Mama Mia Laksa

Of recently I’ve been missing my mom more than usual.

Of recently since I got pregnant, I notice she’s closer to me.

That makes me also miss her cooking more.

My mother makes the meanest Laksa Johor ever. It’s full of all protein goodness and fresh crunchy vegetables. Trust me.

It’s been constantly on my mind. Even dreamt about it one night. The creamy fish coconut gravy, the spicy sambal belacan mixed into it and the sour of the kasturi lime added to it. I couldn’t resist any longer.

Good thing she taught me everything I needed to know to make one. Since I took AL today to get my EA form from Manpower’s Office in Midvalley, I decided to pop into midvalley’s Carrefour and do some grocery shopping. Besides, I had a packet of San Remo’s Linguine at home and somehow I prefer Linguine more than Spaghetti. Its heart breaking seeing it sit in my dry goods cabinet and imagining what it feels to sink into a mouthful of the dish.



What can I say? Cravings of a pregnant woman.

Word of caution – Making Laksa Johor takes time and patience, the same as painting a perfect picture. If you want to make this for lunch best to start a few hours early.

Linguine ala Laksa Johor

Ingredients A
1kg Mackerel Fish (ikan kembung)
3 cloves garlic
3 slices galangal
2-3 slices young ginger
Pinch salt
3 cups water

Ingredients B
100grams Fresh medium size prawns
100grams Salted Ikan Kurau

Ingredients C - The Bumbu
7 cloves Shallots
3 cloves Garlic
1 teaspoons dried coriander seeds
1 teaspoons dried cumin
1 inch Fresh turmeric root
3 inch Galangal

100grams Dried chilies

Ingredients D
1kg Coconut milk (from 2 half coconuts)
100grams Thai Basil
1 stem Bunga Kantan
1 tablesp Brown Sugar
3 tablesp Tamarind Juice

Garnishing A – Fresh Veges
100grams Long snake green beans
½ Onion
2 cucumbers
100 grams Mint leaves
100 grams Thai Basils
6-7 Kasturi Lime

Garnishing B – Sambal Belacan
2 inch Dried Shrimp paste (belacan)
50grams Bird’s eye chili
3 cloves Garlic
Juice from 4 small kasturi Lime

Other Ingredients
3 tablesp oil
1 Packet of Linguine
Salt and seasoning to taste

PREPARING INGRIDIENTS A

Clean the fish. Place in a shallow pot and add in the water. The water should cover the fish.


Put in, the slices of galangal and young ginger and the garlic. Add a pinch of salt or two. Boil the fish until soft. Strain but don’t throw away the stock. Place aside.

Once soft, debone. The fish meat should be grinded until fine. Place aside.



If you wish, you may grind the fish head separately. Place aside.



PREPARING INGRIDIENTS B

Peel the skins of the fresh medium size prawns and the salted ikan Kurau. Grind them fine. Place aside.







PREPARING INGRIDIENTS C – THE BUMBU

Grind in a mortar all of ingredients c (except the dried chilies and the galangal) until fine. The dried chilies should be grinded separately. The galangal should be course pounded not grinded.




PREPARING THE GRAVY

1. Heat the oil in a shallow pot.
2. Sauté the grinded dried chilies first



3. Once this is cook, add in the rest of the Bumbu and the pounded galangal
4. Add in the grinded salted ikan Kurau, followed by the grinded fish head and grinded shrimp.




5. Add in the bunga Kantan next.



6. Sauté for 3 minutes.
7. Add in the fish stock and the coconut milk, stir well.




8. Add in the Thai Basil, tied in a knot.



9. Add in the grinded mackerel and the brown sugar, bring to a slight boil.




10. Add in the tamarind juice and bring to a slight boil again.



11. Add salt and seasoning to taste.

PREPARING GARNISHING A

Peel the skin of the cucumbers, cut into four sections and slowly cut around the sections as the photo below.



Once you have achieved a half moon shape, slice them across finely.



Slice the onions finely but the long snake green beans coarsely.
The Kasturi Lime should just be cut in half while the Thai Basil and Mint, just pluck the leaves only. Place these garnishes in an oval plate nicely.



