Mama Mia Laksa

Of recently I’ve been missing my mom more than usual.

Of recently since I got pregnant, I notice she’s closer to me.

That makes me also miss her cooking more.

My mother makes the meanest Laksa Johor ever. It’s full of all protein goodness and fresh crunchy vegetables. Trust me.

It’s been constantly on my mind. Even dreamt about it one night. The creamy fish coconut gravy, the spicy sambal belacan mixed into it and the sour of the kasturi lime added to it. I couldn’t resist any longer.

Good thing she taught me everything I needed to know to make one. Since I took AL today to get my EA form from Manpower’s Office in Midvalley, I decided to pop into midvalley’s Carrefour and do some grocery shopping. Besides, I had a packet of San Remo’s Linguine at home and somehow I prefer Linguine more than Spaghetti. Its heart breaking seeing it sit in my dry goods cabinet and imagining what it feels to sink into a mouthful of the dish.

What can I say? Cravings of a pregnant woman.

Word of caution – Making Laksa Johor takes time and patience, the same as painting a perfect picture. If you want to make this for lunch best to start a few hours early.

Linguine ala Laksa Johor

Ingredients A
1kg Mackerel Fish (ikan kembung)
3 cloves garlic
3 slices galangal
2-3 slices young ginger
Pinch salt
3 cups water

Ingredients B
100grams Fresh medium size prawns
100grams Salted Ikan Kurau

Ingredients C – The Bumbu
7 cloves Shallots
3 cloves Garlic
1 teaspoons dried coriander seeds
1 teaspoons dried cumin
1 inch Fresh turmeric root
3 inch Galangal

100grams Dried chilies

Ingredients D
1kg Coconut milk (from 2 half coconuts)
100grams Thai Basil
1 stem Bunga Kantan
1 tablesp Brown Sugar
3 tablesp Tamarind Juice

Garnishing A – Fresh Veges
100grams Long snake green beans
½ Onion
2 cucumbers
100 grams Mint leaves
100 grams Thai Basils
6-7 Kasturi Lime

Garnishing B – Sambal Belacan
2 inch Dried Shrimp paste (belacan)
50grams Bird’s eye chili
3 cloves Garlic
Juice from 4 small kasturi Lime

Other Ingredients
3 tablesp oil
1 Packet of Linguine
Salt and seasoning to taste

PREPARING INGRIDIENTS A

Clean the fish. Place in a shallow pot and add in the water. The water should cover the fish.

Put in, the slices of galangal and young ginger and the garlic. Add a pinch of salt or two. Boil the fish until soft. Strain but don’t throw away the stock. Place aside.

Once soft, debone. The fish meat should be grinded until fine. Place aside.

If you wish, you may grind the fish head separately. Place aside.

PREPARING INGRIDIENTS B

Peel the skins of the fresh medium size prawns and the salted ikan Kurau. Grind them fine. Place aside.

PREPARING INGRIDIENTS C – THE BUMBU

Grind in a mortar all of ingredients c (except the dried chilies and the galangal) until fine. The dried chilies should be grinded separately. The galangal should be course pounded not grinded.

PREPARING THE GRAVY

1. Heat the oil in a shallow pot.
2. Sauté the grinded dried chilies first

3. Once this is cook, add in the rest of the Bumbu and the pounded galangal
4. Add in the grinded salted ikan Kurau, followed by the grinded fish head and grinded shrimp.

5. Add in the bunga Kantan next.

6. Sauté for 3 minutes.
7. Add in the fish stock and the coconut milk, stir well.

8. Add in the Thai Basil, tied in a knot.

9. Add in the grinded mackerel and the brown sugar, bring to a slight boil.

10. Add in the tamarind juice and bring to a slight boil again.

11. Add salt and seasoning to taste.

PREPARING GARNISHING A

Peel the skin of the cucumbers, cut into four sections and slowly cut around the sections as the photo below.

Once you have achieved a half moon shape, slice them across finely.

Slice the onions finely but the long snake green beans coarsely.
The Kasturi Lime should just be cut in half while the Thai Basil and Mint, just pluck the leaves only. Place these garnishes in an oval plate nicely.