Penang Asam Laksa Recipe
Penang asam laksa is a sour, spicy Malaysian noodle soup made with mackerel, tamarind, asam gelugur, daun kesum and bunga kantan, served with thick noodles, fresh toppings and petis udang.
Ingredients
Fish and Stock
- 600 g whole mackerel gutted and cleaned
- 750 ml water
- 3 slices dried asam gelugur/asam keping
- 60 g tamarind pulp or 3 Tbsp shop bought paste
- 200 ml hot water for the tamarind
Spice Paste
- 10 dried red chillies
- 250 ml hot water for the dried chillies
- 1 fresh long red chilli
- 170 g shallots
- 1 lemongrass stalk
- 30 g fresh galangal (or ½ Tbsp paste)
- 10 g shrimp paste
- 3 Tbsp neutral cooking oil (vegetable or peanut oil)
- 45 ml water for blending
For the Broth
- 2 large stalks daun kesum (laksa leaves)
- 1 slice asam gelugur
- 1 bunga kantan
- 1 lemongrass stalk bruised
- 1 Tbsp sugar plus more if necessary
- 1 tsp salt plus more if necessary
Noodles - Choose one:
- 750 g fresh laksa noodles/lai fun/lai fen
- 450 g dried Pad Thai noodles
- 400 g dried bee hoon
- 600 g udon noodles
Toppings
- 200 g fresh pineapple or canned pineapple in juice
- ½ large cucumber
- 1 small red onion
- 2 handfuls iceberg or round lettuce
- fresh mint leaves
- 1 long red chilli
- ½ bunga kantan reserved from above and very finely sliced
To Serve
- 3 Tbsp petis udang/hae ko
- 2-3 Tbsp warm water if petis is too thick
Instructions
Prep Work
- Put the kettle on for the dried chillies and tamarind.
- Tamarind. If using pulp, place in a small bowl and cover with about 200ml hot water from the kettle. Leave to soak until needed, no need to cover.If using shop bought paste, mix it in with the water to add to the broth later.60 g tamarind pulp, 200 ml hot water
- Squeeze and work the tamarind through the water with your fingers. Discard the seeds and fibres and set the tamarind water aside.
- Bunga Kantan. Remove any particularly tough outer petals from the bunga kantan. Cut it in half lengthways.1 bunga kantan
- Roughly slice one half for the broth and refrigerate the remaining half for the topping.
Make the Fish Stock
- Place the water and three slices of asam gelugur in a saucepan and bring to the boil.750 ml water, 3 slices dried asam gelugur/asam keping
- Carefully lower in the whole mackerel.Return to a gentle simmer and cook for 10-12 minutes, until the fish is cooked and the flesh comes away easily from the bone.600 g whole mackerel
- Lift the fish onto a plate and leave until cool enough to handle.
- Strain the stock through a fine sieve. Discard the cooked asam gelugur and any fish debris. If the stock has been made ahead and chilled, pour it gently and leave any sediment that has settled at the bottom behind. A little cloudiness is perfectly normal.
Prepare the Fish
- Not gonna lie - this is hard work. Remove the skin, backbone and all the bones from the mackerel. Look out for the really tiny ones running along the fish.
- Mash roughly one-third of the cooked fish with a fork.
- Keep the remaining two-thirds in small flakes and set aside.
Make the Spice Paste
- Dried Chillies. Put the kettle on. Cut the dried chillies into 2-3 pieces with a pair of scissors directly into a bowl.Then pour the just boiled water generously over the cut chillies.Cover and leave to soak for 15 minutes, then drain well.10 dried red chillies, 250 ml hot water
- Toast the shrimp paste in a dry frying pan over medium-low heat for 3 minutes, flattening, turning and scraping as needed, until fragrant. Set aside.10 g shrimp paste
- Peel and roughly chop the shallots.Roughly chop the fresh chilli.Trim the lemongrass and finely slice the tender lower part.Peel and roughly slice the galangal.1 fresh long red chilli, 170 g shallots, 1 lemongrass stalk, 30 g fresh galangal
- Place the soaked dried chillies, fresh chillies, shallots, sliced lemongrass, galangal and toasted belacan in a blender.
