Noodles; strings of Malaysia's unity

Noodles are another popular food, particularly in Malaysian Chinese cuisine, but used by other groups as well. Noodles such as bi hoon (rice vermicelli), kuay teow or ho fun (flat rice noodles), mee (yellow noodles), mee suah (wheat vermicelli), yee meen (golden wheat noodles), langka (transparent noodles made from mung bean), and others provide a source of carbohydrates besides the ubiquitous serving of rice that accompanies every meal.

NOODLES

Mi Mamak

Egg noodles, cabbage, tomatoes, fresh chilli, chicken, prawns and chunks of tofu are fried in thick dark soy sauce, tomato and chilli sauces. A squeeze of lime completes the dish.

This is one way Mi Mamak has been improvised; by adding in grilled scallops to the recipe.

Laksa Assam

This is an addictive spicy and tangy fish broth cooked with generous amounts of tamarind. Rice noodles, slices of mackerel, bunga kantan, chillies, cucumber, onion, pineapple and daun kesom (Polygonum leaf) swim in a delicious soup spiced with heh koh ( a sweet, thick prawn paste).

Care to learn how to cook Laksa Assam in a few simple steps? This is the way to do it.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 lb fresh or dried thick round rice noodle
• 3 oz tamarind paste
• 10 cups water
• 2-and-a-half lb fresh ikan parang (wolf herring) or Spanish mackerel - cleaned, kept whole
• 3 heaped tbsp sugar
• salt and pepper
• 14 sprigs laksa leaves (Vietnamese mint or polygonum odoratum) (Substitute: fresh mint sprigs)
• 2 wild bunga kantan (ginger buds) (Substitute: 4 inch fresh ginger)
• 4 pieces asam gelugor (dried tamarind skins) (Substitute: half a cup key lime juice)
• 3 tbsp heh ko (prawn paste) (Optional: mixed with 1 cup warm water)

ITEMS TO BE GROUND OR BLENDED

• 6 to 8 garlic
• 5 stalks lemon grass, thinly sliced
• 8 oz shallots
• 1 inch fresh lengkuas (turmeric root)
• 3 tbsp or to taste, chili paste
• 1-and-a-half tbsp belacan (dried shrimp paste)

TO PREPARE GRAVY:

• Using a mortar and pestle or blender, grind garlic, lemongrass, fresh turmeric, shallots, chili paste and belacan into a paste
• Soak tamarind in 8 oz of warm water, squeeze and sieve into a saucepan - repeat 3 times with the same water, pour into a stockpot
• Bring tamarind water to a boil, add ground paste, sugar laksa leaves, wild ginger buds, asam gelugur (dried tamarind slices), season with salt and pepper, boil rapidly for 15 min
• Add cleaned whole fish, immediately reduce heat to low, simmer gently until fish is cooked, about 15 min
• Carefully remove fish from stock, let fish cool, remove and discard bones, flake the fish meat, set aside
• Simmer stock uncovered for 20 to 30 mins to reduce and intensify flavor
• Remove and discard the laksa leaves, wild ginger buds and asam gelugur (dried tamarind skins)
• Add the cooked flaked fish meat to the stock (with the fish meat added, it should be a light gravy-like consistency)
• Taste for salt and add accordingly
• Keep gravy hot on low heat, for serving

 TO SERVE:

• If using dried noodles, bring a pot of water to a rapid boil, parboil noodles until al dente
• Remove noodles from boiling water, immediately run under cold water to stop cooking, drain well
• If using fresh rice noodles, use a sieve to blanch noodles in hot water briefly
• Assemble individual serving bowls - put a handful of noodles in each bowl, ladle piping hot gravy over the noodles
• Sprinkle a little of each garnishing on top - shredded cucumber, onion, mint leaves (Optional: torch ginger and Serrano chilies)
• Add a dollop of heh ko (prawn paste) - and serve hot immediately

Recipe can be found on MalaysianFood.net.

