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Two browned flatbreads topped with red sauce, served on banana leaves with bowls of red salsa and green limes

Grilled Sambal Stingray

Grilled stingray is a seafood dish made from stingray “wings,” the broad, flat parts of the fish. The meat is firm, mildly sweet, and slightly chewy, with cartilage rather than bones.
It is especially popular in Singapore and Malaysia, where sambal stingray (ikan pari bakar) is typically:
coated with spicy sambal chili paste,
wrapped or placed on a banana leaf,
grilled until tender and smoky,
served with lime or calamansi, onions, and extra sambal.
Other cuisines prepare it more simply with salt, herbs, or marinades. Stingray should be thoroughly cleaned and cooked, and sustainably sourced because some ray species are threatened or overfished.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Course Appetizer, Dinner, Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine Asian, International, Malaysian, Mediterranean, Singaporean, Southeast Asian
Servings 4 servings
Calories 392 kcal
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Ingredients
 
 

For the stingray

For the sambal

For grilling and serving

Instructions
 

  • Rinse the stingray and pat dry.
  • Rub with lime juice, salt, and black pepper.
  • Let it sit for 15–20 minutes.
  • Drain the soaked dried chilies.
  • Blend the dried chilies, fresh chilies, shallots, garlic, and shrimp paste into a rough paste. Add a little water if needed.
  • Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a skillet over medium heat.
  • Add the sambal paste and cook for 5–7 minutes, stirring often.
  • Add sugar, salt, tamarind mixture, and 1/4 cup water.
  • Cook another 3–5 minutes until thick and fragrant. Set aside.
  • Heat grill to medium-high.
  • If using banana leaves, lightly pass them over heat or hot water to soften.
  • Brush the banana leaves with a little oil.
  • Place one piece of stingray on each leaf, or grill directly on a well-oiled grate.
  • Spread sambal generously over the top of each piece.
  • Grill for about 6–8 minutes per side, depending on thickness.
  • If using banana leaves, place the leaf packets directly on the grill and cook until the fish is just opaque and flakes easily.
  • Avoid overcooking, since stingray can become firm.
  • Serve hot with lime wedges, cucumber slices, and steamed rice.
    • If stingray is hard to find, you can substitute skate wing or a firm white fish, though the flavor will be different.
    For extra smoky flavor, let the sambal char slightly on the grill.
    If you want it spicier, add more fresh chilies or a little cayenne.
Start Cooking
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Nutrition

Calories: 392kcal (20%)Carbohydrates: 32g (11%)Protein: 53g (106%)Fat: 8g (12%)Saturated Fat: 2g (13%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 156mg (52%)Sodium: 1434mg (62%)Potassium: 1371mg (39%)Fiber: 4g (17%)Sugar: 17g (19%)Vitamin A: 1353IU (27%)Vitamin C: 208mg (252%)Calcium: 95mg (10%)Iron: 4mg (22%)
Disclaimer

Nutritional information for this recipe is an approximation and is not to be construed as medical advice.

Equipment

Keyword banana leaf, comfort food, grilled, rice, sambal, seafood, spicy, Tamarind
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