Malaysian Authentic Laksa

Sorry peeps ..lately i'm too lazy to write and I find it's kinda hard to deal with myself when I have sudden mood swings and still try hard to get over them. So today's entry,  I just merely doing 'copy & paste' from an old post on tumblr that I've written 3 months ago. I'm pretty sure not everyone of the readers here have an access to my tumblr account right? so here it goes.... ;)

MALAYSIAN AUTHENTIC LAKSA

As a Malaysian I’m very proud to introduce you a different type of Laksas in my country . As a person hailed from Sarawak, ofcourse I would like to talk about our yummylicious “Laksa Sarawak” :)
LAKSA SARAWAK

looks so tempting, it tastes like heaven!

Laksa Sarawak I should say, is the most famous dish which is easily identifiable with Sarawak. To me Laksa Sarawak is our signature dish which we should put a patent before Indonesians claim it’s theirs like most cases …hahaha (please take note that Laksa Sarawak is originally from Sarawak okay!). To me it tastes like heaven and none can beat our Laksa Sarawak and those who compare Laksa Sarawak with other type of laksa in West Malaysia, do not understand what laksa sarawak is all about and how significant it means to sarawakian like me even to a tiny mistake (in preparing it) is a big NO-NO! We are actually trying hard to preserve the authenticity and the originality of our Laksa Sarawak as it is part of our culture & heritage :)

For instance, I still remember when a telecommunication company, Maxis introduced 3G advertisement and it appeared that a daughter called her mother in Sarawak asking for “Laksa Sarawak” recipe and her mom mentioned  ”Bunga Kantan (ginger buds) as one of the ingredients.

Together with another fellow sarawakian cyber friend we were quite aggressive in expressing our dissatisfaction in a famous Malaysia’s forum toward that advertisement to the extend that they didn’t do their research on Laksa Sarawak thoroughly. Well , it is not really harmful to improvise the recipe though but to me, I would like to keep it as close as its originality! (otherwise it considers as an insult to us, sarawakians…no kidding!).

Infact I would never recommend people to try laksa sarawak at the famous restaurant called “Laksa Shack” in Kuala Lumpur no matter how bad you’re craving for it just because I find it awkward that they use boiled egg instead of omellete strips!  Well to tell you the truth I , myself never try Laksa Sarawak  in that restaurant but merely by looking at the picture on their menu i know it doesn’t suit my tastebuds!

I also understand that some of non sarawakians like to put additional garnishing into their laksa sarawak such as crab meat or fish ball but we, sarawakians consider that as sinful…yes really!…lol (suka hati korang lah nak melantak apa kan…boleh pulak I nak halang…hihihi) ~ well it depends on you to put whatever you want..who am i to refrain you from doing so?…hihi
(* that’s basically a simple translation from Bahasa Malaysia to English….am i kind enough to help you save time from using google translate which i sometimes find crappy? …LOL :P) okay now better back to the topic!

To make Laksa Sarawak is actually quite easy and does not require precise cooking skill, provided you can obtain the laksa paste which is available only in Sarawak (Infact you can also make your own laksa paste from scratch but it’s really time consuming- atleast more than 15 spices and herbs are being used).
*For more details on laksa paste making , you can browse thru this blog -click here

There are many brands of a ready made laksa paste you can use such as Laksa paste - liza, Haji Manan or double red swallow - but i’d prefer ‘LIZA BRAND’  due to its good taste , paste texture and convenience packaging.  Infact, Haji Manan’s brand is not too bad and cheaper than Liza’s if i’m not mistaken.

I would say that your visit to Sarawak is not complete if you never try one of our famous delicacies such as Laksa Sarawak. There are many stalls or restaurants offer Laksa Sarawak in their menus. You can try Madam Tang’s at Spring Food Court, Chong Choon situated at Padungan Road , Mom’s Laksa situated at Jalan Istana, Laksa Tinot situated at Kampung Patinggan, Golden arch laksa Sarawak is a place somewhere near the roundabout before we go to Boulevard Shopping Mall…well just to name a few :)

Even the famous Anthony Bourdain, the well-known celebrity chef admitted that Sarawak Laksa is the best among all Laksas that he had tasted. When asked by a Malaysian reporter he said that Kuching Laksa a.k.a Sarawak Laksa apparently was his favourite breakfast! You can try out the recipe below...happy cooking :)

