Equipment
Ingredients
Frying Base
- 250 ml vegetable oil
- 150 g raw skin-on peanuts, unroasted and unsalted
- 100 g dried anchovies, rinsed well and thoroughly patted dry
Chili Paste (Rempah)
- 15 g dried red chilies, soaked in hot water until softened, drained
- 50 g shallots, peeled and roughly chopped
- 15 g garlic, peeled
- 5 g shrimp paste, toasted
- 30 ml water
Glaze Seasoning
- 10 g tamarind paste
- 30 g palm sugar, finely chopped
- 2 g salt
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 297 kcal
- Protein
- 16 g
- Carbohydrates
- 18 g
- Fat
- 20 g
- Fiber
- 4 g
- Sugar
- 10 g
- Sodium
- 258 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 3 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 0 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 0 g
- Cholesterol
- 15 mg
- Potassium
- 520 mg
- Calcium
- 117 mg
- Iron
- 3.4 mg
- Magnesium
- 82 mg
- Phosphorus
- 202 mg
- Zinc
- 1.8 mg
- Vitamin A
- 10 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 13 mg
- Vitamin E
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin K
- 0 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.2 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.04 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.08 mg
- Niacin
- 3.6 mg
- Folate
- 7 mcg
- Water
- 39 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Combine the softened dried red chilies, shallots, garlic, toasted shrimp paste, and water in a food processor. Blend into a smooth paste.
Heat the vegetable oil in a wok over medium heat until it reaches 160C/320F. Add the raw skin-on peanuts and fry, stirring constantly to ensure even cooking.
Use a slotted spoon to transfer the fried peanuts to a plate lined with paper towels. Leave the hot oil in the wok.
Add the thoroughly dried anchovies to the hot oil. Fry until they are completely crisp. Stand back slightly as any residual moisture on the fish will cause the oil to splatter.
Remove the crispy anchovies with a slotted spoon and drain them on paper towels alongside the peanuts. Carefully pour out the frying oil into a heatproof container, leaving only 30ml in the wok.
Return the wok to medium-low heat. Add the blended chili paste and saute gently. Cook until the paste is highly aromatic, darkens in color, and the oil separates from the chili mixture, a process known as pecah minyak.
Stir in the tamarind paste, chopped palm sugar, and salt. Continue to cook and stir until the sugar completely melts and the mixture thickens into a sticky, syrupy glaze.
Turn off the heat immediately. Add the fried peanuts and crispy anchovies to the wok. Toss everything rapidly to coat the ingredients evenly with the glaze before the sugar cools and hardens.
Spread the coated mixture onto a baking sheet in a single layer to cool completely at room temperature. The glaze will harden and become brittle, adhering beautifully to the crisp snack.
Chef's Notes
- Pecah minyak (oil splitting) is the foundation of Southeast Asian rempah cooking. If the oil does not separate, your paste is boiling in its own water rather than frying, which reduces shelf life and mutes flavor.
- Do not skip the rinsing of dried anchovies. They are heavily salted for preservation; rinsing removes excess sodium and surface dust.
- Temperature control is paramount. If the glaze is too hot when you add the peanuts and anchovies, the residual heat can draw moisture back into the crispy elements. Always turn the heat completely off before tossing.
- Using raw skin-on peanuts is traditional and ideal. The skin provides an earthiness and creates extra texture for the sweet chili glaze to cling onto.
Storage
Reheating: Do not reheat. Serve at room temperature.
Troubleshooting
Anchovies are chewy instead of crispy
Cause: Moisture remained on the anchovies before frying, or they were removed from the oil too early
Fix: If already coated in the glaze, bake the mixture in an oven at 120C for 15 minutes to dehydrate them.
Prevention: Ensure anchovies are rinsed but patted bone-dry. Wait until the oil bubbling slows down during frying.
The snack becomes soggy the next day
Cause: The chili paste was not cooked out fully (pecah minyak), leaving excess water in the glaze.
Fix: Cannot be fully fixed, but a low-temperature bake may slightly improve the texture.
Prevention: Saute the blended chili paste until the oil completely separates from the solids, ensuring all water has evaporated.
Bitter tasting glaze
Cause: The chili paste or sugar burned over heat that was too high.
Fix: Cannot be fixed. Discard and start the glaze over.
Prevention: Cook the rempah (chili paste) and sugar over medium-low heat, stirring constantly.
Cultural Context
Kacang Ikan Bilis is a cornerstone of Malaysian and Singaporean snack culture. It frequently accompanies Nasi Lemak as a crunchy garnish, balancing the rich coconut rice with intense savory, sweet, and spicy notes. It is also popularly served as a standalone bar snack.
