Eating in:Take comfort in a bowl of laksa
Laksa, a one-pot Malaysian dish traditionally served as a morning snack, is something of a culinary hot potato. Each of its three main types has its strict devotees.
A laksa lemak, which has its origins in Melaka, in the southwest of the country, is rich, smooth and spicy compared with asam laksa, from Penang, which is sour and refreshing. Just to complicate things, a Sarawak laksa is similar to the lemak but with no curry ingredients.
We pondered all of this one balmy evening - yes, there have been a few - when we and some friends ate all three, along with a few vegetable dishes on the side. This was a giant feast of unusual, spicy and subtle flavours that left us refreshed and invigorated.
In Singapore, home to street-based fast food with a difference, the stalls offer laksa in small bowls. You scoop and slurp and go, knowing that there is something equally delicious around the next corner.
Texture counts for a lot. A laksa contains soft noodles, garlic and onion, refreshingly crisp cucumber and bean sprouts that, despite delivering little flavour, still play their part.
Protein seems to play second fiddle to the herbs and spices: coriander, mint, ginger and turmeric. The lists of ingredients may seem long, but don't be put off: this really is fast food.
LAKSA LEMAK
3 dried chillies (or to taste) soaked in water, drained and roughly chopped
3 lemon-grass stalks, finely chopped
3cm piece ginger, finely diced
generous pinch turmeric
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp nam pla (fish sauce)
1 tbsp ground coriander
vegetable oil
200g raw tiger prawns, shells on
700g thick rice noodles
600g chicken thigh meat, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 large tin coconut milk
2 handfuls bean sprouts
½ cucumber, seeded and cut into matchsticks
bunch coriander, leaves picked
Combine the first eight ingredients in a pestle and mortar and grind to a paste. Heat four tablespoons of vegetable oil in a hot wok and saute the prawns until they are cooked, then remove them from the heat and set aside. Cook the noodles according to the instructions on the packet, then drain them, refresh in cold water and set them aside.
Add the spice paste to the oil in the wok and stir-fry until it is fragrant - about three minutes. Add the chicken and turn it in the spice mixture until it is almost cooked (about five minutes). Add the coconut milk and half a tin of cold water. Bring to the boil, season with salt and simmer for two minutes. Remove from the heat. Add the noodles and check the seasoning.
Pour into a serving bowl, or individual serving bowls, top with the prawns and scatter the bean sprouts, cucumber and coriander over the top.
LAKSA ASAM
5 dried chillies (or to taste) soaked in water, drained and roughly chopped
4 lemon-grass stalks, finely chopped
2cm piece ginger, finely diced
½ teaspoon turmeric
2 onions, finely chopped
1 tbsp nam pla (fish sauce)
700g thick rice noodles
500g mackerel
50g tamarind, soaked in 150ml boiling water
2 tsp light brown sugar
bunch coriander, chopped
1 small tin pineapple, drained and roughly chopped
4 scallions, finely chopped, including the green part
½ cucumber, seeded and cut into matchsticks
2 fresh red chillies, finely sliced
Grind the first six ingredients in a pestle and mortar and set aside. Cook the noodles according to the instructions on the packet, drain, refresh in cold water and set aside.
Put the mackerel in a saucepan and cover with lightly salted water. Bring to the boil and simmer for two or three minutes. Remove the fish, reserving the water. When the fish is cool, flake it. Strain the cooking water from the fish into a clean saucepan and add the spice mixture. Strain the tamarind water through a sieve, squeezing out as much of the paste as you can into the same saucepan. Bring to the boil. Simmer for five minutes or until it is fragrant. Add the sugar and salt to taste and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the noodles and cooked fish, heat through, check the seasoning and pour into a serving bowl or bowls. Top with the coriander, pineapple, scallions, cucumber and chilli and serve. u