📝 About This Recipe
Transport your taste buds to the bustling night markets of Indonesia with this smoky, succulent Ikan Pari Bakar. Stingray wings are prized for their unique, gelatinous texture and lack of small bones, making them the perfect canvas for a robust, fiery 'Bumbu' spice paste. Charred over an open flame or a hot griddle in banana leaves, this dish delivers a complex profile of caramelized sweetness, aromatic lemongrass, and a lingering chili heat that defines Indonesian coastal soul food.
🥗 Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 800 grams Stingray wings (cleaned and cut into 3-4 large pieces)
- 2 pieces Kalamansi or Lime (juiced to remove fishy odor)
- 2-3 large sheets Banana leaves (softened over a flame for wrapping)
- 1 teaspoon Salt
Spice Paste (Bumbu Halus)
- 10 pieces Shallots (peeled)
- 5 cloves Garlic
- 5-8 pieces Red Bird's Eye Chilies (adjust to heat preference)
- 4 pieces Large Red Chilies (deseeded for less heat)
- 4 pieces Candlenuts (Kemiri) (toasted)
- 2 cm Fresh Turmeric (or 1 tsp turmeric powder)
- 1 teaspoon Shrimp Paste (Terasi) (toasted)
- 1.5 tablespoons Palm Sugar (Gula Jawa) (shaved)
- 4 tablespoons Vegetable Oil (for blending and sautéing)
Aromatics & Seasoning
- 2 stalks Lemongrass (bruised and tied in knots)
- 4 pieces Kaffir Lime Leaves (deveined and torn)
- 2 tablespoons Sweet Soy Sauce (Kecap Manis) (for glazing)
- 1 tablespoon Tamarind Concentrate (dissolved in 2 tbsp water)
👨🍳 Instructions
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1
Clean the stingray wings thoroughly under cold water. Pat them completely dry with paper towels to ensure the marinade sticks.
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2
Rub the fish with lime juice and 1 teaspoon of salt. Let it marinate for 15 minutes, then rinse briefly and pat dry again.
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3
Place all 'Spice Paste' ingredients (shallots, garlic, chilies, candlenuts, turmeric, shrimp paste, and palm sugar) into a blender with 2 tablespoons of oil. Blitz until a smooth, vibrant paste forms.
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4
Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a wok or skillet over medium heat. Sauté the spice paste along with the bruised lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves.
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5
Cook the paste for 5-7 minutes until the oil starts to separate (pecah minyak) and the raw smell of the aromatics disappears.
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6
Stir in the tamarind water and sweet soy sauce. Adjust seasoning with salt if necessary. Remove from heat and let the paste cool slightly.
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7
Slather each piece of stingray generously with the cooked spice paste, ensuring all crevices are covered. Marinate for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
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8
Prepare your banana leaves by passing them quickly over a gas flame until they become soft, pliable, and shiny.
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9
Place a piece of marinated stingray on a sheet of banana leaf. Fold the leaf over to create a parcel, or simply place the leaf under the fish to act as a protective barrier on the grill.
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10
Heat a grill pan or charcoal grill to medium-high heat. Place the fish (leaf side down first) onto the grill.
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11
Grill for 6-8 minutes per side. If the leaf chars too quickly, lower the heat. The banana leaf will infuse the fish with a tea-like smoky aroma.
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12
During the last 2 minutes of cooking, brush a little extra Kecap Manis on the surface of the fish for a beautiful caramelized glaze.
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13
Check for doneness: the meat should be opaque and pull away easily from the cartilage with a fork.
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14
Remove from heat and serve immediately while steaming hot, garnished with fresh lime wedges.
💡 Chef's Tips
Always use fresh stingray; if it smells strongly of ammonia, it is not fresh and should be discarded. Toasting the shrimp paste (terasi) is essential to unlock its deep umami flavor and remove the raw pungency. If you don't have a grill, a heavy cast-iron skillet works beautifully to achieve that charred effect. Do not skip the candlenuts; they provide the characteristic nutty richness and thicken the spice paste. Make sure to soften the banana leaves, otherwise they will crack when you try to wrap the fish.
🍽️ Serving Suggestions
Serve with hot steamed jasmine rice to soak up the spicy oils. Accompany with 'Sambal Kecap' (sweet soy sauce with sliced shallots and bird's eye chilies) for extra depth. A side of 'Sayur Asem' (Indonesian sour vegetable soup) provides a refreshing contrast to the rich fish. Pair with a cold glass of Es Teh Manis (Indonesian sweet iced tea) to balance the heat. Add a side of blanched water spinach (Kangkung) or fresh cucumber slices for crunch.