Malaysian Noodle Delights Part 1 Of 3
Thursday 2024/8/1
I am preparing 9 Malaysian noodle dishes for 3 episodes.
3 Episodes exploring：
Part 1：Asam Laksa; Char kway teow; Curry mee
Part 2：Kerabu Beehoon; Laksa Lemak; Laksam
Part 3：Mee Bandung Muar; Mee Calong; Mee Siam
Part 1：Asam Laksa; Char kway teow; Curry mee
▲ 1. Asam Laksa
Asam Laksa is one of the most popular noodle dishes in Malaysia. It is synonymous to the island of Penang and is an all-time favorite there. This flavorful, spicy, and tangy rice noodle soup hits all the right notes and is a must-taste when you visit Malaysia.
Ingredients
. ¼ cup asam jawa / tamarind paste** (60g) + 1 cup (240ml) hot water
. 8 cups water (2 liters)
. 3 ikan kembung (chubb or yellowtail mackerel), gutted and scaled (about 20 oz/567g)
. 3 slices asam gelugor (dried tamarind skin)
. 12 to 15 stalks daun kesom (polygonum/Vietnamese coriander or mint)
. 2 tbsp sugar
. 2 tsp salt
. 2 packets fresh thick rice noodles (30 oz/950g) or 10 oz (283g) dried thick vermicelli***
Garnish
. 1 small cucumber (julienned)
. ½ pineapple (julienned)
. 1 red onion (thinly sliced)
. 2 red chilies (seeds removed and thinly sliced)
. 6 stalks mint leaves (stem removed)
. 2 bunga kantan / torch ginger, thinly sliced (optional)
. 4 tbsp hei ko (sweet shrimp paste)
. 1 lime (cut into wedges)
Spice Paste
. 7 dried chilies (seeded, soaked in warm water, and drained)
. 3 red chilies (seeded and cut into pieces)
. 10 shallots (peeled and cut into quarters)
. 2 stalks lemongrass (bottom third only, thinly sliced)
. 1 inch fresh turmeric (peeled) (30g)
. ¾ inch cube belacan (shrimp paste), toasted
Instructions
Spice Paste
1. Blend spice paste ingredients with ¼ cup (60ml) water. Transfer to a bowl.
Prepare the soup
1. Rinse asam jawa. Place in a bowl with 1 cup (240ml) hot water. Stir to dissolve some of the pulp then strain for the juice. Discard pulp.
2. Bring 8 cups (2 liters) water in a large pot to a boil. Add ikan kembung (mackerel), lower heat to medium low and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove fish when cooked. Strain liquid with a metal strainer. You should get about 6 cups (1.5 liters) fish stock.
3. Add tamarind juice, blended spice paste, asam gelugor, and daun kesum into pot with fish stock. Bring to a boil, lower heat, and allow it to simmer while you prepare the fish.
4. When fish is cool enough to handle, remove bones and flake the meat. Break into small pieces but keep some in bigger chunks.
5. Return flaked fish to the pot.
6. Season the soup with sugar and salt.
Cook the noodles
1. Cook noodles in boiling water for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove and strain.
Serve
1. Place some noodles in a bowl. Top with a little julienned cucumber, pineapple, onion, red chili, mint leaves, and bunga kantan (torch ginger). Pour gravy over the noodles.
2. Serve immediately with hei ko (shrimp paste) and lime wedges.
. 8 cups water (2 liters)
. 3 ikan kembung (chubb or yellowtail mackerel), gutted and scaled (about 20 oz/567g)
. 3 slices asam gelugor (dried tamarind skin)
. 12 to 15 stalks daun kesom (polygonum/Vietnamese coriander or mint)
. 2 tbsp sugar
. 2 tsp salt
. 2 packets fresh thick rice noodles (30 oz/950g) or 10 oz (283g) dried thick vermicelli***
Garnish
. 1 small cucumber (julienned)
. ½ pineapple (julienned)
. 1 red onion (thinly sliced)
. 2 red chilies (seeds removed and thinly sliced)
. 6 stalks mint leaves (stem removed)
. 2 bunga kantan / torch ginger, thinly sliced (optional)
. 4 tbsp hei ko (sweet shrimp paste)
. 1 lime (cut into wedges)
Spice Paste
. 7 dried chilies (seeded, soaked in warm water, and drained)
. 3 red chilies (seeded and cut into pieces)
. 10 shallots (peeled and cut into quarters)
. 2 stalks lemongrass (bottom third only, thinly sliced)
. 1 inch fresh turmeric (peeled) (30g)
. ¾ inch cube belacan (shrimp paste), toasted
Instructions
Spice Paste
1. Blend spice paste ingredients with ¼ cup (60ml) water. Transfer to a bowl.
Prepare the soup
1. Rinse asam jawa. Place in a bowl with 1 cup (240ml) hot water. Stir to dissolve some of the pulp then strain for the juice. Discard pulp.
2. Bring 8 cups (2 liters) water in a large pot to a boil. Add ikan kembung (mackerel), lower heat to medium low and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove fish when cooked. Strain liquid with a metal strainer. You should get about 6 cups (1.5 liters) fish stock.
