots, garlic, lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, and turmeric together, excluding the chili.
Cook the ground mixture with the ground chili until the oil separates, similar to making sambal.
Add the polygonum leaves, salt, sugar, and MSG to taste.
Set the sauce aside.
Cooking
Place the fish into aluminum foil lined with banana leaves.
Pour the prepared sauce over the fish.
Bake in an air fryer at 100°C for 9 minutes or until cooked.
Sprinkle with boiled sliced okra and serve.
Tips
This dish is ideal for breaking the fast during Ramadan and is likely to be enjoyed by family.
Prepare extra sauce and store it in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks; when ready to use, simply coat the fish and grill as usual to save time and money.
