Laksa Kampung Siglap a.k.a. Laksa Johor

I love eating laksa, any kind of laksa.... Nyonya,  Johor or even Penang laksa. But I seldom cook it as my family is not really a great fan of laksa. Besides, cooking laksa requires a lot of work, so I'd normally have to satisfy my craving for laksa only when I'm eating out. Even then, I try not to have this calorie-laden noodle too often.

My early memories of laksa is when I was living in Kampung Kembangan in the 70s. I remember my mother would often call the travelling laksa hawker into our house compound. It was often a young man who would be carrying  two large baskets, filled with the ingredients & gravy for the laksa, hung on the two ends of a bamboo stick. I was just talking to my mum about this & it turned out that it was not always the same guy who came to sell. Apparently, these men were selling laksa which was prepared by a lady who lived in Kampong Siglap (which was not very far from Kampung Kembangan). Hence the name Laksa Kampong Siglap. However, the laksa is actually laksa Johor (except that spaghetti is used for laksa Johor) but because it was this lady from Kampung Siglap who popularised it in Singapore (at least in the eastern part), it's called Laksa Kampung Siglap. 

I also just found out my mother loves eating laksa so much that, during our kampung days, she had laksa for teatime almost everyday! It was so cheap.....only 10-30 cents a bowl, depending on how many pieces of laksa cap you want. (Laksa cap refers to the homemade laksa noodle strands which are formed into oval- or bun-shaped pieces. Please look at the laksa noodle that I made before to see what I mean.) Now in Singapore, Laksa Kampung Siglap is not as widely available as the Nyonya laksa. For sure you can get it from Geylang Serai Market, but I like to have my laksa fix at Mukmin Restaurant in Bedok. 

Laksa Kampung Siglap (a.k.a. Laksa Johor)

1 kg laksa noodle
300g bean sprouts (tauge)
laksa leaves (daun kesom) - diced*
cucumber - cut into strips*
*for garnish

GRAVY
Ingredients:
150g fresh prawns
400g fresh Japanese Mackeral (Ikan Kembong) or Wolf Herring (Ikan Parang)
2 tbsp ground toasted grated coconut (kerisik) - You can buy or make it yourself like this.
3 tbsps fish curry powder
250ml coconut milk (If using fresh grated coconut, squeeze milk from 1 coconut.)
1000ml water (combined prawn & fish stock & plain water)  
1 handful laksa leaves (daun kesom)
3 pieces asam gelugor or asam keping
salt - to taste
3 tbsp cooking oil

Grind to fine paste:
3 cloves garlic
2 medium onions
2 cm galangal (lengkuas)
3 lemongrass stalks (serai) - white part only
2 tbsp dried prawns -rinsed & soaked
1x3-cm-piece dried salted threadfin fish (ikan kurau) - rinsed & soaked

Method:

1. Boil fresh prawns in some water until they are cooked. Then remove the prawns from water, de-shell & pound or blend flesh. Keep the stock for the gravy.
2. Boil the fish in some water. Remove the fish from water, de-bone & flake. Set aside. Keep stock for the gravy.
3. Heat up oil in a saucepan. Combine ground paste & curry powder. Sauté until dry & fragrant.
4. Add in water, coconut milk, flaked fish & pounded prawn, kerisik, laksa leaves, asam gelugor & salt. Stir frequently until the gravy starts to boil. Then leave gravy to simmer. Adjust the thickness of gravy by simmering longer for thicker broth or adding more water for thinner broth.

CHILLI PASTE
100g dried chilli
salt to taste
- Soak dried chilli in hot water until soft. Rinse with clean water. Then, pound or grind chilli to fine paste. Add salt.

TO SERVE:

1. Blanch some laksa noodle in boiling water. Drain & place in a bowl. Top it with tauge. 
2. Pour gravy & garnish with daun kesom, cucumber & chilli paste.

I'm linking this post to Asian Food Fest #11 Sept 2014 : Singapore, hosted by Grace Phua of Life Can Be Simple.

Crispy Crab Sticks

As usual, as the Chinese New Year is drawing nearer, I notice bottles of cookies & snacks here & there at the workplace.... I also hear updates of what's baking, frying & buying for the celebrations. 

My colleague, Sharon, has been raving about the crispy crab sticks she made. I was not aware of such snack before she told me about it. She encouraged me to make it because she emphasised, confidently, that it's not only delicious, it's also very easy to make! It's also way cheaper to make it at home because, apparently, it's on sale for more than $10 per bottle! So I made it two nights ago & again this morning. Sharon is right, it's one of the easiest snack to make! But beware, like any delicious snack, it's very addictive!

