Sambal stingray, also known as Spicy Banana Leaf Stingray
and by the Malay name Ikan bakar (barbecued fish), is a Malaysian/Singaporean seafood dish. Prepared by barbecuing
stingray
Stingrays are a group of sea rays, which are cartilaginous fish related to sharks. They are classified in the suborder Myliobatoidei of the order Myliobatiformes and consist of eight families: Hexatrygonidae (sixgill stingray), Plesiobatidae ( ...
, it is served with
sambal
Sambal is an Indonesian chilli sauce or paste, typically made from a mixture of a variety of chilli peppers with secondary ingredients, such as shrimp paste, garlic, ginger, shallot, scallion, palm sugar, and lime juice. ''Sambal'' is an Indo ...
paste atop. Sambal stingray can be easily purchased at hawker centers in both Malaysia and Singapore.
History
Stingray was previously deemed as not popular and was cheap to purchase; given the enhancement of its taste, the value of stingray in markets has since risen. Originating from Malaysia, the dish is now also popular among Singaporeans.
Its Malay name is Ikan bakar, which literally means barbecued fish.
Ingredients
The sambal paste served with the stingray is made up of spices (sometimes including
belachan), Indian walnuts, and
shallots
The shallot is a botanical variety (a cultivar) of the onion. Until 2010, the (French red) shallot was classified as a separate species, ''Allium ascalonicum''. The taxon was synonymized with ''Allium cepa'' (the common onion) in 2010, as the d ...
.
Other ingredients may include garlic, sugar,
Chinese parsley, or raw
peanut
The peanut (''Arachis hypogaea''), also known as the groundnut, goober (US), pindar (US) or monkey nut (UK), is a legume crop grown mainly for its edible Seed, seeds. It is widely grown in the tropics and subtropics, important to both small ...
s. The paste is then spread on top of stingray fins,
preferably fresh ones. In addition, female ones are preferred to male ones. White fish is in some instances used as an alternative, usually when stingray cannot be found.
Flavor enhancers include white pepper or salt.
Other recipes involve small amounts of brandy and olive oil. The dish is commonly accompanied with lime or lemon.
Preparation
Usually wrapped in
banana leaves
The banana leaf is the leaf of the banana plant, which may produce up to 40 leaves in a growing cycle. The leaves have a wide range of applications because they are large, flexible, waterproof and decorative. They are used for cooking, wrapping ...
for ten minutes to cook, the fins of the stingray are first chopped to smaller bits.
It also can be wrapped in ginger leaves or aluminium foil.
Sambal stingray is charcoal-grilled.
Culture
Part of Malaysian cuisine, brought by the Portuguese traders to Malacca and used local ingredients. It is a Eurasian dish.
See also
*
Malaysian cuisine
Malaysian cuisine consists of cooking traditions and practices found in Malaysia, and reflects the multi-ethnic makeup of its population. The vast majority of Malaysia's population can roughly be divided among three major ethnic groups: Mala ...
*
Cuisine of Singapore
Singaporean cuisine is derived from several ethnic groups in Singapore and has developed through centuries of political, economic, and social changes in the cosmopolitan city-state.
Influences include the cuisines of the Malays, the Chinese ...
References
{{Reflist
Fish dishes
Singaporean cuisine
Chili pepper dishes
Spicy foods