                                                                    Liza's Laksa Paste


LAKSA SARAWAK RECIPE
Ingredient:
For laksa gravy~
1 packet of Laksa Sarawak paste
2 litres of water (or chicken stock)
500gm of chicken parts (skinless)
1 cup of thick coconut milk
Salt to taste

For garnishing~
Rice vercimelli (blanced in slightly warm water and drained)
Bean Sprout (blanced in hot water for abt 10 second and dump in cold water)
Coriander
Lime
Omellete (slice thinly)
Chicken shreds (used back from the laksa stock making)
Prawn (skin peeled-off and deveined. Put the shell and the head back into the gravy base)
For side dip~
Shrimp paste (belacan)-grill lightly
Dry chillies
1 tbsp water
Cooking
(Pound dry chillies, saute then add in belacan. Add in a bit of water for desired consistency).
Method:
1. Boil chicken parts in water. Once cooked, take it out and cooled it down. Once cool, shred the chicken meat off the bones. Put back the bones to the gravy base.
2. The prawn’s shell and it’s head, put it to be boil together with the gravy base.
3. To prepare prawn, boil some water in separate pan. Cook for a minute, then take out and dump the prawn in icy water to stop it from further cooking. Drain and keep it in the fridge until ready to use.
4. Add laksa paste into the gravy base. Stir it often.
5. Add in the coconut milk. Set the fire to medium low and let it simmer until the oil separate.
6. Add salt to taste.
7. Garnish with the following order:
-Rice vercimelli
-Gravy
-Bean Sprout and Chicken shreds
-Omellette
-Coriander
-Prawn
8. During serving, squeeze lime over the Laksa Sarawak for extra zing :)

xoxo 

Fergie Rose

PYRAMID CHOCOLATE CAKE

INGREDIENTS

250GM Philadelphia Cheese
125GM Butter
3 X 150GM Petit Biscuit-
2 x 179 GM Nestle Cream
1/2 Cup  Sugar
2 Cups Warm Milk

TOPPING:

(For the topping you can either use method (A) or method (B) which ever you like.

Method (A)

1/4 Cocoa Powder
1/4 Salt
388GM Sweetened Condensed Milk

125 GM Butter
Chopped Nut - Optional

Prepare the topping by melting the cocoa.  Stir in low heat milk, butter, salt and cocoa powder and continuously stirring till thick.  Cool till warm and pour into the cakes.  Sprinkle with chopped nut.

Method (B)
250GM Cooking chocolate
100GM Whipping Cream

 125 GM Butter
You can double boil it or use microwave for 1 minute…stir well.

DIRECTIONSMixed Cheese Cream, butter and sugar till creamy.  Add in nestle cream and mix for a minute.    (Don’t cream too long after adding nestle cream or else the texture becomes liquid.  Leave aside.

Prepare the tray by putting in plastic sheet or baking sheet so that when you want to take out   the cake it will come out nicely.

Soak the biscuit in the milk (just for a while) and arrange in tray.  Firstly spread the cream cheese in the tray and then arrange the biscuit.  Then layer and spread again with the cream cheese.  Repeat the step till finish.  Top with ganache or cocoa glazing and sprinkle with nuts. 

Chill in refrigerator for 2 hours.

MURTABAK LAPIS

 Ingredients:

22 pieces + 1/2 cream cracker biscuits
200g minced meat
11/2 tablespoons curry powder
150 g  diced onion
2 red onion *
2 cloves garlic *
1 cm ginger (finely ground *)
150 ml milk + 200 ml coconut milk
1/2 cup water
11/2 tablespoons cooking oil
3 red chillies, sliced ​​(can reduce)
3  sprigs of  fresh parsley, finely chopped
3 eggs, slightly beaten
2 tablespoons butter
Salt, pepper and a little sugar

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large skillet and fry the finely ground spices until fragrant,

2. Add ground beef, stir and pour water, stir well. When dry put onion, salt, pepper and a little sugar. Saute the meat on medium heat until browned.  Set aside.

3.  Spray pan with nonstick spray or line pan with aluminium foil and spread with butter and rub the sides of the pan too.  Take 7 pieces of biscuits and cut into two (with similar size) + 1/2 slice = 15 parts altogether.

