Step 1

Make three shallow incisions with a sharp knife on both side of each fish and set aside.

Step 2

Using a spice grinder, food processor or pestle and mortar, grind the garlic, ginger, galangal, chillies and shallots to a paste.Heat at pan over medium high heat and half of the oil. When the oil is visibly hot, stir in the sambal and fry it for a couple of minutes.

Step 3

Add the ground spices and stir it all up to combine. Then add the butter and fry, stirring regularly until the butter melts into the sambal.

Step 4

Transfer the sambal to a mixing bowl and add the katsup manis. Stir it all in until smooth and quite dark in colour.

Step 5

When ready to cook the fish, rub the fish all over the surface, in the cavity and in the slits with the sambal and wrap tightly in a strip of banana leaf. Any leftover marinade can be used for basting while you cook.

Step 6

Heat a pan over medium high heat and add the remaining oil. When visibly hot, place the fish in the pan and fry on one side until cooked through and then flip it over to cook the other side.

Step 7

Baste the fish from time to time with the remaining marinade. Cooking times will vary depending on the size of your fish. It’s ready when the exterior is nicely charred and the meat flakes away from the bones easily with a fork.

Step 8

Serve as is or with the optional sambal matah which I highly recommend doing.