Balinese Grilled Fish Recipe is a way to make grilled fish dishes wrapped in Balinese spices. Bumbu Bali has a characteristic, namely, the taste is rich in spices. The main key to its deliciousness is in the balance of the main ingredients of this seasoning .
The main ingredient is usually called a big base or genep. Basa gede has 4 basic ingredients, namely galangal (isen), ginger (jae), turmeric (turmeric), and also kencur (cakuh). In addition, Balinese spices also add shallots, chilies, garlic, and other spices.
The eight ingredients symbolize a mountain, while salt and shrimp paste symbolize the sea. Thus, a total of 10 ingredients are believed to form the central axis, namely the power of Lord Shiva who can protect food from germs.
The History of Balinese Spices
Before discussing the Bali Jimbaran Seasoned Grilled Fish recipe, which is a delicious dish. It’s good if you know the history of the origin of Balinese spices based on the beliefs of the local community.
Although no one knows when this spice was first known or formulated. However, some people believe that this spice is a blessing from the gods for the Pandavas. The taste is salty for Yudhishthira, bitter for Arjuna, sweet for Sahadeva, astringent for Bima, and spicy for Nakula.
While Draupadi got the blessing of sour taste. All of these flavors embody the taste of several ingredients. For example kencur for salty taste, turmeric for bitter taste, garlic and red for sweet taste, galangal for astringent taste. Ginger for a spicy taste, and lime for sour taste.
These ingredients match the list of ingredients to make Balinese spices with the addition of candlenut, cardamom, coconut, and coriander that grows in Bali. Bumbu Bali itself has also experienced various changes according to local wisdom.
Especially during the 17th century, when the Gelgel Kingdom in Bali merged into 9 different kingdoms. Starting from Karangasem, Buleleng, Jembrana, Gianyar, Bangli, Tabanan, Badung, Klungkung, and Mengwi.
Thus, each king from each kingdom held a ritual offering that was tailored to the characteristics of their respective kingdoms. One of the offerings is food whose taste and seasoning must also be adjusted to local wisdom.
Tips for grilling fish so the meat doesn’t crumble
When grilling fish, maybe some of you feel annoyed because the fish meat sticks to the grill and makes the meat crumble. Well, this time we will discuss tips for grilling fish in the Balinese Spiced Grilled Fish recipe which is non-sticky, and also the meat is not easily destroyed. Check out the following tips!
1. Use Fish with Thick Flesh
The first tip you need to do is choose a type of fish that has thick meat as fuel for grilled fish. Because the thickness of the fish meat is the main factor that affects whether the meat is crushed or not during the roasting process.
Thick fish meat certainly won’t break easily when you grill it. Several types of fish with thick flesh, such as carp, snapper, and pomfret.
2. By Fish Surface Using Cooking Oil
Before grilling the fish, make sure you have greased it first with cooking oil. Just thin, as long as the entire surface is exposed to oil. Alternatively, you can add grated oil to the marinade or grilled fish. The purpose of applying oil is to prevent fish meat from sticking to the grill and tongs.
3. Use clean tongs and grill tools
Do not use a grill or claw that still has charcoal stains on it. Because these stains can stick to the meat of the fish and fish also tend to stick more easily to the grill iron or claw. Therefore, first clean the grill equipment before you use it to burn fish.
4. Cover the Grill with Banana Leaves
Avoid placing the fish directly on the surface of the grill, if you don’t have tongs. It’s better to first line the grill iron using banana leaves or aluminum foil just after the coals are lit. Then the fish will not be easily destroyed and perfectly cooked.
Balinese Grilled Fish Recipe with Jimbaran Seasoning
Balinese Jimbaran Seasoned Grilled Fish Recipe
Ingredients
the main ingredient
- 3 fish (any kind)
- 3 limes
Seasoning Ingredients
- 1 onion
- 4 tomatoes
- 2 large red chilies
- 30 cloves garlic
- 15 curly red chilies
- 4 pecans
- 150 ml cooking oil
- 8 tbsp palm sugar
- 1 tbsp tamarind (to taste)
- 6 tbsp tbsp chili sauce
- 6 tbsp tbsp tomato sauce
- 4 tbsp oyster sauce
- 200 ml sweet soy sauce
- 2 tbsp powdered broth
- 500 ml water
Instructions
- Coat the fish with lime juice to remove the fishy smell. Set aside
- Cut the onions, tomatoes, red chilies, garlic, curly red chilies, and candlenuts.
- Heat cooking oil in a frying pan, fry all the ingredients that have been cut until slightly wilted.
- Remove, let stand until room temperature, then puree using a blender.
- Fry the ground spices in a frying pan with the addition of water and cooking oil. Stir briefly.
- Add palm sugar and tamarind, stir until sugar and tamarind dissolve.
- Pour in the chili sauce, tomato sauce, oyster sauce, and powdered stock, mix well.
- Pour some more water. Stir briefly.
- Add sweet soy sauce, stir again. Cover the spices let it boil, then stir.
- Remove the spices when the texture has thickened.
- Prepare the grill, put the fish on the grill, then brush the fish with Balinese spices until smooth.
- Continue to spread the fish while grilled. Don’t forget to turn it over when one side of the fish is cooked.
- Lift and serve.
