Famous Asian Recipes Blog

Ingredients:
500 grams  Sardine or Mackerel fish, 2 liters of water, 4 pieces of dried tamarind peel (soaked), some Vietnamese mint leaves, 300 grams cooked laksa noodles
Spicy Paste (process into fine paste with a blender)
6 fresh chilies (seeded), 10 dried red chilies (seeded), 8 small onions, 1 stalk lemon grass (use only about 4 inches from the bulb, crushed), 1 thumb size belachan
Tamarind Juice
Extract juice from 3 tbsp of tamarind paste with 1/2 cup water (repeat 3-4 times)
Seasonings
Sugar, salt and fish sauce to taste, Penang prawn paste (hae ko, add only when serve)
Garnishing
1 cup shredded cucumber, 1 red onion (sliced thinly), 1 bunch pepper mint leaves, 1 ginger bud (bunga kantan, chopped finely), 1 lettuce (cut into small pieces), 1 red chili (cut into small slices), 5 chili padi (cut into small pieces), 1 slice of pineapple (cut into thin strips)
Method

• Remove scales and innards of the fish and clean well. Bring 2 liters of water to boil in a deep pot then add in the fish and boil for about 10 minutes. Strain the fish stock into another pot and leave the fish to cool.

• Bring the strained fish stock to a light boil again then add in the peeled tamarind and the Vietnamese mint leaves and continue to simmer in low heat.

• Pick the flesh out from all the fish and discard the bones. Break the flesh into small pieces and return the fish into the stock and continue to simmer with low heat.

• Saute the spicy paste with little bit of cooking oil until it become aromatic then add it to the stock together with the strained tamarind juice and continue to simmer with low heat. Add seasoning to taste.

• To enjoy this sweet, tangy and spicy dish,  arrange cooked laksa noodle in a serving bowl and garnish with all vegetables. Pour the piping hot soup over the noodle and serve with a spoonful of Hae Ko.

Related Recipe
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This is a common Cantonese recipe most family do it the same way.
Ingredeient
300g fish fillet (sliced)
10 thin slices of ginger
2 stalks spring onion (sectioned)
1 block tofu (cubed)
1 tbsp fermented bean paste
1 tsp dark soy sauce
2 tbsp cornstarch solution
sugar and salt to taste
Method
Stir fry fish slices in warm oil for 1 minute, drain and set aside. Saute ginger and spring onions to fragrant then add fermented bean paste, sugar and salt,  stir fried until aromatic.
Add 150 ml of water and bring to a gentle boil then stir in tofu and dark soy sauce and let it cook for 2 minutes. Return fish slices into the dish and stir in cornstach solution to thicken the gravy. Serve hot.
*More Asian Recipes*