You're gonna love this

For the uninitiated, ikan bilis is what we call anchovies where I come from. It's normally eaten as a snack or fried with sambal as a side dish with nasi lemak (steamed rice with coconut).

If you've been deep frying ikan bilis, well I'm going to teach you a new oil-free way. I learnt this from a mum at a forum I frequent & I've not looked back since.

First of all, wash & rinse the ikan bilis. Lay them out on a microwavable plate - just enough to cover the plate without over crowding. Put on high for 1.5 minutes. Remove & stir them around a little bit. Put them back in for another 1.5 minutes & repeat until they are crispy. It usually takes me in total between 3- 4 minutes for each batch.

So much better. No oil, no messy splashes & healthier too.


When done, you just need to store them in an air tight container. I'm not sure how long it can keep cos I never have to worry about it, it doesn't last very long in our family.


I usually eat them just like this or with a squeeze of lime & cut chilli or of course, as sambal ikan billi (which I will post another time). How do you like to eat them ?