3. Add tamarind juice, blended spice paste, asam gelugor, and daun kesum into pot with fish stock. Bring to a boil, lower heat, and allow it to simmer while you prepare the fish.
4. When fish is cool enough to handle, remove bones and flake the meat. Break into small pieces but keep some in bigger chunks.
5. Return flaked fish to the pot.
6. Season the soup with sugar and salt.
Cook the noodles
1. Cook noodles in boiling water for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove and strain.
Serve
1. Place some noodles in a bowl. Top with a little julienned cucumber, pineapple, onion, red chili, mint leaves, and bunga kantan (torch ginger). Pour gravy over the noodles.
2. Serve immediately with hei ko (shrimp paste) and lime wedges.
▲ 2. Char kway teow
Char kway teow (sometimes also spelled as char kuey teow, 炒粿條) is a stir-fried rice noodle dish from Maritime Southeast Asia of southern Chinese origin. In Hokkien and Teochew, char means 'stir-fried' and kway teow refers to flat rice noodles. It is made from flat rice noodles ( 河粉) or kway teow (粿條) of approximately 1 cm or about 0.5 cm in width, stir-fried over very high heat with garlic, light and dark soy sauce, chili paste, whole prawns, shelled blood cockles, chopped Chinese chives, slices of Chinese sausage, and bean sprouts. Other common ingredients include fishcake and belachan.
Originally developed and catered to overseas-born Chinese labourers in the Southeast Asia region, the dish has achieved widespread popularity within the region from the late 20th century onwards, particularly in Malaysia and Singapore. The dish has also acquired a reputation of being unhealthy due to its high saturated fat content, as it is traditionally stir-fried in pork fat with crisp croutons of pork lard.
Originally developed and catered to overseas-born Chinese labourers in the Southeast Asia region, the dish has achieved widespread popularity within the region from the late 20th century onwards, particularly in Malaysia and Singapore. The dish has also acquired a reputation of being unhealthy due to its high saturated fat content, as it is traditionally stir-fried in pork fat with crisp croutons of pork lard.
Ingredients
· 500 g / 1 lb fresh wide rice noodle
· 2 tbsp lard , or vegetable oil
· 2 tbsp vegetable oil , separated
· 10 small prawns/shrimp , shelled and deveined
· 2 garlic cloves , finely chopped
· 1 Chinese sausage / Lup Chong Sausage , sliced thinly on the diagonal
· 5 cm / 2" piece of fried fish cake , sliced thinly
· 20 stems garlic chives , cut into 4 pieces
· 2 1/2 cups bean sprouts
· 2 eggs , whisked
Sauce:
· 5 tsp dark soy sauce
· 4 tsp light soy
· 2 tsp oyster sauce
· 4 tsp kecap manis / sweet soy sauce
· Chili paste
· Belachan shrimp paste
Instructions
1. Mix Sauce together.
Noodles:
1. Do not attempt to pull noodles apart while cold and hard - they break.
2. Place whole packet in microwave, heat on high for 1 1/2 minutes - 2 minutes until warm and pliable, not hot, turning packet over as needed.
3. Handle carefully and measure out 500g/1 lb noodles into a heatproof bowl. Separate noodles stuck together.
4. If noodles become cold and brittle before cooking, cover with cling wrap and microwave for 30 seconds to make warm (not hot, just warm) to reduce breakage.
5. Cook.
Cooking:
1. Heat lard and 1 tbsp oil in a wok or very large heavy based skillet over high heat. Swirl around the wok.
2. When it starts smoking, add prawns. Cook for 30 seconds.
3. Add garlic, stir for 10 seconds.
4. Add noodles, then using both hands on the handle, toss 4 times until coated with oil (or gently fold using a spatula + wooden spoon）.
5. Add Chinese sausage and fish cake, toss or gently fold 4 times.
6. Add bean sprouts and garlic chives, toss or gently fold 6 times.
7. Push everything to one side, add remaining 1 tbsp oil. Add egg and cook, moving it around until mostly set - about 1 minute. Use wooden spoon to chop it up roughly.
8. Pour Sauce over noodles, then toss to disperse Sauce through the noodles. Pause between tosses to give the noodles a chance to caramelise on the edges.
9. Serve immediately!
· 500 g / 1 lb fresh wide rice noodle
· 2 tbsp lard , or vegetable oil
· 2 tbsp vegetable oil , separated
· 10 small prawns/shrimp , shelled and deveined
· 2 garlic cloves , finely chopped
· 1 Chinese sausage / Lup Chong Sausage , sliced thinly on the diagonal
· 5 cm / 2" piece of fried fish cake , sliced thinly
· 20 stems garlic chives , cut into 4 pieces
· 2 1/2 cups bean sprouts
· 2 eggs , whisked
Sauce:
· 5 tsp dark soy sauce
· 4 tsp light soy
· 2 tsp oyster sauce
· 4 tsp kecap manis / sweet soy sauce
· Chili paste
· Belachan shrimp paste
Instructions
1. Mix Sauce together.
Noodles:
1. Do not attempt to pull noodles apart while cold and hard - they break.
2. Place whole packet in microwave, heat on high for 1 1/2 minutes - 2 minutes until warm and pliable, not hot, turning packet over as needed.
