Assam Laksa Recipe

Assam Laksa (or Asam Laksa), a.k.a., Penang is a popular Malaysian noodle dish that comes loaded with a delicious bunch of meats, veggies, spices, and rice noodles. The preparation stands out because of its signature fragrant clear broth made even better with a delectable blend of slurpy noodles, fresh torch ginger, red onion, shrimp molasses and much more. Basically, if clear soups and/or noodle soups and broths are your thing then the Assam Laksa is just the dish for you! Follow the recipe below to make some at home.

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Feature Image: The Hungry Australian

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Assam Laksa Recipe

A noodle soup with vegetables and red snapper.

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Course

Main Dish, Soup

Cuisine

Asian

Cook Time

3 hours

Servings

people MetricUS Imperial

Ingredients

• 1.5 kg snapper, trevally or mullet, cleaned, scaled and head removed
• 4 cups dried whitebait
• 5 litres water
• 2 torch ginger flowers, crushed
• 10 sprigs of Vietnamese mint (laksa leaf), leaves picked
• 15 dried tamarind slices
• 2–3 tsp sugar, or to taste
• 500 ml (2 cups) tamarind juice
• 500 g thin dried rice noodles, soaked in cold water

For the Rempah

• 20 dried long red chillies, seeds removed, roughly chopped
• 30 g shrimp paste
• 300 g red Asian shallots, roughly chopped
• 25 g galangal, thinly sliced
• 4 sticks lemongrass, white part only
• 25 g fresh turmeric root, thinly sliced
• 6 fresh long red chillies, sliced

For the garnish

• 5 tbsp shrimp molasses
• 2 tbsp hot water
• ½ pineapple, core discarded, flesh cut into matchsticks
• 1 Lebanese cucumber, peeled, seeds discarded, cut into matchsticks
• 6–7 small red Asian shallots, thinly sliced lengthways
• 1 torch ginger flower, sliced as thinly as possible
• 1 cup mint leaves

Course Main Dish, Soup Cuisine Asian Cook Time 3 hours Servings people MetricUS Imperial Ingredients 1.5 kg snapper, trevally or mullet, cleaned, scaled and head removed 4 cups dried whitebait 5 litres water 2 torch ginger flowers, crushed 10 sprigs of Vietnamese mint (laksa leaf), leaves picked 15 dried tamarind slices 2–3 tsp sugar, or to taste 500 ml (2 cups) tamarind juice 500 g thin dried rice noodles, soaked in cold water For the Rempah 20 dried long red chillies, seeds removed, roughly chopped 30 g shrimp paste 300 g red Asian shallots, roughly chopped 25 g galangal, thinly sliced 4 sticks lemongrass, white part only 25 g fresh turmeric root, thinly sliced 6 fresh long red chillies, sliced For the garnish 5 tbsp shrimp molasses 2 tbsp hot water ½ pineapple, core discarded, flesh cut into matchsticks 1 Lebanese cucumber, peeled, seeds discarded, cut into matchsticks 6–7 small red Asian shallots, thinly sliced lengthways 1 torch ginger flower, sliced as thinly as possible 1 cup mint leaves

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Instructions

1. Place the dried whitebait and water in a large saucepan and bring to the boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes or until reduced to 4 litres. Strain through a fine sieve over a large saucepan, discarding the dried whitebait. Set aside.
2. Place the dried chilli in a small saucepan of boiling water, boil for 1 minute, then set aside for 15 minutes. Drain, reserving the water, then roughly chop and remove the seeds.
3. Preheat the oven to 180˚C.
4. Wrap the shrimp paste in foil, place on a baking tray and roast for 15 minutes.
5. Blend the shallot, galangal, lemongrass, turmeric and fresh chilli in a food processor or blender until a paste forms, adding the reserved chilli soaking water if necessary to form a paste.
6. Add the belacan and soaked dried chilli and blend until a smooth paste forms.
7. Place the stock over medium heat, then add the torch ginger flowers, Vietnamese mint and rempah paste and stir well and bring to the boil over high heat.
8. Place the dried tamarind in a bowl, cover with water, then drain and add to the laksa. Add the sugar and season with salt to taste. Bring back to the boil, then reduce the heat to medium, cover and simmer for 30–45 minutes.
9. Meanwhile, steam the fish in a steamer basket over a saucepan of simmering water for 20–25 minutes or until cooked. Discard the skin and bones and flake the flesh into large pieces.
10. To serve, add the fish to the laksa. Cook the rice noodles in a large saucepan of boiling water until just tender. Drain and divide among bowls. Remove the torch ginger flowers from the laksa, then spoon the laksa broth and flaked fish over each serve of noodles. Mix the shrimp molasses with the hot water.
11. Sprinkle a small amount of each garnish over each bowl and drizzle a teaspoonful of the shrimp molasses over the top. Serve immediately.