Penang Asam Laksa

Ingredients

Fish stock

• 600 g whole mackerel (ikan kembung), cleaned and gutted
• 1.8 L water

Spice paste

• 12 dried chillies, soaked in hot water for 15 minutes and deseeded
• 3 fresh red chillies
• 10 shallots, peeled
• 2 stalks lemongrass, white part only, sliced
• 2.5 cm (1 in) piece galangal, peeled
• 2.5 cm (1 in) piece fresh turmeric, peeled, or 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp shrimp paste (belacan), toasted

Broth

• 80 g tamarind pulp, mixed with 250 ml (1 cup) warm water and strained
• 4 slices dried tamarind (asam keping)
• 1 torch ginger flower (bunga kantan), halved lengthways
• 1 handful Vietnamese mint (daun kesum) sprigs
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 2 tsp salt, or to taste

To serve

• 600 g fresh thick rice noodles (laksa noodles)
• 1 cucumber, cut into thin strips
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced
• 150 g fresh pineapple, cut into thin strips
• 1 handful mint leaves
• 2 fresh red chillies, sliced
• 4 tbsp prawn paste (hae ko), loosened with 2 tbsp hot water

Method

1. Put the mackerel and the water in a pot, bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes until the fish is just cooked. Lift out the fish and keep the stock.
2. When the fish is cool enough to handle, flake the flesh into small pieces and discard the skin and bones. Strain the stock through a fine sieve back into the pot.
3. Drain the dried chillies and blend them with the fresh chillies, shallots, lemongrass, galangal, turmeric and shrimp paste, adding a few spoons of the stock, until smooth.
4. Stir the spice paste, tamarind water, dried tamarind slices, torch ginger flower and Vietnamese mint into the stock. Bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered for 30 minutes so the broth thickens slightly.
5. Add the flaked fish, sugar and salt and simmer for 10 minutes more. Taste: the broth should be clearly sour, spicy and slightly sweet. Adjust with more salt, sugar or tamarind.
6. Blanch the noodles in boiling water for 1 minute, drain and divide between 4 deep bowls.
7. Ladle the hot broth and fish over the noodles. Top with cucumber, onion, pineapple, mint and sliced chilli, and drizzle a spoonful of prawn paste over each bowl.

Tips

• Canned sardine shortcut: use 2 cans (425 g each) sardines in tomato sauce instead of fresh mackerel. Skip steps 1–2, use 1.5 L water, and mash the sardines into the broth in step 5.
• No torch ginger flower: add 2 extra stalks of bruised lemongrass and a few slices of ginger instead. The flavour is less floral but still good.
• Make ahead: the broth tastes better the next day. It keeps for 3 days in the refrigerator; keep the noodles and toppings separate.
• Asam laksa or curry laksa: asam laksa is sour and fish-based with no coconut milk; curry laksa has a rich coconut curry broth.