best laksa johor.
Hello peeps,
Laksa Johor is a special dish that is made during Raya and on special occasion. As part of Johorean, we truly honoured this recipe by appreciate the techniques, tips and the ingredients to cook it. I hope that you will try this recipe.
PREP TIME: 30 minutes | COOK TIME: 60 minutes | TOTAL TIME: 90 minutes
I started to learn making this recipe back when I was studying in Manchester. It was the first day of Ramadan. I still remember vividly. I’m craving for one thick Laksa Johor gravy on one hot summer day. And suddenly I’m drooling just thinking of it.
The next thing is, I text my aunt on how to made the recipe. Managed to invite some of my dorm partner to try this Laksa Johor since spaghetti noodles in the UK is abundance. Their feedback is delicious! Not bad for first timer.
I’ve always scared to cook this kind of dish because the amount of time needed for preparation and the techniques as well. Albeit I have long years of experienced in cooking, this recipe needs to cook with precise measurement, time coordination and correct ingredients. And I can bet you, you hardly found kerisik in the UK oriental grocery store at that time - unless you’re in London.
This year amidst the uncertainty of our current situation, with restrictive movement control, I am attempting to simplify this amazing dish with a few grocery items.
ingredients.
the sambal belacan.
6 birds eye chili
12 red chilies
4 garlic cloves
10 g toasted belacan
4 to 6 calamansi lime juice
1 tsp salt
¼ cup vegetable oil
the fish stock.
3kg medium size of ikan kembung (cut and clean)
2kg of ikan tenggiri (cut and clean)
3 L water
2 cubes of ikan bills stock (I use Maggi)
Salt to taste.
4-6 tamarind slices
the fish paste.
fish stock
boiled fish
the blended laksa paste.
3 medium size red onions/ large shallots
8 large cloves garlic
2 inch ginger
3 inch galangal
3 sticks lemongrass
15 to 18 dried chilies (deseeded and boiled in hot water until soft)
1 inch fresh turmeric (or 1 heap tbsp turmeric powder)
2 cup dried prawns (udang kering, soaked in some water to soften, washed and drained)
15 g toasted dried shrimp paste (belacan)
the other ingredients.
1.5 cup palm oil
300 ml coconut cream
5 tbsp meat curry powder ( I use Adabi)
1/2 cup toasted roasted coconut (kerisik)
4 -6 tamarind slices
2 -3 tbsp palm sugar/ dark brown sugar
Salt to taste
the garnish.
2 pkt spaghetti boiled and drizzled with some vegetable oil to prevent sticking
1 cucumber (julienne thinly)
3 cup fresh bean sprouts
½ cup citrus leaf/laksa leaves/ Vietnamese coriander thinly sliced (daun kesum)
2 cup long beans sliced thinly
1 large red onion sliced thinly
10 - 12 calamansi limes cut in half
1 cup pickled white raddish (chopped)
sambal belacan
instructions.
the fish stock.
In a large presure cooker (I use Noxxa pressure cooker) add in the ikan kembung and ikan tenggiri altogether with water, ikan bills stock, tamarind slices and salt to taste.
Set the pressure cooker for 35 minutes. Let it cook.
Once times up, strain the broth. Discard the tamarind slices.
Now the fish together with its bones already soft after cook under the pressure. Put aside for fish paste.
the fish paste.
Blend together the fish and fish stock. Blend until very smooth. Add somemore fish stock if too dry.
the sambal belacan.
In a pan add in some oil and fry bird eye chili, red chili, garlic and belacan for about 1 to 2 minutes
Next add all the ingredients blender with some salt and limejuice and blend until smooth.
the laksa gravy.
Blend the onions, garlic, ginger, galangal, lemongrass, dried chilies, fresh turmeric, and shrimp paste (belacan) with a bit of water until very smooth.
In a large pot, on a medium heat, add in the palm oil and fry the blended items for about 10 -15 minutes until the paste is thick, fragrant and slightly caramelized and deepened in colour.
Next add in the curry powder and continue to cook for another 6 to 8 minutes until pecah minyak. Add more oil if it looks dry.
Add in blended fish paste and mix it.
Next add in the fish stock. Depending on how thick or runny you want it to be. I like to add in half first and adjust later.
Next add in the tamarind slices, salt and palm sugar and cook for about 10 minutes
Lastly add in the coconut cream and the kerisik.
Add more of the fish stock if gravy is too thick.
Add salt to taste.
Cook it on a low fire for at least 1 hour to allow the gravy to develop in flavour. Cover with a lid but ajar slightly to allow steam to come out. Stir occasionally to avoid gravy sticking to the bottom.
the garnish.
Cook the spaghetti pasta and dress with some oil to avoid it sticking together. Swirl pasta into individual portions and place on a large platter
Prep all the vegetables. Juliene the cucumber, slice laksa leaves, cut the long beans, slice up red onion, chop up the preserved radish, slice the limes in half and dont forget the sambal belacan. Place everything in small bowls
To serve, ensure the laksa broth is hot. Place noodle into a bowl, pour laksa broth and top with all the fresh vegetables and a dunlop of sambal belacan and some lime.
Emir’s tip! for the gravy more kicks!
They said use ikan parang for more kicks, I personally never use it but you can try.
Add one tablespoon of rempah briyani johor to enhanced the flavour.
Hope you will try this recipe!
All the best! Share with me how is it going.
Good luck,
EMIR xx