3. Handle carefully and measure out 500g/1 lb noodles into a heatproof bowl. Separate noodles stuck together.
4. If noodles become cold and brittle before cooking, cover with cling wrap and microwave for 30 seconds to make warm (not hot, just warm) to reduce breakage.
5. Cook.
Cooking:
1. Heat lard and 1 tbsp oil in a wok or very large heavy based skillet over high heat. Swirl around the wok.
2. When it starts smoking, add prawns. Cook for 30 seconds.
3. Add garlic, stir for 10 seconds.
4. Add noodles, then using both hands on the handle, toss 4 times until coated with oil (or gently fold using a spatula + wooden spoon）.
5. Add Chinese sausage and fish cake, toss or gently fold 4 times.
6. Add bean sprouts and garlic chives, toss or gently fold 6 times.
7. Push everything to one side, add remaining 1 tbsp oil. Add egg and cook, moving it around until mostly set - about 1 minute. Use wooden spoon to chop it up roughly.
8. Pour Sauce over noodles, then toss to disperse Sauce through the noodles. Pause between tosses to give the noodles a chance to caramelise on the edges.
9. Serve immediately!
▲ 3. Curry mee
Curry mee (mi kari; 咖喱麵) is a Maritime Southeast Asian spicy noodle soup garnished with various toppings. In Johor and Singapore, it is sometimes called curry laksa ( mi kari 咖喱喇沙; . 咖喱叻沙). Numerous variants of the dish, including preparations with a drier or thicker gravy, exist in both the countries of Malaysia and Singapore.
A typical preparation of Malaysian/Singaporean-style curry mee consists of thin yellow noodles or rice vermicelli immersed in a spiced broth enriched with coconut milk, accompanied with chilli or sambal relish. Potential toppings for curry mee include chicken, prawns, cuttlefish, cockles, boiled eggs, pieces of deep fried tofu puffs, fried foo chuk, green beans, bean sprouts and mint leaves.
Ingredients
· 2 tablespoons oil
· 1 onion (minced)
· 3 cloves garlic (minced)
· 1 tablespoon ginger (minced)
· 1 tablespoon lemongrass (minced)
· 1 tablespoon red curry paste
· ½ pound boneless skinless chicken thighs (thinly sliced)
· 3 tablespoons curry powder
· ½ teaspoon turmeric
· 13.5 ounces coconut milk (400 ml)
· 4 cups chicken stock (950 ml)
· 3 tablespoons fish sauce (optional for vegetarians)
· 1 teaspoon sugar
· 8 ounces egg noodles (225g)
· salt (to taste)
· 2 handfuls raw bean sprouts (washed and trimmed)
· Cilantro leaves (for garnish)
· 1 lime (cut into wedges)
Instructions
1. Heat the oil in a pot over medium high heat and add the onion, garlic, ginger, and lemongrass. Cook for about 6 minutes, until softened and fragrant. Stir in the red curry paste.
2. Turn the heat up to high and add the chicken. Stir-fry until the chicken turns opaque. Add the curry powder, turmeric, coconut milk, chicken stock, fish sauce, and sugar. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, cook the noodles according to package directions. Divide into 3 soup bowls and set aside.
4. Taste the soup and season with salt to taste. Divide the soup among your bowls of noodles, and garnish with raw bean sprouts, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime.
· 2 tablespoons oil
· 1 onion (minced)
· 3 cloves garlic (minced)
· 1 tablespoon ginger (minced)
· 1 tablespoon lemongrass (minced)
· 1 tablespoon red curry paste
· ½ pound boneless skinless chicken thighs (thinly sliced)
· 3 tablespoons curry powder
· ½ teaspoon turmeric
· 13.5 ounces coconut milk (400 ml)
· 4 cups chicken stock (950 ml)
· 3 tablespoons fish sauce (optional for vegetarians)
· 1 teaspoon sugar
· 8 ounces egg noodles (225g)
· salt (to taste)
· 2 handfuls raw bean sprouts (washed and trimmed)
· Cilantro leaves (for garnish)
· 1 lime (cut into wedges)
Instructions
1. Heat the oil in a pot over medium high heat and add the onion, garlic, ginger, and lemongrass. Cook for about 6 minutes, until softened and fragrant. Stir in the red curry paste.
2. Turn the heat up to high and add the chicken. Stir-fry until the chicken turns opaque. Add the curry powder, turmeric, coconut milk, chicken stock, fish sauce, and sugar. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, cook the noodles according to package directions. Divide into 3 soup bowls and set aside.
4. Taste the soup and season with salt to taste. Divide the soup among your bowls of noodles, and garnish with raw bean sprouts, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime.
Next Special, Chef Kar Moon Cakes 2024
Following, Malaysian Noodle Delights Part 2 Of 3
Publisher： Chef Kar Delight
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