Before I leave you with the recipe, I would like to wish all Chinese readers Happy Lunar New Year! Have a joyous & safe celebration!

Crispy Crab Sticks

Ingredients:
imitation crab sticks (thawed, if frozen)
vegetable oil for deep frying

Method:

1. Shred the crab sticks into thin strips.
2. Heat oil over medium fire.
3. Place shredded crab sticks, a small amount at a time, into the hot oil. Fry until golden brown.
4. Once brown, remove & place on paper kitchen towel to drain.
5. Leave to cool down completely. Store in an air-tight container.

Notes:

• Fry over medium fire, not high, as the crackers will turn brown quite fast.
• Don't fry too much of the shredded sticks at one time so that it's easier to separate & turn the shredded pieces when frying in the oil.

I’m submitting this post to Aspiring Bakers No. 39: CNY Rock & Roll! (Jan 2014) hosted by Food Playground.

Fried Fish with Sour Pepper & Coriander Sauce

We had rice with seafood tom yum & fried fish with sour pepper & coriander sauce for lunch last weekend. It was a simple yet very satisfying meal. My husband couldn't stop eating the fish especially because the fish was crispy, the way he likes his fish fried.

Fried Fish with Sour Pepper & Coriander Sauce
Source: Family Circle Thai Cooking.

Ingredients:
1 kg whole snapper or red emperor (or any firm, sweet fish), scaled & cleaned
1 cup oil, for frying
4 spring onions, chopped
5 cm piece fresh ginger, grated
2-4 tsps fresh green peppercorns, crushed - I didn't use.
2-4 tsps chopped red chillies
1/2 cup coconut milk
1 tbsp tamarind puree
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 cup fresh coriander leaves
Thai chilli sauce, for serving - I used the commercial sauce.

Method:

1. Cut a shallow, criss-cross pattern on both sides of the fish. Using kitchen scissors or a sharp knife, trim the fins, if they are very long. Heat the oil in a large wok or heavey-based, deep fryig pan.
2. Place the whole fish in the oil & cook for 4-5 minutes on each side, moving fish around in the oil to ensure the whole fish is crisp & cooked (including the tail & head). Drain fish well on paper towels & place on a warmed serving plate. Keep warm.
3. Drain almost all the oil from the wok & heat the wok over medium heat. Add the spring onions, ginger, peppercorns & chillies, stir-fry for 3 minutes. Add the coconut milk, tamarind & fish sauce to the wok. Cook for 2 minutes.
4. Pour the sauce over the fish. Sprinkle with coriander leaves & then serve, on a bed of lettuce &, if you like, with chilli sauce.

I'm submitting this post to Asian Food Fest (Thailand) November 2013 hosted by Lena of frozen wings.

I'm also linking this post to Cook-your-books event no.6 organised by Kitchen Flavours.

Lemak Pedas Ikan

Lemak Pedas Ikan is often cooked using tuna fish but you may also replace it with mackerel. I used the latter. It's  a rich dish as coconut milk is added. So you may want to go easy with the gravy when eating it with the rich Nasi Dagang.

Lemak Pedas Ikan (Fish in Spicy Coconut Milk)
Recipe by Hjh Babyah Mahmood from Goodness Gracious Absolutely Delicious... by Asmah Laili.

Ingredients:
1 whole fish (tuna or mackerel), about 1 kg - I used mackerel.
salt & turmeric powder to coat fish
1/2 a white coconut, grated
2 pieces tamarind slices
1 stalk lemongrass, bruised
1/2 a thumb-sized galangal, bruised
oil for frying

Ground ingredients:
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp cumin
10 stalks dried chilies
1/2 tsp black pepper
10 shallots
4 cloves garlic
salt & pepper to taste

Method:

1. Take 1 tbsp grated white coconut, grind it finely & put aside. Squeeze the rest to render 1 bowl of coconut milk. Cut the cleaned fish into pieces. Rub with a little salt & turmeric powder & fry shortly.
2. Heat a little oil,  sauté ground ingredients until done. Add in lemongrass, galangal, ground coconut, coconut milk, tamarind slices & slat to taste. Boil until almost dry & then add in the fish & a little sugar. Simmer until fish is cooked. Check & correct seasonings. Turn off heat.

I'm linking this post to the Cook-Your-Books No 5 event organised by Joyce @ Kitchen Flavours.

