FISH stuffed with sambal is a popular dish at many Malay food stalls. Some Nyonya restaurants also have their own versions of this dish, usually including kaffir lime leaves in the seasoning. The fish used for this dish is almost invariably the local cencaru, or hardtail scad, also named torpedo scad or hardtail mackerel.
The ideal length of fish for this dish is about 30cm, although larger fish may sometimes be available at the market. Cencaru sumbat sambal may be served hot or cold, but it is best enjoyed with steaming hot white rice. — Photos ART CHEN/The Star When blending the sambal paste, avoid adding water so that it dries quickly when sauteing.
Instead, use some of the oil allocated for sauteing the spices, to help lubricate it in the food processor. This recipe, taken from our Kuali archives, will yield enough sambal paste to generously fill the pockets made in the back of five fish as well as in their stomach cavities. Many types of fish may be used to stuff with sambal, but cencaru is a favourite because of the firmness of its flesh and good flavour.
My first encounter with this dish was when my aunt prepared it for us at our home. While most cooks would fry the fish directly in the oil, she used banana leaf to line the pan before frying. The banana leaf not only imparts a distinctive aroma to the fish, it also helps create a non-stick barrier to keep the sambal from coming into direct contact with the pan and burning.
Saute the sambal paste in oil until dry and .
