Ikan Gurame Bakar

Grilled Tilapia (Ikan Gurame Bakar) has been a favorite dish of our family. We usually have it for dinner on weekends or when my grandparents come to visit us.

Ikan Gurame Bakar is a main course originated from Indonesia. It can be found in many places in Indonesia, especially in the Eastern Indonesia region, such as Sulawesi and Maluku where most people are fishermen.

Its main ingredients is tilapia fish, seasoned with garlic, shallots and other spices grilled on charcoal. Usually the  fish is marinated with mixtures of spices, sometimes with balacan or sweet soy sauce, and then grilled. It is sometimes protected with a sheet of banana leaf, which is placed between the fish and the grill. This is to avoid the fish being stucked to the grill and broken into pieces.

source: www.kulinersehat.com

Nutritional Values of Grilled Tilapia

1. Low Calories : 

• When it comes to calories, tilapia makes a low-calorie choice. A 3.5-ounce serving of cooked tilapia contains 128 calories.
• By comparison, the same serving of roasted chicken breast without the skin contains 165 calories.

      2. High in Protein :

• Tilapia is a good source of protein, with 26 grams in a 3.5-ounce serving. 
• In general, women need 46 grams of protein a day, and men need 56 grams. So one serving of tilapia meets about half your daily protein needs

       3. Heart-healthy Fat :

• Tilapia is low in fat but a good source of the heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. A 3.5-ounce serving of cooked tilapia contains 3 grams of total fat and 131 milligrams of omega-3 fatty acids. 
• The "Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010" says you need about 250 milligrams of omega-3 fatty acids a day. 
• Omega-3 fatty acids are essential fats, which means your body cannot manufacture them. Such fatty acids help reduce inflammation in your body and may reduce your risk of heart disease.

      4. Vitamin and Minerals:

• Tilapia can help you meet your magnesium and B-vitamin needs but is an especially good source of vitamin D. 
• Magnesium is a mineral that supports bone health and is needed to help regulate blood sugar and blood pressure. 
• The B vitamins help turn the food you eat into energy. 
• Vitamin D is found in very few foods, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements. Although your body can make vitamin D through sun exposure, it's also important that you include good food sources of the vitamin in your diet. Vitamin D helps you absorb calcium and is also an important nutrient for bone health.

Source: http://www.livestrong.com/article/43111-tilapia-nutrition-information/

IKAN GURAME BAKAR RECIPE
Ingredients :

•  1  gurame ( + 700 grm )
•  1  tablespoon air jeruk nipis (lime fruit juice)
•  2  tablespoon kecap manis (sweet soy sauce)

Blended Spices :

•  3  shallots, peeled 
•  2 cm ginger, peeled
•  1  teaspoon ketumbar halus (ground coriander)
•  1  cm  kunyit (turmeric), peeled
•  3  red chilli
•  1  teaspoon salt

METHOD :

1. Remove scales from the fish, open the fish abdomen with a 3 inch incision, 
   remove the innards, make 3 incision at surface of gurame, wash off and 
   cleaning well. Smear it with lime fruit water, let it  up to 15 minutes.
    After 15 minutes wash it  off again, set aside.

2. Use food processor or a mortar and pestle, combine the blended spices to form finely seasoning     paste.

3. Smear gurame with finely seasoning paste and sweet soy sauce over all its body, let it up to 30       minutes so that seasoning absorbed.

4. Grill the gurame.

5. Now, grilled gurame ready to be served. Serve it with rice and sambal terasi (chili 
     sauce with shrimp paste).

Enjoy your Gurame Bakar :)
by Timothy and Michael