PREPARING GARNISHING B – The sambal belacan.

Place all the ingredients in a mortar and grind them until fine. Place in a small bowl to be served.



PREPARING THE LINGUINE

Cook the Linguine until al dente.



HOW TO SERVE

Place the cook Linguine in a bowl first.



Add the garnishes one by one, topped by the Sambal Belacan.



Add in the gravy.



Linguine ala Laksa Johor is ready to be served.

*You may substitute Linguine with spaghetti if you want.

*Usually bean sprouts are also added in the garnishing but due to "wind" i opmited it out this time round

Soto Ayam

Just looking at this photo is really mouthwatering and makes me crave for a decent Soto Ayam and Bergedil Udang.

It’s a really simple recipe but some people think it’s too much of hassle to do. Basically its divided into 4 parts.

1. The chicken broth - made using one bird of chicken + bumbu spices

2. Cordiments that accompanies

• Bergedil Udang (Prawn Potatoes Patties)

• Kacang Tanah goreng (Fried ground nuts)

• Taugeh (Bean Sprouts)

• 
  

  Bawang goreng (Fried Shallots)

  
  

• Daun Bawang & Daun Sup (Spring Onions & Coriander)

• Tang Hoon Goreng (Deep Fried Tang Hoon)

3. The Sambal Kicap (hot Soy Sauce Dip)




MAKING THE BROTH

I usually use one bird of chicken. Cut into 6 pieces.

To make the bumbu spices, you will need:-

1 inch of fresh ginger
1 inch of fresh tumeric
8 shallots
3 garlic cloves
1 teas spoon of dried coriander
1 teas spoon of dried cumin
Salt and seasoning to taste

I usually pound everything in a motar and pestle until everything is blended together.

This bumbu (grounded spices) will be divided into 3 parts1 part for sauté
1 part for marinating the chicken
1 part to make the bergedil

But for the sauté part, I usually just bruise
1 inch of fresh galangal
3 stalks of lemongrass

Marinate the chicken with the bumbu spices for one hour.

Place about 3 tablespoon of oil in a large pot. Sauté the bumbu for a few minutes. Put in the bruised lemongrass and galangal.

Next put in the marinated chicken and fry until chicken loses its pink color. Put in the water until it covers the chicken and cook under slow heat until chicken is tender.

Once tender, take out the chicken and cool down. You will need to shred and debone.

I usually place back the bones into the broth. It’s a lot tastier if you do this.

MAKING THE NASI IMPIT (Cubed Rice)

Its easier to make nasi impit now coz you can buy them uncooked from the supermarket. Boil the bags for about 1 hour and don’t forget to turn them over once in a while. This will ensure you have a nice soft, pillow like cubed rice.

Allow them to cool down (preferably to cook the nasi impit the night before) before you attempt to cut them into cubes and serve.

TO MAKE THE GARNISHING

Deep fry all the below:-

Shallots are thinly grated
Tang Hoon
Peanuts

Finely chop the cilantro and spring onions.

TO MAKE THE BERGEDIL UDANG (Shrimp Potato Patte)

5 potatoes (peeled, cut into 6 slices and deep fried)
100grams of fresh shrimp meat
Half a cup of corn flour
One egg
White pepper
Oil to fry
Some deep fried shallots, finely sliced cilantro & spring onions
Salt & seasoning to taste
Ground the potatos in the motar. Place aside.
Ground the fresh shrimp meat in the motar. Place aside.

Put the two ingredients in a big salad bowl. Mix together with half a cup of corn flour, some deep fried shallots, finely sliced cilantro & spring onions and salt & seasoning to taste.

Mix until it becomes a nice dough. Make into small pattes.

Using one egg, whip with a fork and add in some white pepper. Dip the pattes into this egg mix and deep fry until brown.


TO SERVE

Place the nasi impit into the bowl.
Place in all the garnishing ingredients.
Place in the bergedil udang
Place the shredded chicken meat

Pour in the gravy. You may serve with hot soy sauce dip if you like that extra kick.

Hungry yet? I am just by writting this!!!