RECIPE: PENANG LAKSA
Thursday, April 04, 2013
A couple weeks back I called my mommy to tell her that I really wanted to eat laksa. So that week when I went home mommy gave me a list of things to buy at the grocery store for this sour and spicy noodle soup.
I love going home to eat - all I do is do what my mom tells me to do:
"Cut these onions thinly...wait let me do it...okay nevermind you cut it"
"Open this can and dump the sardines in"
"Drain the juice from the pineapple..let me have some of that juice...it's so good, have some too!"
I don't think there is a set recipe for laksa since there are so many variations for it, but the one my mommy makes is Penang laksa, which is the one from the Penang region of Malaysia.
To get this, follow the following steps:
We start with a big pot of water.
Add six cans of these spicy sardines which you crush in the soup with the back of a spoon or whatever you like to use
A handful of laksa leaves (you can find it at Asian grocery stores)
The white part of lemongrass, sliced thickly
6-8 pieces of peeled tamarind
A spoon or two of shrimp paste
Fresh red chillies, with seed
Then you just boil for a couple of hours until everyone gets hungry from the smell and can't wait any longer.
The noodles we used were lai fun
Ladle the soup over hot rice vermicelli, then drain the soup back into the pot. Do this three times (so the noodles get nice and hot, and you collect all the good bits from the soup in the bowl of noodles), then finally ladle soup into your bowl of noodles, leaving room for many garnishes.
We topped them with thinly sliced onions, thinly sliced lettuce, thinly sliced cucumber, canned pineapple bits and mint leaves.
I don't have to make dessert tonight!
To end the night, mommy sandwiched nian gao between two slices of sweet potato, coated it in batter, and deep fried it. It's a Malaysian dessert that is made during the new years (because nian gao is a new year dessert), and is typically made with a slice of taro and a slice of sweet potato. But I bought the wrong taro and mommy said we can't use it, so just use 2 sweet potato instead.
Crunchy on the outside, soft sweet potato, and chewy nian gao ~
Please read on beyond the "P/S" part --
Good luck to those writing exams soon (or already are)!!
I don't have to make dessert tonight!
To end the night, mommy sandwiched nian gao between two slices of sweet potato, coated it in batter, and deep fried it. It's a Malaysian dessert that is made during the new years (because nian gao is a new year dessert), and is typically made with a slice of taro and a slice of sweet potato. But I bought the wrong taro and mommy said we can't use it, so just use 2 sweet potato instead.
Crunchy on the outside, soft sweet potato, and chewy nian gao ~
Please read on beyond the "P/S" part --
X
MUAH MUAH MUAH
VICKI CHOW
P/S
If you've read the "P/S" section of my previous Food Porn post, you'll remember I had you guess about a picture (the left one):
It's Brie Cheese (which we baked) topped with strawberries, from FMT
I sat in the middle seat = I get food from the grill on both sides
On a side note, I was lucky to try Chako Korean Grill on their soft opening night in Mississauga (where my home is)! Now I don't have to drive a minimum for half an hour to feed my stomach unlimited amounts of meat! *yay*
On the other side note *haha*, the Spring weather has finally begun to overpower the Winter chills, meaning my enthusiasm to go to the gym has shot up significantly *yay again*
It's Brie Cheese (which we baked) topped with strawberries, from FMT
I sat in the middle seat = I get food from the grill on both sides
On a side note, I was lucky to try Chako Korean Grill on their soft opening night in Mississauga (where my home is)! Now I don't have to drive a minimum for half an hour to feed my stomach unlimited amounts of meat! *yay*
On the other side note *haha*, the Spring weather has finally begun to overpower the Winter chills, meaning my enthusiasm to go to the gym has shot up significantly *yay again*
Good luck to those writing exams soon (or already are)!!
