Asam Laksa

The ingredients for the ground spices are not readily available here, so i make my asam laksa using Hup Loong Asam Laksa and for the fish, canned sardines and tuna. If I am back in Malaysia i will certainly cook asam laksa following the recipe below.



Ingredients:

A)
Ground spice ingredients
15 fresh red chillies
15 dried red chillies
150g shallots
10 cloves garlic
40g galangal (lengkuas)
2cm knob fresh turmeric root
1 tsp belacan stock granules

(B)
4 tbsp tamarind paste (asam jawa), mixed and strained to obtain tamarind juice
300ml water
10 sprigs polygonum leaves (daun kesom)
3 pieces dried tamarind skin (asam keping)
3 stalks lemon grass, lightly smashed
1.8 litres water

(C)
1 kg mackerel (ikan kembung) or horse mackerel (ikan selar kuning), cleaned
1 cup water
1 kg fresh laksa noodles

Seasoning
2 tbsp sugar or to taste
Salt to taste

Garnishing
1 wild ginger bud (bunga kantan), halved and finely shredded
1 cucumber shredded
1/2 pineapple, sliced and shredded
1 onion, finely sliced.
2 red chillies, seeded and sliced
A few sprigs mint leaves (daun pudina)
Prawn paste (har koe), diluted with water to a drizzle consistency


Method:

Boil fish in just enough water. When cooked, remove the fish and strain the stock. Then flake the fish and set the fish aside.

Put tamarind juice, ground ingredients (A), water and fish stock in a pot.

Add polygonum leaves, dried tamarind skin and lemon grass. Bring to a low simmering boil for 10 minutes.

Add the flaked fish and seasoning to taste.

Continue to simmer for an extra 10 minutes.

To serve, put a handful of laksa noodles in a metal strainer and immerse in a pot of boiling water to scald the noodles for half a minute.

Drain and put into a bowl.

Pour a ladleful of laksa soup or gravy over the noodles and garnish with a little of each garnish.

Drizzle a little prawn paste over and serve immediately. You can also serve the prawn paste separately.

The easy way out to Asam Laksa



cook according to instructions, add sardines and adjust taste. Must be sour, sweet and salty.

ENJOY


Serves