- Add just enough water to get the blades moving and blend to a fairly smooth paste.45 ml water
Fry the Spice Paste
- Heat the oil over medium heat.3 Tbsp neutral cooking oil
- Add the spice paste and fry for 8 - 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until it has darkened slightly, smells fragrant and begins to look glossy, with oil beginning to appear at the edges of the paste.This is called pecah minyak, read more here.
Make the Asam Laksa Broth
- Gradually pour in the reserved fish stock into the saucepan with the spice paste, stirring well.See that sediment in the image? We want to leave as much of that behind as possible.
- Add the tamarind water, mashed fish, remaining slice of asam gelugur, daun kesum, roughly sliced bunga kantan, bruised lemongrass, sugar and salt.2 large stalks daun kesum, 1 slice asam gelugur, 1 lemongrass stalk, 1 Tbsp sugar, 1 tsp salt
- Bring to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for 20 minutes.
- Add the remaining flaked mackerel and simmer for another 10 minutes.
- Remove the bruised lemongrass before serving.
- Taste the broth. It should be sour, spicy, savoury and full-bodied. This is where you are going to possibly add a little more sugar and salt to round off the flavour to your liking.
- Remove the asam gelugur once the acidity is where you want it.
- If the broth needs more concentration, simmer uncovered for a few minutes longer.
Prepare the Toppings
- Cut the pineapple into thin strips or triangles.Julienne the cucumber.Very finely slice the red onion.Finely shred the lettuce.Lightly shred the mint leaves.Thinly slice the red chilli.Slice the reserved bunga kantan as finely as possible across the bud.200 g fresh pineapple or canned pineapple in juice, ½ large cucumber, 1 small red onion, 2 handfuls iceberg or round lettuce, fresh mint leaves, 1 long red chilli, ½ bunga kantan
Prepare the Petis Udang
- Place the petis udang in a small bowl.3 Tbsp petis udang/hae ko
- If it is too thick to drizzle, stir in a little warm water until spoonable but still thick and glossy. You may need more or less water, depending on your petis.2-3 Tbsp warm water
Cook the Noodles
- For fresh laksa noodles or lai fun, loosen them in simmering water until heated through and tender, then drain thoroughly. Just 1 minute.750 g fresh laksa noodles/lai fun/lai fen
- For packet noodles whatever you're using, cook according to the packet instructions and drain well.
Assemble
- Divide the noodles between six bowls.
- Ladle over plenty of hot broth and mackerel.
- Top with pineapple, cucumber, red onion, lettuce, mint, chilli and finely sliced bunga kantan.
- Finish each bowl with a little petis udang and serve immediately.
Notes
- Mackerel: Ikan kembung/Indian mackerel is ideal. Atlantic mackerel is a very good substitute, although slightly richer and oilier.
- Asam gelugur: Also known as asam keping. If unavailable, add a little more tamarind to taste.
- Laksa noodles: Fresh lai fun/lai fen is the best choice. Udon or dried flat rice noodles also work well if needed.
- Make ahead: The fish stock can be made a day ahead. The finished broth is actually even better the next day, once the flavours have had time to settle.
- Storage: Refrigerate the broth for up to 2 days, or freeze for up to 3 months for best quality. Keep the noodles and fresh toppings separate.
- Prep time: About 1 hour, depending on how quickly you prepare the fish and toppings.
- Servings: Makes 6 bowls for me, although serving size will depend on how generous you are with the noodles. There is usually a little broth left over after six servings.
Nutrition
Calories: 684kcalCarbohydrates: 118gProtein: 23gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0.03gCholesterol: 50mgSodium: 983mgPotassium: 1112mgFiber: 7gSugar: 21gVitamin A: 1850IUVitamin C: 156mgCalcium: 124mgIron: 4mg
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