Penang Assam Laksa

Recently a friend of mine told me she had a bowl of Hokkien Mee for the price of $8.90. A bit extra from the usual one because it came with big prawns. If I take a bowl of Penang Assam Laksa at OldTown, it will cost me $6.00+, if I order it from nyonya restaurant it will be $8.00+. However, if I order Penang Assam Laksa near to my mum house, I still can get a bowl at RM2.50.

When I found a good recipe from Penang Chefs.com I quickly take up the challenge to make my Penang Assam Laksa. I have a record of eating 3 bowls Penang Assam Laksa in a day when I went back to Penang :) Haha... I'm addicted to its spicy-sour fish broth, remember I can't take spicy food, but I allow myself to have the nose running when come to Penang Assam Laksa :D 

To make a delicious bowl of Penang Assam Laksa the broth is important, there are a few ingredients which you can not omitted, they are: Polygonum leaves (Daun Laksa), Tamarind juice (Assam Jawa Juice), Kembong Fish, Peeled Tamarind (Assam Keping), shallots, red onions, lemon grass, chillies....and prawn paste. 

The Laksa noodles should look like 'fat' white spaghetti and are made from rice flour. The 'thin' laksa noodles is not the original Penang Assam Laksa noodles, as I can't get the 'fat' Laksa noodles, I used udon! yes, you can buy the fresh one or pack in fridge one, just place it into boiling water, after boiling the udon looks and taste just like the 'fat' Laksa noodles. 

Daun Laksa or daun kesum (Polygonum leaves), this is a intensely fragrant herb used in laksa dishes.

Assam Keping (Peeled tamarind)

Recipe adapted from PenangChefs.com

Ingredients (A)for fish stock:
10 pcs Kembong (cleaned)
500 ml water (I didn't measure the water, just use a stock pot which is 20 cm diameter which is enough for 6 bowls of soup)

Ingredients (B)
100 g shallots 
200 g red onion
50 g lengkuas (galangal)
1 nos bungah kantan (ginger flower)
1 stalk seria (lemon grass)

Ingredients (C)
2 tbsp chili paste
50 g belacan (dried shrimp cake)
5 pieces assam keping (peeled tamarind)
150 g assam jawa juice (tamarind juice) (used 200g, this ingredients will give brown colour to the broth)
2 stalks daun kesum/daun laksa (polygonum leaves) (used 5 stalks)
500 ml water
to taste sugar
to taste salt

Condiments:- (optional)
1 cucumber (thinly cut)
small pineapple (cut into short strips) (omitted)
red onion (sliced thinly)
local lettuce (thinly cut) (omitted)
mint leaves (use only the leaves)

Garnishes:
bungan kantan (finely chopped)
red chilli (cut into small slices)
Heh Ko (Prawn Paste)

Step:
1. Bring A to boil in a stock pot until the fish is cooked. Strain the fish stock. Remove bones from the fish and keep fresh aside for later use.

2. Place ingredients B in blender and blend until fine.

3. Boil B, C and fish stock together in the stock pot. When the broth is boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer for another 30 mins. Add one big spoon of prawn paste, fish into the soup and cook for another 10 mins. Add sugar and salt to taste.

4. Boil water and place dried udon noodles into it and cook for 5 mins until tender. Drain the noodles and rinse under running water. Drain well and transfer to a serving bowl.

5. To serve, place some noodles in a serving bowl and ladle the fish broth over. Top with cucumber, red onions, mint leaves, chilli as desire. Serve with Heh Ko Dip on the side.