Penang asam laksa
Asam laksa — Penang's sour tamarind and mackerel noodle soup with mint and pineapple
Forget coconut and cream: Penang's asam laksa is all sour, hot and herbal, a dark tamarind broth thickened with flaked mackerel and poured over thick, slippery rice noodles. Hawkers at Air Itam market and along Gurney Drive pile the bowl with shredded pineapple, cucumber, red onion, lettuce, torn mint and a spoon of sticky, sweet prawn paste (hae ko) that you stir in as you eat. Torch ginger flower and Vietnamese mint (daun kesum) give it a smell that is wholly its own. It is a hot-afternoon dish, eaten fast while the herbs are still crisp. Chef's tip: poach the mackerel in the broth whole, then flake it back in; the bones and skin give the soup much of its body.
- Total time
- 75 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the broth
For the paste
To serve
Method
0/9 doneStep 1: Bring 2 litres water to the boil in a large pot, lower in the 1 ⅓ lb whole mackerel and simmer over a medium-low heat for 10 minutes, until the flesh is opaque and lifts easily off the bone.
10 minStep 2: Lift out the fish and leave to cool. Keep the stock on a low simmer.
Step 3: Blend 15 dried red chillies, 3 fresh red chillies, 8 shallots, 2 stalks lemongrass, ⅔ oz galangal, ½ oz fresh turmeric and 1 tbsp shrimp paste (belacan) with a little stock to a smooth paste.
Step 4: Flake the fish off the bones and skin, checking carefully for small bones. Return the bones and heads to the stock and simmer 10 more minutes, then strain them out.
10 minStep 5: Stir the paste, strained 2 ⅛ oz tamarind pulp, 3 dried tamarind slices (asam keping) if using, 1 bunch Vietnamese mint (daun kesum) and half the ½ torch ginger flower (bunga kantan) into the stock. Simmer for 25 minutes, uncovered, until the broth tastes deep, sour and fragrant and has reduced by about a quarter.
25 minStep 6: Add the flaked fish, 2 tbsp sugar and 1 ½ tsp salt, mashing some of the flakes against the side of the pot to thicken the broth. Taste: it should be sharply sour, then hot, then gently sweet. Remove the kesum stalks.
5 minStep 7: Don't simmer the herbs or fruit in the broth, where they go limp and dull. Slice the remaining ½ torch ginger flower (bunga kantan) and keep it, with 7 oz pineapple, 1 cucumber, 1 red onion, 4 leaves lettuce and 1 handful mint leaves, raw and cold for the top of each bowl.
Step 8: Warm the 1 ⅓ lb thick rice noodles (laksa noodles) in boiling water for 30 seconds, drain and divide between deep bowls.
Step 9: Ladle the hot broth with plenty of fish over the noodles. Top with the raw vegetables, herbs and sliced chillies, and add a spoon of 4 tbsp black prawn paste (hae ko) to each bowl to stir in at the table.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 560 kcal
- Protein
- 34 g
- Carbs
- 82 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Fibre
- 7 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does penang asam laksa take?
- About 75 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 50 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of vietnamese mint (daun kesum)?
- Fresh coriander, same amount (different but just as fresh).
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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