Laksa Johor - a delicacy from across the causeway!
move over Katong Laksa!
when it comes to the humble laksa, for most of us, a familiar bowl of Nyonya-style Laksa comes first into mind, especially the famed Katong Laksa, made with a rich broth of prawn stock and coconut milk.
however, the world of Laksas span vastly, even beyond the Malay Archipelago. in Thailand, you can find a street food of Khanom Jeen Nam Ya, a dish of fermented rice noodles bathed in a broth of pounded fish & coconut milk, also similar to Cambodia's Num Ban Chok. Then, you have other versions with names referring to their places of origin, including Laksa Kelantan, Laksa Perlis, Penang Laksa, Laksa Sarawak, Laksa Betawi… the list goes on!
in this recipe, we prepared a form of Laksa synonymous to the southern Malaysian state - Laksa Johor! like most forms of Laksa, this dish is made with a fish broth & the addition of pre-poached pounded fish & coconut milk which gives it a thick consistency. for us, the highlight of this is the raw ulam-ulaman (herbs) which adds a myriad of textures & freshness to the Laksa.
Laksa Johor is also often eaten with spaghetti, denoting the region’s history of colonial influence.
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Laksa Johor
(serves 4-6)
500g spaghetti, cooked (you can also use thick rice vermicelli or laksa sagu)
spice paste (rempah):
20g dried red chillies, deseeded and soaked in hot water
3 cloves garlic, peeled
6 shallots, peeled
20g ginger, peeled
15g galangal, peeled and sliced thin
20g turmeric root, peeled (or 1 tbsp turmeric powder)
3 candlenuts, soaked in hot water
2 stalks lemongrass, peeled and sliced
1 tbsp dried shrimp, soaked in hot water to soften
10g salted threadfin (ikan kurau asin), soaked in hot water to soften
for the broth:
¼ cup oil
1 tbsp fish curry powder
1 litre water
3 pcs dried garcinia (asam keping)
1 tbsp kerisik (caramelised coconut)
500ml coconut milk
400g fish, cut into workable pieces (preferably oily fish such as wolf herring, spanish mackerel (batang), sardines or kembung)
800ml water, for poaching fish
2 lemongrass, bruised
20g ginger, lightly bruised
2 tbsp ground black pepper
salt, to taste
garnishes:
2 japanese cucumbers, cut into thin strips
2 torch ginger flowers, sliced
5 pcs long beans, sliced
2 stalks laksa leaves, plucked
4 shallots, sliced
4-6 calamansi, halved
2 tbsp sambal belachan
directions:
cooking the fish
in a pot, submerge fish fillets in water. throw in ginger and lemongrass and bring water to a boil. turn heat down and poach the fish until cooked fully. strain out the fish and let it cool to room temperature. reserve the resulting stock and strain out any solids.
remove any pin bones and pound the cooked fish in a pestle or mortar until it resembles fine chunks. alternatively, you can use a food processor.
making the gravy
blend all the ingredients for the rempah until smooth. in a pot on medium heat, add oil. once the oil is hot, add in the rempah and stir well.
cook the paste until the oil starts to separate. add in the curry powder and fry for another 3 minutes.
pour in the reserved fish stock & 1 litre of water and let the broth come up to a boil. add the dried garcinia, bring down to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, covered.
add in the pounded fish to the broth along with coconut milk & kerisik. stir well and simmer on low heat for 5 minutes. season to taste with salt and pepper.
assembling the laksa
to build the laksa, place a portion of noodle onto a pasta plate. spoon over the broth, place a teaspoonful of sambal, squeeze on calamansi and top it off with the raw vegetables (shallots, long bean, torch ginger, cucumber & laksa leaves). squeeze lime and toss well before eating.
check out our other noodle recipes here:
Mee Rebus - a hearty brunch staple!
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