NYONYA LAKSA LEMAK

Laksa lemak, also known as Nyonya laksa, is a type of curry laksa with a particularly rich and sweet coconut gravy. Lemak is a Malay culinary term which refers to the presence of coconut milk.

The laksa was fiery, delicious, and bursting with seafood. This laksa is popular among Malaysian and Singaporean. Originated from the Peranakan this Laksa is difficult to find here in Ipoh, I only know there's one restuarant - The Becon Point serves this Laksa, once a while if I crave for the Laksa, I just drop by have one wonderful bowl.

I came across the recipe from Chef Wan - BEST WAN, TV program.  Heavily adapted the recipe and made this sometimes over the weekend.

Ingredients

For the rempah (spice paste)

• 15 dried red chillies (soaked in warm water)
• 9 candlenuts
• 2-inch knob of galangal, peeled
• 2-inch knob of garlic, peeled
• 7 cloves of garlic, peeled
• 9  shallots, diced
• 3 lemongrass, trimmed of woody bits
• 2 inch knob of fresh turmeric, peeled (or 1 tsp turmeric powder)
• 60g dried shrimps
• 2 tbsp shrimp paste (Belacan)
• 2 tbsp coriander seeds

For the laksa gravy

• 800ml coconut milk (2 cans)
• 12 fresh king prawns, shell on (heads too if poss)
• 4 tbsp oil
• 1 tbsp palm sugar
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 200g fish balls, halved
• 200g ready-made fishcake, sliced
• 1 cup boiled cockles
• 200g squid rings

To serve

• 400g rice vermicelli noodles
• Beancurd puff, optional (aka tau pok)

To garnish

• 4 hard-boiled eggs, sliced into wedges
• Pack of bean sprouts, washed, topped and tailed
• ½ cucumber, deseeded and sliced into matchsticks
• Sprigs of Vietnamese mint, shredded (aka laksa leaf or rau ram)
• Small bunch of spring onions, slivered
• Red chillies, sliced
• Lime wedges

Method

1. Toast the coriander seeds by tossing them in a hot, dry frying pan till fragrant (takes a minute or two).
2. Toast the belacan by wrapping in some foil and heating in the same dry frying pan till fragrant (takes a few minutes).
3. Blend all the ingredients for the rempah (including the toasted coriander seeds and belacan) till they form a smooth paste.
4. Peel and clean the prawns, but keep the shells. Set them to one side.
5. Heat the oil in a deep saucepan and fry the rempah until the oil separates (the oil should be red).
6. Add the prawn shells to the saucepan and fry till they turn pink.
7. Add the coconut milk, sugar, fish sauce and 500ml water and simmer for 20 minutes. This is your laksa gravy.
8. Meanwhile, soak the vermicelli noodles in just-boiled water for those same 20 minutes and then drain, untangle and set to one side.
9. Remove the prawn shells from the laksa gravy and discard. Add the fish cake and fish balls, and simmer the laksa gravy for 10 minutes.
10. Split the noodles into bowls for serving. Add the peeled prawns, cockles, squid rings and (if using) the beancurd puffs to the laksa gravy, and heat till piping hot, and the seafood cooks through.
11. Ladle the laksa gravy onto the noodles, making sure each bowl has a bit of everything.
12. Scatter some garnishes on top of each bowl and eat.

__________________________________________________________________

Resipi dari Chef Wan melalui program TV nya - BEST WAN. Saya memang tertarik dengan cara penyediaannya. Laksa ini susah nak dicari. Di Ipoh ni saya cuma dapat kesan satu restuarant aje - The Becon Point yang menyediakan Laksa ini. Kalau dah berhajat sangat di situlah saya selalu melepaskan geram, tapi kalau hendakkan lebih banyak bahan kenalah buat sendiri. Laksa ini banyak menggunakan seafood seperti udang, sotong dan kerang. keenakkanya ditambahkan lagi dengan sambal. Weee.......ini betul-betul mak mertua lalu tak sedar.

Ini cubaan pertama saya berpandukan kepada resipi yang Chef Wan share. Cukup sedap, lemak, pedas dan cukup menyelerakan.

Next Post - Almond Toffee Muffin

_________________________________________________________________