4. Soak briefly 3 pieces (full size) biscuits +  another 3 pieces (1/2 size) biscuits into a mixture of milk + coconut milk and lay the biscuits onto a baking  pan.

5. Spoon 1/5 of the meat mixture on the top of the biscuits and pour with 1/5 of egg. Do the same method on each layer.

6. For the final layer , pour the remaining egg, milk mixture on top of the biscuits.

7.Spoon the butter over it and bake in a preheated oven at a temperature of 200C for 45 minutes or until cooked. Allow to cool before being released from the pan.

--------
Bahan-bahannya:

22 keping + 1/2 keping biskut cream cracker
200g daging cincang
11/2 camca besar rempah kari daging
150 g bawang besar yang telah didadu
2 biji bawang merah*
2 ulas bawang putih*
1 cm halia (*dikisar halus)
150 ml susu cair + 200 ml santan
1/2 cawan air
11/2 camca besar minyak masak
3 biji cili merah, dihiris (boleh kurangkan)
3 tangkai daun sup, di hiris
3 biji telur, dipukul sedikit
2 camca besar mentega
Garam, serbuk lada sulah dan sedikit gula

CARA MEMBUATNYA

UNTUK INTINYA:

1. Panaskan minyak, tumis bahan kisar halus dan rempah hingga harum.

2. Masukkan daging, kacau rata dan tuang air, kacau rata. Bila kering masukkan bawang besar, garam, lada sulah dan sedikit gula. Kacau hingga bawang layu.

UNTUK MURTABAK CRAKERS:

1. Alas dasar tin dengan aluminium foil, sapu dengan mentega, sapu juga bahagian tepi tin. Ambil 7 keping biskut dan kerat dua (biar sama besar) + dengan 1/2 keping = 15 bahagian.

2. Rendam sekejap 3 keping biskut + 3 keping biskut yang 1/2 bahagian tadi dalam bancuhan susu + santan dan susun pada dasar tin.

3. Masukkan 1/5 bahan no. 1, rata dan curah sedikit telur tadi (anggaran 1/5 juga). Buat kaedah yang sama untuk baki biskut  dan no. 1 juga telur.

4. Untuk lapisan terakhir, jika ada lebihan telur, bancuh dgnan bahan susu + santan, kacau rata dan tuang atas biskut tadi hingga rata.

5. Sudukan mentega atasnya dan bakar dalam oven yang telah dipanaskan pada suhu 200C selama 45 minit atau hingga masak.  Biarkan sejuk sebelum dikeluarkan dari acuan.

Recipe courtesy of ' Resepi Bonda via Facebook'
Original Recipe + Picture courtesy of 'Dapur Tanpa Sempadan' - www.tiffinbiru.com

RESEPI AYAM DENDENG

I've tried this recipe once when my friend, Marla came from Miri and gave me a surprise call. Within 1 hour I managed to cook 5 recipes including this ayam dendeng and invited her for dinner.  

It's very delicious...indeed :)

• One whole chicken - cut into 12 pieces

• 100 gm of shallot chips (in other words, fried onions or bawang goreng in Bahasa Malaysia)

• 2 cubes of gula melaka (substitute with 2 tbspoon of gula apong ~ you can only find it in Sarawak /or u may use brown sugar)
• 2 tablespoons of tamarind juice
• salt
• sugar
• oil to cook
• 5 pieces of dried chillies, soaked in hot water for 10-20 minutes, then blend.
• 10 shallots, blend
• 2 inches ginger, blend
• 3 garlics, blend
• 5 cardamoms,
• 3 cinnamon,
• 3 star anise,
• 5 cloves,

- Prepare all the ingredients for blending and blend ingredients together until smooth.

METHODS:

1. Deep fry  chicken in a very hot oil until 80% done. dish out and set aside. (well I'd prefer to season the chicken with a pinch of salt and tumeric powder to give a taste  before deep frying :)
2. Heat up a wok and add  2 tablespoons of oil.  Toss in cardamoms, cinnamon, star anise and cloves and add all the blended ingredients and stir constantly until aromatic. 
3. Add tamarind juice and gula melaka/gula apong/brown sugar. Stir again and add salt and sugar to taste.
4. Add fried chicken and cook well (until a little bit dry) and finishing with shallot chips/fried onions/bawang goreng.  Serve immediately.

Happy Cooking peeps!!!! :)

xoxo
FERGIE ROSE