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Grilled Fish with Basil and Tomato Sambal - Ikan Bakar Colo Colo

By poisoneyes | February 26, 2008

Fish, grilled plain or wrapped in banana leaves, is very popular on the eastern Indonesian islands of Sulawesi and Maluku. This recipe from Maluku is very simple - flavoured with typical Colo Colo Sambal.

21 whole fresh fish (about 2 lbs/1 kg), or 1 1/2 lbs (700 g) fish steaks
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime or lemon juice
2 tablespoons oil
1 large banana leaf or aluminium foil, for wrapping

Colo Colo Sambal
3 to 4 red finger-length chilies or bird’s-eye chilies, deseeded and sliced
4 shallots, peeled and sliced
2 ripe tomatoes, diced
4 sprigs Asian basil, minced
4 tablespoons sweet Indonesian soy sauce (kecap manis)
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime or lemon juice

  1. If using whole fish, scale, gut and clean the fish, then make several shallow diagonal slits on each side. Season the fish with the salt and lime or lemon juice, the brush it with the oil. Set aside for 15 minutes.
  2. Make the Colo Colo Sambal by combining all the ingredients in a bowl and mixing well.
  3. Scald the banana leaf in a basin by pouring boiling water over it, then wipe it dry. Wrap the seasoned fish in the banana leaf or aluminium foil. Cook the parcel directly over hot charcoal or under a preheated broiler until the banana leaf is evenly browned and the fish is done, 10 to 15 minutes on each side.
  4. Unwrap the fish parcel and spoon the sambal over it. Serve immediately. Alternatively serve the Colo Colo sambal in a small bowl on the side.

Serves: 4
Preparation time: 20 mins
Cooking time: 30 mins


Posted in: Indonesia Foods |

One Response to “Grilled Fish with Basil and Tomato Sambal - Ikan Bakar Colo Colo”

  1. Fish Fishing Cat » Grilled Fish with Basil and Tomato Sambal - Ikan Bakar Colo Colo Says:
    February 27th, 2008 at 2:07 am

    […] healthy cooking recipes wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerpt Fish, grilled plain or wrapped in banana leaves, is very popular on the eastern Indonesian islands of Sulawesi and Maluku. This recipe from Maluku is very simple - flavoured with typical Colo Colo Sambal. 21 whole fresh fish (about 2 lbs/1 kg), or 1 1/2 lbs (700 g) fish steaks 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime or lemon juice 2 tablespoons oil 1 large banana leaf or aluminium foil, for wrapping Colo Colo Sambal 3 to 4 red finger-length chilies or bird’s-eye chilies, d […]

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