Fish Curry - The essential for Nasi Kandar

There are many books written on Penang food in the market but very few are written specifically on Muslim food. So, last week, when my husband saw Feasts of Penang, Muslim Culinary Heritage, a book written by Wazir Jahan Karim, he decided to get it for me for my birthday. 

What my husband likes about this book is the inclusion of detailed description & the historical background of the dishes discussed by Wazir. Of course, a book about food is not complete without the recipes. Here, Wazir shared more than 100 recipes & I've tried 3 of them.

For me, the most interesting chapter in the book is the one on Nasi Kandar. I've always been intrigued by the fascination with Nasi Kandar. When I first went to Penang, my impression was that Nasi Kandar is just an Indian version of nasi padang... so what's the big deal..? But after making a few trips there & falling in love with the place, I can sense that it's more than just about Indian food.  After reading this book, I can appreciate the fascination with Nasi Kandar better.  Wazir's explaination of the historical background & evolution of Nasi Kandar is accompanied by beautiful pictures of the various places where the more popular  Nasi Kandar stalls were & are still found.

The first  recipe in the book that I tried was the Fish Curry. Fish curry was a basic dish in the original Nasi Kandar sold in the early 1900s. Fish curry is also a staple for my family... I cook it every other week. Since I wanted to taste the real flavour of this recipe, I followed the recipe (almost) to the T & measured all the ingredients. Although my family & I don't eat okra & brinjal, I decided not to omit them because, when cooked in the curry, they provide a unique flavour to it.

Just look at the pictures...... & it tastes heavenly.. It's rich, spicy & very delicious! I'm really not surprised... just look at the long list of ingredients! 

Before I leave you with the recipe, I encourage you to get this book, especially if you are keen to read more about Muslim food in Penang. It may be a bit pricy, but for a well- researched  book, I think it's worth it.

Fish Curry (Kari Ikan)
Recipe by Wazir Jahan Karim from Feasts of Penang, Muslim Culinary Heritage.
(Note: I've changed the order of the ingredients & simplified the method.)

Ingredients:
1 kg king mackerel (tenggiri) - cut into 2cm-thick slices, wash & set aside
1kg red onions - slice finely
1 bulb or 10-12 cloves of garlic - slice finely
2 sprigs coriander - separate stems & chop stems finely (set aside leaves for garnish)
2 sprigs curry leaves - remove leaves from stems
1 tsp mustard & fenugreek seeds (I used store-bought mixed fish spice a.k.a rempah tumis ikan.)
200g pre-mixed fish curry powder - mixed with 250ml of water to form a paste
OR   25g turmeric powder
            100g coriander powder
            25g cumin powder
            25g black cumin
            25g chilli powder
500g tomatoes - cut, remove seeds & chop into fine pieces
100ml diluted tamarind juice
2 sprigs lemon grass - press
300ml coconut milk
1.1L water
250ml palm or rice oil (I used vegetable oil.)
500g okra - wash, cut hard end, lightly boil & set aside
500g purple or white brinjals - cut into small even pieces on a slant & fry to a golden brown
2 red & 2 green chillies - cut into two lengthwise & remove seeds
salt to taste

Method:

1. Fry onions until light brown.  Add garlic, curry leaves, chopped coriander stems, mustard & fenugreek seeds. Fry to a golden brown.
2. Add spice paste & chopped tomatoes & stir evenly for 10 mins until oil separates from paste.
3. Add another 250ml water as it thickens. Stir until oil separates from paste. The spices should by now render an aroma as oil separates further from paste. This process (from the time spices fry in oil) should take about 20mins. 
4. Add tamarind  juice & lemon grass sprigs. Boil for another 20 ins.
5. Add 600ml water, salt & coconut milk. Reduce as gravy thickens, oil will rise to surface.
6. Add fish, boiled okra, fried brinjalm green & red chillies & one sprig coriander leaves. Remove from fire immediately & close pan with lid to allow fish to cook in the heat of gravy. Garnish with remaining coriander leaves. 

Serves 6-8 persons.
Preparation time: 40 mins
Cooking time: 1 hour

I'm submitting this post to the following events:

1. Malaysian Food Fest, Penang Month hosted by Alan of Travellingfoodies,
2. Little Thumbs Up hosted by Miss B of Everybody Eats Well in Flanders, organised by Zoe of Bake for Happy Kids and Doreen of my little favourite D.I.Y. and
3. Cook-Your-Books organised by Kitchen Flavours.