Sambal Stingray (Malaysian-Portuguese Baked Fish)

Malaysia, like much of the world, has a long history of being colonized by European countries. Its historical port city Malacca was conquered in turn by the Portuguese, the Dutch, and the British (who then made their way throughout the country), leaving indelible marks all over the cultural landscape. You can see it in the architecture of many older government buildings in our state capitals, the pervasive segregation of society by ethnicities, and, of course, in our food.

The Malaysian Portuguese (also called the Kristang) is by far one of the most resilient communities in the country, with their own festivals, music, and cuisine that have survived until today. If you’re traveling through the state of Malacca, you’re sure to get recommendations from tourists and locals alike to try the locally prepared Portuguese baked fish, an extremely popular menu item that has made its way around the country to home kitchens and even shopping-mall food courts. It’s essentially fish smothered in a rich and spicy paste, wrapped in banana leaves, and either grilled or baked. When it’s cooked with skate, it’s also referred to as sambal stingray, though any kind of fish (such as snapper) will do.

Interestingly, this archetypical dish of the Portuguese community only came about in the 20th century. Martin Theseira, Portuguese community leader and activist from Malacca, states confidently that Portuguese baked fish as it is served now was not in existence before the mid-1960s when he was a teenager. “There’s a spice paste combination popular in Kristang kitchens called rempah sayur (meaning ‘spice paste for vegetables’), which traditionally consists of candlenuts, fresh chiles, fermented shrimp paste, and Asian shallots,” he explains. His friend and part-time fisherman Charlie Overee is the first person he knows who experimented with pairing rempah sayur with fish and grilling it. It became a favorite party dish, the recipe spreading from family to family, and eventually became part of the menu in Kristang restaurants around Malacca. 

These days, each family has their own version of spice paste for Portuguese baked fish. One of my personal favorite versions of it is served at De Lisbon Restaurant. Julie Rodrigues, head cook and owner of the restaurant, tells me that her recipe includes lemongrass (which is not a traditional component of rempah sayur), and uses dried chiles instead of fresh chiles. Perfumed even further with makrut lime leaves, the baked fish is served with a small squeeze of calamansi juice to perk up the flavors, and served with white rice.

The fish of choice used at her restaurant and many other eateries are red snapper and sea bass, as they’re easier to procure fresh, but I love it cooked with skate. The recipe shared below is my own approximation of the version served at De Lisbon, prepared with skate, and baked in the oven for convenience.