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Maya Kitchenette

Penang Assam Laksa Recipe

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Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

Ingredients
  • 1 kg fresh laksa noodles or thick round rice noodles
Ingredients to be blended
  • 10 fresh red chilies
  • 20 dried red chilies or 3 tbsp freshly ground chili paste
  • 20 shallots
  • 10 cloves garlic
  • 1 inch of galangal lengkuas
  • 2 cm knob of fresh turmeric
  • 2 stalks lemongrass
  • 1 tbsp dried shrimp paste Belacan
For the fish stock (A)
  • 1 kg fresh mackerel or kembong cleaned and gutted
  • 2 stalks lemongrass lightly smashed (white part only)
  • 2 cm ginger sliced
  • 5 pieces tamarind peel asam keping or asam gelugor
  • 3 L water
For the broth (B)
  • 4 L fish broth + water stock from the boiled fish
  • Fish bones see method
  • 3 stalks lemongrass lightly smashed
  • 2 torch ginger flower quartered
  • 3 inches of galangal halved
  • 10 stalks Vietnamese mint daun kesom
For the soup (C)
  • Fish flakes
  • 1/3 cup tamarind juice
  • 2-3 tbsp sugar or brown sugar to taste
  • 2-3 tbsp sweetened prawn paste heh ko sauce,start with 2 tbsp, add another tbsp if required.
  • Salt to taste
  • Garnishing
  • 1 cucumber thinly sliced into strips
  • Chinese lettuce sliced
  • 1/2 medium size fresh pineapple sliced into small pieces
  • 2 red onions thinly sliced
  • Handful of mint leaves
  • Handful of vietnamese mint leaves daun kesom
  • 1 torch ginger bud bunga kantan, finely sliced
  • 3 red chilies thinly sliced
  • 3 green bird's eye chilies thinly sliced (optional)
  • Calamansi lime halved
  • 4 Hard boiled eggs halved

Method
 

  1. In a pot, add ingredients (A), except fish. Once it comes to a boil add fish.
  2. Boil on medium heat for 20 minutes or until the fish is cooked.
  3. Transfer cooked fish to a plate. Once cool enough to handle, flake the fish meat and set aside, save the bones and head.
  4. In a pot, add the ground spices and ingredients (B) plus the fish bones. Bring it to a boil and let this simmer for 30 minutes.
  5. Turn off the heat and then strain the broth and discard all the solids.
  6. Pour all of the broth in a pot and add the remaining ingredients (C). Add the flaked fish and continue to boil on low heat for another 30 - 40 minutes.
  7. Check the salt and sugar to balance the spiciness and sourness according for your taste.
To serve
  1. Rinse laksa noodles in hot water and strain. Place one serving of noodles into a bowl, and pour laksa soup over the top.
  2. Top with garnishing.