08 May 2012

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.




13 comments:

  1. 好厉害哦,懂得用udon面来取代laksa条,
    在他国思念家乡的味道,这碗laksa一定很有feeling。

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  2. i like eating bee hoon laksa besides 'lai fun', i think udon is quite a nice substitute too, once my friend even mistaken udon for lai fun!Your laksa looks delicious!2 bowls please!

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  3. I am salivate see your bowl of Assam laksa,,yum yum

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  4. 卖相真好
    之前又做过
    好多功夫:)

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  5. Tze, its almost midnight now, I feel like want to have this bowl of asam laksa for supper. hehe... feeling so hungry after reading your post. I am so lazy to hunt for these ingredients so that I always buy the ready made paste (lazy lazy).

    Its really yummy looking asam laksa!

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  6. I love asam laksa! Yours looks so delicious! I don't mind having this the whole day too, I would usually add sliced chili padi to mine! Deliciously spicy!

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  7. A mouthwatering and comforting bowl of homemade mee!

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  8. 最近天气热到没什么食欲,麻烦给我一碗来醒醒胃吧!( ′θ`)

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  9. wow really salute you for making your own assam laksa! looks like it was a lot of work but so delicious too!

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    Replies
    1. janine, it has lot of ingedients but beside cutting all is just dump into a pot and cook ;)

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    2. janine, it has lot of ingedients but beside cutting all is just dump into a pot and cook ;)

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  10. I love asam laksa :) Thanks for inspiring the Recipes

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