  

Char Kuay Teow Pulau Pinang

Chinese sausages, eggs, bean sprouts, prawns, bloody cockles, chives and flat rice noodles are stir fried in lard and a mix of soy sauce to aromatic perfection. 

A renowned author and food-seeker from Singapore, Seetoh, once featured Char Kuay Teow in his famous food show, Makansutra. Though this is the Singapore-fusion way of preparing the dish; by adding in yellow noodles to the recipe, other ingredients are fairly the same. 

Laksa Johor

South Malaysia's version of laksa is a hearty mackerel broth rich in santan and laden with spices. Rice noodles is bathed in the spicy gravy, garnished with cucumbers, bean sprouts and ulam, and served with a side of sambal belacan (chilli prawn paste). Spaghetti is sometimes used in place of yellow noodles. 

Since both of my parents came from the southern part of the country (Johor to be exact), Laksa Johor is a-must-delicacy on our first day of Raya, aside from the usual ketupat and rendang. 

Below is the simple recipe of preparing it.

INGREDIENTS:

• 125 ml or 4 fl oz vegetable oil 
• 2 litres or 64 fl oz santan (coconut milk)
• 500 g or 1 pound 1 ½ oz fresh prawns 
• 300 g or 10 oz ikan kembung (Indian mackerel), boiled and flaked 
• 1 kg / 2 pounds, 3 oz Wolf Herring (Ikan Parang), grilled or boiled and flaked 
• 100 g or 3 ½ oz ikan masin (salted fish)
• 2 small packets meat curry powder – mixed with water to a paste 
• 1 cup roasted, pounded desiccated kerisik (coconut) 
• 1 cup asam jawa (tamarind juice) - mix tamarind pulp with hot water, strain 
• 15 daun kesum (laksa leaves or Vietnamese mint), finely chopped 
• 5 daun pudina (mint leaves), finely chopped 
• Salt and sugar to taste 

INGREDIENTS FOR LAKSA PASTE:

• 3 cm or 1 ½ inch lengkuas (galangal or blue ginger), peeled 
• 2 cm or 1 inch fresh ginger, peeled 
• 8 serai (lemongrass), sliced 
• 5 garlic cloves 
• ½ cup or 4 fl oz udang kering (dried shrimps), soaked in cold water and drained 
• 3 cm or 1 ½ fresh kunyit (turmeric),peeled 
• 30 dried chilies, soaked in boiling water and well drained 
• 125 ml / 4 fl oz roasted belacan (shrimp paste) 
• 25 shallots (red onion), peeled 
• 1 cup water 

SERVING INGREDIENTS: 

• 2 packets spaghetti, boiled until cooked 
• 2 cucumbers, peeled, discard seeds and slice into thin narrow strips 
• 250 g or 9 oz tauge (bean sprout)
• 200 g / 7 oz kacang panjang (long beans or snake beans), sliced thinly 
• 15 basil leaves, finely chopped 
• 10 limau kasturi (calamansi lime), halved 
• 1 tbsp sambal belacan (pounded chili and roasted shrimp paste)

METHOD FOR SEAFOOD STOCK:

• Prawn heads or fish bones (Optional: Onion, dried shrimps, lemongrass and fresh herbs) are fried till fragrant.
• Add in water and bring to boil.
• Blend all ingredients well and strain. 

METHOD:

• Heat vegetable oil in a heavy pot. Add in the laksa paste and render the paste slowly. Fry till fragrant. 
• Add in meat curry powder (mixed with water), and cook over moderate heat until fragrant and oil begins to appear on the surface. 
• Add in all the flaked fish, dried fish, prawns, coconut milk and seafood stock. Add in fresh herbs (chopped), tamarind juice and roasted, pounded desiccated coconut. Add in salt and sugar to taste. 
• Simmer over low heat for 20 minutes until gravy thicken, then serve the laksa gravy together with serving ingredients.

Recipe can be found on www.asianfoodchannel.com.