Asam Laksa
Asam Laksa is a delightful sour and spicy noodle soup, originating from Penang, Malaysia. This iconic Nyonya dish features a tangy fish broth infused with aromatic spices. Typically served with rice noodles, it's topped with an array of fresh vegetables including lettuce, cucumber, onion, mint, and pineapple, adding layers of texture and flavor to the dish.
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 565kcal
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb (750g) mackerel fish
- 8 cups water
- 5 pieces asam keping peeled tamarind
- laksa noodles
Spice Paste:
- 15 dried red chilies
- 5 fresh red chilies
- 8 small shallots
- 1 inch (2.5cm) galangal
- 2 tablespoons belacan shrimp paste
- 1 stalk lemongrass
Tamarind Juice:
- tamarind about golf ball size
- 1/2 cup water repeat 3-4 times
Seasonings:
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 2 tablespoons sugar or to taste
Garnishing:
- 1 cucumber, julienned
- 1 bunch mint leaves use only the leaves
- 1 bunch polygonum leaves Vietnamese mint leaves/daun kesom/daun laksa
- 1 bungan kantan, cut into small pieces torch ginger flower
- 1 red onion, sliced thinly
- 1 lettuce, thinly cut
- 1 red chili or 3-4 bird’s eye chilies, cut into small slices
- 1 small pineapple, cut into short strips
Condiment:
- Heh Ko Shrimp Paste
Instructions
- Clean the fish, removing scales and guts. In a pot, bring 8 cups of water to a boil. Add the fish and boil for about 10 minutes. Transfer the cooked fish to a bowl and let it cool. Strain the fish stock, then add the peeled tamarind and the polygonum leaves. Continue to boil over low heat.
- Keep your hands wet by dipping them into a bowl of water constantly. Pick the flesh out of all the fish and discard the bones. Break the fish meat into tiny pieces and return it to the stock. Cover with a lid and reduce the heat.
- Using a mini food processor, grind the spice paste until it is fine. Heat up a wok and sauté the spice paste with cooking oil for about 6-8 minutes, or until it becomes aromatic and spicy. Transfer the spice paste into the boiling stock.
- Extract the tamarind juice and add it to the stock. Strain the tamarind juice, keeping the seeds. Repeat this process 3-4 times with 1/2 cup of water each time to ensure you extract all the essence from the tamarind. Continuously taste your Assam Laksa stock to ensure it's sour and meets your preference. For seasoning, add salt and sugar to taste.
- In a serving bowl, add the laksa noodles and garnish with all vegetables on top. Pour the fish broth into the bowl and serve immediately with a spoonful of Heh Ko or prawn paste.
Notes
- If you can't find fresh laksa noodles, you can use dried noodles. I recommend the Mount Elephant brand “Guilin Rice Vermicelli” (象山牌桂林濑粉) found at Asian or Vietnamese stores. (In Vietnamese, it’s called Bun Bo Hue Guilin.) It has a very smooth texture and closely resembles laksa noodles, albeit slightly thinner.
- Another good alternative is the Lai Fen Rice Stick (中山濑粉) from Guangdong, China, which is often available fresh in many Asian stores.
- Unfortunately, Bunga Kantan, torch ginger flower, is not available in the US.
- I recommend Shrimp and Boy brand Shrimp Paste.
Nutrition
Serving: 4people | Calories: 565kcal | Carbohydrates: 60g | Protein: 61g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 202mg | Sodium: 1124mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 41g