Kampung Classics · Sambal & Cili · Dinner
Cheesy Ikan Sumbat Cili
A kampung favourite reinvented: butterflied ikan cencaru rubbed with turmeric and salt, stuffed with a tamarind-spiked sambal and Perfect Italiano Mozzarella, then wrapped in pandan or banana leaf and baked.
- Cooking time
- 60 min
- Servings
- 2 pax
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
What you’ll need
Ingredients
Serves 2
- 2 whole ikan cencaru (hardtail scad), slit along the back and cleaned
- 250g Perfect Italiano Mozzarella
- Salt and turmeric powder, to taste
- Pandan leaves, banana leaves or nyirik leaves, for wrapping
- 5 red chillies, coarsely pounded
- 2 stalks lemongrass, coarsely pounded
- 6 shallots, finely pounded
- 3 cloves garlic, finely pounded
- 2 candlenuts, finely pounded
- 1 tbsp tamarind juice
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp anchovy (ikan bilis) stock powder
- Salt, to taste
- 1 tbsp cooking oil
Step by step
Method
- 1
Make the sambal: heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok and saute the pounded ingredients until fragrant. Add the tamarind juice, anchovy stock powder, brown sugar and salt to taste. Adjust the seasoning and let the sambal cool slightly.
- 2
Rub the cleaned fish all over with a little salt and turmeric powder.
- 3
Spoon sambal into the cavity of each fish, then stuff with Perfect Italiano Mozzarella.
- 4
Wrap the fish in pandan, banana or nyirik leaves so the slit side is fully covered.
- 5
Arrange the fish on a baking tray and bake in an oven preheated to 190-200C for 20-25 minutes, or until the fish is cooked through.
Keep cooking
