Hot Off The Grill

By FARIDAH BEGUM
Photo by BRIAN MOH

The ikan bakar is one irresistible dish not only during Ramadan but all year round.

THE aroma of grilled fish never fails to arouse the growling stomach, especially during the fasting month and at 5pm in the evening.

Grilled fish, or ikan bakar, literally translated from Malay to mean burnt fish, can actually make or break a fast.

It is hard not to imagine the slightly charred fish – fresh, flavourful and succulent – eaten with the delightful kicap or air asam, which is the dark soya sauce or tamarind juice with sliced shallots, bird’s-eye chillies and a dash of lime to go.


Tantalising: The ikan bakar, grilled to perfection, with some chilli to spice it up.

It is also one of the dishes that will ensure you have the second and third helping of rice.

The fish on its own is truly healthy as not a drop of oil is added while it is being grilled. And if the fish is really fresh, it can be had on its own without the sauces.

So, what actually makes ikan bakar so irresistible?

If at all, it is just a fish that has some salt or none at all rubbed over it and then it is placed on the grill, with the heat coming from hot glowing embers of charcoal.

In some instances, sambal or a chilli paste is slapped on to the fish to flavour it. Either way, it is not the ingredients but the slow cooking over the hot embers that brings out the great flavour of the fish.

A word of caution if you are trying to grill the fish at home: Make sure you have glowing embers at the bottom of your grill and not a bonfire as it could turn your fish into a log – hard, dry and burnt.

A good way to ensure that the fish is not charred beyond recognition is by wrapping the fish in a piece of banana leaf. Besides, this would add a nice fragrant aroma to the fish.

Many types of fish can be grilled but the best is the ikan kembung (mackerel), ikan pari (stingray), ikan jenahak, ikan bawal hitam, siakap, kerapu and ikan merah.

Oily fish such as terubok is equally good for grilling, as the fish would be flavoured with its own oil. Terubok is normally grilled with its scales.

The fish must be fresh, meaning it is preferably not from the freezer and its eyes are bright and not bloodshot. If the fish is even just a notch under fresh, it will not be an aroma to look forward to but a stink and very mushy flesh, nothing like the firm flesh that fish ought to be after it is cooked.

At many ikan bakar outlets, patrons are allowed to choose their “catch” and it is immediately cleaned and placed on the grill.

Besides fish, other seafood like prawns, squids, mussels and crabs are also part of the ikan bakar menu.

Good eaten on its own, the ikan bakar is even better with some rice, a hot and sour soup like tom yam or a spicy version such as ox-tail or rib soup and a nice vegetable dish, especially kailan with salted fish to round up the dish.

The fish is done simply enough but to have it with equally simple complementing dishes, it is the pathway to heaven!

Ikan bakar is easily available this month at Ramadan bazaars nationwide. Tom yam or Thai food stalls in most cities and towns serve grilled fish and are often the recommended dish of the outlet.

It is an especially popular dish that has its own dedicated outlets in all coastal towns in Malacca, Penang, Kedah, Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang.

In Malacca, a dedicated seafood complex was built in Umbai, Serkam, where some 20 traders sell grilled fish and seafood nightly accompanied with packets of nasi lemak, piled in sixes on plates at every table.

In Penang, at all night food areas, especially those where you can dine al fresco, grilled fish will definitely be on the menu.

In Kelantan, Tawang is the most popular town where grilled fish is available, besides the numerous Thai food outlets in Kota Baru.

Terengganu has grilled fish outlets scattered all along its coastline and the people here have grilled fish almost on a daily basis.

In Pahang, both sides of the road heading towards Pekan from Kuantan are dotted with fresh seafood outlets, where grilled fish tops the menu. A recommended outlet is Tanjung, where some 20 species of fish are available.

In Kuala Lumpur, The Star Guide to Malaysian Street Food recommends Sri Melaka Ikan Panggang in Jalan Bellamy (behind the Istana Negara) where the fish is marinated in a mixture of turmeric, salt, pepper and chili powder and then grilled.

In city centre, in Jalan Petaling, next to the Hong Leong Bank, is a stall that has a long queue after 6pm where fish and seafood are wrapped in aluminium foil and grilled.

In Kampung Baru, the Juara Tomyam is one of the best places to have grilled fish all year round.

Near the National Mosque in Jalan Cenderasari, Ikan Bakar Pak Din, which is Stall No.5 of the Kompleks Makan Tanglin, is a hot favourite, where the fish is only marinated with turmeric, salt and pepper and then grilled. It is the tamarind sauce that makes the difference here.