Noodles-Penang Siamese Laksa

Ingredients:

Spice Paste:

15 (20g) dried chillies, soaked
4 (60g) fresh red chillies
5cm (40g) fresh turmeric
18-20 (180g) shallots
4 cloves garlic
6 candlenuts
5 stalks lemongrass
1 kaffir lime (remove top green layer of skin only)
100 cooking oil

Fish stock

1kg herring (parang) or mackerel (kembung)
2 litres water
2 stalks lemongrass, bruised
2 pieces tamarind peel (asam keping)
300ml thick coconut milk
1 tablesppon sugar, or to taste
2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
800g fresh laksa noodles, scalded

Toppings

1 torch ginger flower (bunga kantan), split and sliced thinly
1/4 pineapple, cut into thin strips
1 cucumber, cut into thin strips
1 onion, peeled, halved and sliced thinly
1 bunch mint leaves
10 bird’s eye chillies, sliced

Method:

Blend all the spice paste ingredients. Fry until aromatic in the cooking oil over a medium to low heat. Set aside.

Gut and clean the fish. Bring water to boil; add the lemongrass and fish.

Boil for five minutes or until fish is just cooked. Remove fish, debone and flake. Set aside the fish flakes. Strain fish stock into a clean pot, add the tamarind peel and spice paste. Simmer over low heat for 30 minutes or until gravy is aromatic. Add half the fish flakes and coconut milk and bring back to a boil. Season to taste.

To serve, bring the laksa gravy back to a boil. Place a serving of laksa noodles in a bowl and add the desired toppings. Ladle the hot laksa gravy and top with the reserved fish flakes.

Stories from the star :http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2009/1/11/sundaymetro/2963133&sec=sundaymetro