LAKSA JOHOR

RECIPE INGREDIENT

1 ½ (375ml) oil

800g mackerel/ ikan parang (7-8 fishes)

150g kerisik

400ml santan

150g kerisik

300g onions (about 5)

50g garlic (about 12)

20g ginger (3 inches)

2 liters fish stock 2 liters

2 stalks lemongrass

10g belacan

4 pieces of assam keping

3 tbs chili boh

4 tbs curry powder

1 tsp rempah ratus (fenugreek, mustard seed, fennel, cumin)

METHOD:

1. Boil fish in 2 liters of water for 15-20 minutes.

2. Once boiled, debone it and blend with 500ml of the fish stock.

3. Blend onions, garlic, lemongrass, ginger, belacan with 300ml water.

4. Heat up oil, fry blended ingredients until pecah minyak

5. Add cilli and rempah with some salt, fry until a little crispy (about 5 mins)

6. Pour in stock first or else it would curdle. Close and let simmer on medium (3-5 mins) until it boils.

STIR IN BLENDED FISH AND ASSAM KEPING.

1. Add in santan with ¼ cups more of water and finally kerisik. Stir it around to make sure the kerisik dissolves in the broth.

2. Lower fire to the lowest simmer for 15-20 minutes. Add salt to taste.

3. This laksa utilises a lot of leaves and herbs you would get in a Malay garden. When I was a young girl, my grandmother in the midst of cooking something in her kitchen would holler out and I would go out and pluck the leaves and herbs she needs for her cooking. That's how I learned about edible leaves and the fragrant herbs people used to grow in their garden. Once you have the broth simmering away, time to get the rest of the stuff ready.

Stuff that goes in the laksa:

1 packet spaghetti

Daun kesum (Vietnamese mint)

Bunga kantan (Torch Ginger)

Beansprouts

Green Beans

Onions

Cucumbers

Lime

Mint leaves

Thai basil

Sambal belacan

Jeruk asin

RESULTS:

Your laksa should be spicy and fragrant with a very robust taste.

Most of your vegetables and herbs should be shredded and traditionally, the Johoreans serve the spaghetti in tight little bundles- a portion a bundle.

ASSEMBLING IT:

Start with the spaghetti and slowly layer it with all the vegetables and herbs.

Then ladle in a generous amount of broth and eat it with sambal belacan. Just before eating it, squeeze some lime over it so it cuts through the richness of this laksa.