Bolu Kambu with Mango Sambal, A Recipe from an Old Cooking Oil Bonus

Here is another recipe from my little collection of old recipes found in magazines, packaging, and promotional booklets. 😊

Bolu Kambu with Mango Sambal

This one is called Bolu Kambu. I found it in an old Sania cooking oil bonus recipe leaflet that I had kept for years.

Bolu another name for bandeng or milkfish fish in Indonesia.

At first glance, it looks like an ordinary fried milkfish, but the preparation is actually quite interesting. The fish meat is removed from the skin, mixed with toasted coconut, spices, egg, and tamarind, then stuffed back into the fish skin before being fried until golden.

And the part that caught my attention most is the mango sambal served alongside it. 🥭🌶️

Crispy fish, savory coconut filling, a little sourness from tamarind, and fresh spicy mango on the side — definitely the kind of recipe I wanted to save here.

Bolu Kambu with Mango Sambal With Rice

Bolu Kambu

Makes about 10 pieces

Ingredients

• 2 whole milkfish (ikan bandeng), about 1 kg total
• 2 eggs
• 100 g coarsely grated coconut, toasted and finely ground
• 1½ tablespoons tamarind water
  (made from 1 teaspoon tamarind dissolved in 2 tablespoons water)
• ½ tablespoon salt
• ½ teaspoon sugar
• Cooking oil for frying

Ground Spice Mixture

• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds, toasted
• 1 stalk lemongrass, white part only, lightly fried
• 1 cm galangal, lightly fried
• 5 shallots, lightly fried
• 2 cloves garlic, lightly fried
• ½ teaspoon ground pepper

Grind everything together into a smooth spice paste.

Mango Sambal 🥭

• 1 slightly unripe mango, about 400 g, cut into thin matchsticks
• 5 curly red chilies, fried and ground
• 2 large red chilies, seeds removed, fried and ground
• 2 candlenuts, fried and ground
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons sugar

Mix all the mango sambal ingredients together and set aside.

How to Make Bolu Kambu

Clean the milkfish first.

Gently pound or massage the body of the fish to loosen the flesh from the skin. Carefully remove the backbone and take the fish meat out while keeping the skin as intact as possible.

Steam the fish meat over medium heat for about 15 minutes, or until cooked.

Remove any remaining small bones, then finely chop the cooked fish.

In a bowl, combine the fish meat with the ground spices, egg, toasted coconut, tamarind water, salt, and sugar.

Mix until everything is well combined.

Carefully stuff the fish mixture back into the reserved fish skin, pressing it in lightly so that the fish regains its original shape.

Dip the stuffed fish in beaten egg.

Heat enough cooking oil over medium heat, then fry the fish until cooked through and beautifully golden brown.

Remove from the oil and let it drain for a few minutes before slicing.

Serve the Bolu Kambu with the fresh mango sambal on the side.

And because this is Indonesia... I personally think a plate of warm rice beside it feels almost compulsory. 😂🍚

A Little Note from My Kitchen

I haven't invented this recipe myself. It comes from an old Sania cooking oil promotional recipe bonus, and I'm keeping it here because I enjoy collecting recipes like this.

Some of these old promotional recipes are surprisingly elaborate. This one isn't exactly a quick weekday fried-fish recipe — removing the meat while keeping the fish skin intact will probably require a little patience. 😆

But I like the idea of the filling. Milkfish mixed with toasted coconut, coriander, lemongrass, galangal, tamarind, shallots, and garlic sounds wonderfully fragrant.

And pairing a rich fried fish with tart young mango sambal makes a lot of sense. The fresh, sour mango should help balance all that savory richness.

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Bolu Kambu Recipe Card

Another little recipe found here and there that deserves not to be forgotten. ❤️

Recipe source: Sania cooking oil promotional recipe leaflet.

Original Bolu Kambu Recipe Scan