Indonesian · lunch, dinner
Ikan Bakar with Sambal Colo-Colo (Grilled Mackerel)
Video by Devina Hermawan on YouTube · Open on YouTube
- Low carb (6.3 g net carbs) but not keto: 40% of the energy is from fat, and keto meals get about 60% or more
- Gluten-free with a swap: use gluten-free flavour enhancer and sweet soy sauce (tamari)
- Dairy-free
- Nut-free
Contains: Gluten, Fish, Soy. Check labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes.
Mackerel grilled in a dry pan gives each serve about 24 g of protein, around 2 g of omega-3 fats from the fish, more than a day's vitamin B12 and half a day's vitamin D. The raw tomato-chilli sambal adds freshness; skip the hot oil for a leaner plate.
The printable card is ink-friendly, fits on one page and has a QR code back to this recipe.
Ingredients 23
Method
Tap a time to watch that step in the video.
- Mix the garlic, salt, pepper, flavour enhancer, coriander, turmeric, sugar and lime juice into a marinade. 2:52
- Slit each fish along the back without cutting all the way through, spoon the marinade inside (not on the skin, where it would burn), cover and marinate for 10–15 minutes. 3:27
- For the sambal, roughly pound the red and green chillies with the salt, sugar and flavour enhancer. Stir in the shallots, green and red tomato, lime juice and lemon basil. 6:15
- If you like, heat the oil and pour it over the sambal, then stir. Skip this to keep the dish lower in fat. Serve sweet soy sauce on the side. 7:08
- Heat a non-stick pan with no oil. Sprinkle the fish with salt, lay it in the pan with the bay leaves, cover with banana leaf or a lid and grill for 4–6 minutes. 7:40
- Sprinkle the top with salt, flip, cover again and cook until done. Serve with the sambal and rice. 8:58
Tip. Serves 6, one fish each. Any small whole fish works. To cut sodium, skip the flavour enhancer and use half the marinade salt; leaving out the hot oil cuts fat. For a milder sambal, use fewer chillies.
The method is a summary in our words — the video shows every step.
One serve gives you 1 of 6
Where the energy comes from one serve
- Net carbs 9%
- Protein 35%
- Fat 56%
Very low carb: under 10% of the energy is from carbs.
One serve has about 60% of a day’s sodium. Use less salt, stock or sauce, or a reduced-salt version, to bring it down.
Vitamins & minerals % of a day, one serve · tap for more
Omega-3 High162%
2.6 g a serve, mostly from chub mackerel (72%). Omega-3 fats support the heart and brain. Oily fish give EPA and DHA; walnuts, flax, chia and canola give ALA, which the body converts only a little.
Vitamin B12 High159%
3.8 µg a serve, mostly from chub mackerel (100%). Keeps nerves and blood cells healthy. Found almost only in animal foods and fortified foods (some plant milks, nutritional yeast), so vegans need a reliable source.
Selenium High77%
43 µg a serve, mostly from chub mackerel (99%). Part of the body's antioxidant enzymes and needed for thyroid hormones. Seafood, eggs, meat and Brazil nuts are rich sources.
Vitamin D High51%
10 µg a serve, mostly from chub mackerel (100%). Helps you absorb calcium for bones and supports muscles. Few foods have much — oily fish, eggs, UV-exposed mushrooms, fortified milks. Sunlight is the main source.
Vitamin C High26%
24 mg a serve. An antioxidant needed for collagen, immunity and iron absorption. Long cooking destroys some, so raw herbs, citrus and capsicum help.
Vitamin B6 High26%
0.4 mg a serve, mostly from chub mackerel (76%). Helps turn food into energy and make brain messengers. Chickpeas, fish, poultry, potatoes and bananas are good sources.
Vitamin E High20%
3 mg a serve, mostly from oil (44%). An antioxidant that protects cell membranes. Nuts, seeds and plant oils such as olive oil are the main sources.
Vitamin K Source15%
18 µg a serve, mostly from lemon basil (38%). Needed for blood clotting and bones. Leafy greens and herbs are very rich in it. If you take warfarin, keep your intake steady and talk to your doctor.
Potassium Source14%
640 mg a serve, mostly from chub mackerel (74%). Balances sodium to help control blood pressure and keeps muscles and nerves working. Beans, potatoes, leafy greens and fruit are rich sources.
Magnesium Source11%
45 mg a serve, mostly from chub mackerel (73%). Takes part in hundreds of reactions — energy, muscles, nerves, blood sugar and bones. Nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grains are good sources.
Iron Source10%
1.8 mg a serve, mostly from chub mackerel (73%). Carries oxygen in your blood. Iron from plants absorbs better with vitamin C in the same meal — lemon, tomato or capsicum.
Show the other 4
Zinc9%
1 mg a serve, mostly from chub mackerel (82%). Needed for immunity, wound healing, taste and growth. Meat, seafood, legumes, seeds and whole grains supply it.
Vitamin A5%
44 µg a serve, mostly from chub mackerel (47%). Keeps eyes, skin and the immune system healthy. Orange vegetables and dark greens give beta-carotene, which the body turns into vitamin A.
Calcium4%
48 mg a serve, mostly from chub mackerel (55%). Builds bones and teeth and helps muscles and nerves work. Dairy, calcium-set tofu, sardines with their bones and some greens supply it.
Folate4%
15 µg a serve. Needed to make DNA and new cells — especially important before and in early pregnancy. Legumes and leafy greens are rich sources.
Estimated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central values; % of a day uses the food-label daily values. How this works
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Recipe and video by Devina Hermawan; the method summary, nutrition estimate and diet notes are Notbroken’s. General information about food, not dietary advice.