Penang Laksa

Penang laksa (Malay: Laksa Pulau Pinang), also known as asam laksa from the Malay for tamarind, comes from the Malaysian island of Penang. It is made with mackerel (ikan kembung) soup and its main distinguishing feature is the asam or tamarind which gives the soup a sour taste. The fish is poached and then flaked. Other ingredients that give Penang laksa its distinctive flavour include lemongrass, galangal (lengkuas) and chilli. Typical garnishes include mint, pineapple slices, thinly sliced onion, hε-ko, a thick sweet prawn paste and use of torch ginger flower. This, and not 'curry mee' is the usual 'laksa' one gets in Penang.

Ingredients
600g laksa noodles (you can get it easily from supermarkets), scald in hot water and drain

(A):
lkg flaked ikan kembong or ikan parang
A pinch of salt
2000ml water

(B) Spices to grind finely:
6-7 fresh chillies
4-5 dried chillies
1 small piece lengkuas
2cm fresh turmeric
20 shallots
2 cloves garlic
6 candlenuts (buah keras)

(C):
5 stalks daun kesom
1 bunga kantan, cut lengthwise
5-4 stalks serai, smashed

Mix and strain:
50g tamarind (assam jawa)
250ml water
4 pieces asam keping
1 tbsp Maggi Belacan powder (it’s so convenient to use this, instead of roasting a piece of belacan)
Salt and monosodium glutamate to taste

(D) Garnishing:
Slice thinly:
100g pineapple
1 cucumber
2 bunga kantan
3 red chillies
2 big onions
200g lettuce
Mint leaves

Enough sticky black prawn paste (hayko) - dissolve in a little hot water

Method
Boil fish with the water. When fish is cooked remove it from the stock and flake it. Leave water (fish stock) in the pot.

Add (B) and (C) in the fish stock and simmer until it reaches the desired consistency. Put in flaked fish meat and keep the laksa gravy over a moderate heat.

Put laksa noodles into serving bowls. Spoon the laksa gravy over and garnish with (D). Serve hot with a little prawn paste.

Kelantan Laksa

Kelantan laksa (Malay: Laksa Kelantan) is the easiest laksa recipe that is famous among peoples from the town of Kota Bharu of the Kelantan state, located at the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia. The main ingredient of Kelantan Laksa's sauce is 'ikan kembong' or round scad mackerel that are boiled and minced. The minced fish are fried with onions, garlic, ginger, datil pepper, belacan, 'kantan' flower, Vietnamese coriander or 'daun kesum', lemon grass and dried tamarind slice. Coconut milk will then be added as the final ingredient and stirred until it all mixed up and become thick. Kelantan Laksa is served just like the Italian spaghetti by adding 'ulam' (raw vegetables) and blended chili on the side. Another variable of Kelantan Laksa is 'Laksam'. The sauce's recipe are exactly the same but the noodles are a bit bigger and flat.

Ingredients
3kg laksa noodles
1kg ikan kembung
1kg thick coconut milk
3 stalks lemongrass
15 shallots
3 cloves garlic
3 slices dried tamarind
palm sugar and salt to taste

Garnishing:
1 cucumber, pared and julienned
300g beansprout
2 onions, finely sliced
2 bunga kantan, finely cut
15 stalks daun kesum, finely cut

Method
Boil fish with two bowls of water, dried tamarind slice (to remove the fishy odour) and 1 teaspoon salt. Let cool, debone and flake the fish. Pound it.

Blend the lemongrass, shallots and garlic finely.

Add 1 bowl of thick coconut milk to 3 bowls of water. Boil the mixture with the blended ingredients and two slices of dried tamarind over a low fire, stirring constantly. When a layer of oil surfaces, add pounded fish with salt and palm sugar. Continue to stir. Add thick coconut milk slowly until required thickness is achieved. To serve, pour the laksa gravy over the noodles and garnish with the sliced vegetables.