(Updated Version)
I’ve traveled all over Thailand, from Hyathai to
Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, over the span of 10 years. It’s been an amazing
journey of discovery. Along the way, I indulged in Thai cuisine, picking up
cooking tips from every dish I tasted and experienced. My love for Thai food
runs deep (THAI GREEN EGG CURRY) - so much so that I had already started cooking Thai dishes long
before I set foot in the country.
Of course, there were a few hits and misses. Take the Siamese Laksa I had at a small Muslim Thai roadside eatery in Chiang Mai - not the best, to be honest. But hey, that’s part of traveling and tasting all kinds of food, right? It’s about discovering for yourself. And if the food doesn’t meet your expectations, it’s all part of the learning curve. No need to complain, sulk, or belittle the experience - because you can't always expect the best (CHIANG MAI & CHIANG RAI: AN ENRICHING TOUR).
Ingredients
For the Broth
8 pieces of kembung (small mackerel), gutted with heads left on
1 piece of dried tamarind
1 cup of thick coconut milk
1 tablespoon of fish sauce
1/2 cup of oil
Salt to taste
For the Laksa Paste
4 dried red chilies
2 fresh red chilies
1 lemongrass stalk
1/2 inch of roasted belacan or shrimp paste
4 candlenuts
1 inch of fresh turmeric
**Blend or process with some water to form a thick paste.
To Assemble (as needed)
Noodles (blanch to soften)
Thai basil leaves
Shredded kaffir lime or limau purut leaves
Pineapple cubes
Strips of cucumber
1 torch ginger bud (bunga kantan), thinly sliced
Red chilies or bird's eye chilies, thinly sliced
Method:
For the Stock
Simmer the fish
in 1 liter of water until soft and tender.
Remove from
heat, drain the stock, and set it aside.
Once the fish
has cooled, remove the bones and flake it.
Add the fish
flakes to the stock and set aside.
For the Laksa Gravy
Heat oil in a
pan and fry the curry paste until aromatic and the oil separates.
Pour in the
fish stock, add the dried tamarind, and season with fish sauce and salt.
Simmer over low
heat until the broth starts to boil.
Pour in the
coconut milk and simmer over low heat or warm up again before serving.
To Serve
Assemble the
noodles in bowls with basil leaves, lime leaves, pineapple, cucumber, ginger
bud, and chilies.
Pour the broth over the noodles and serve immediately.
Vegetarian Curry Laksa Thai Style
Ingredients
For the Stock
A few cabbage
leaves
½ carrot
1 large red
onion
Kaffir lime
leaves (as needed)
Thai basil
leaves (as needed)
10 cups water
Simmer these
ingredients together over low heat to extract the stock.
Drain the ingredients, and set aside the stock.
For the Curry Laksa Paste
1 lemongrass
stalk
Fresh red
chilies (as needed)
Dried red
chilies (as needed)
3-4 white parts
of spring onions
1 tbsp
coriander seeds
A splash of
water
Blend into a thick, spicy curry laksa paste.
Other
Ingredients
1 Chinese
brinjal (sliced)
Noodles (I used
mee hoon, blanched to soften)
Tofu pok (as
needed)
Fresh mint
leaves
Thai basil
leaves
Calamansi lime
½ cup oil
Method
Heat oil in a
pan and fry the curry laksa paste until aromatic and the oil separates.
Pour in the
broth, add the brinjal slices, and simmer until the brinjal softens.
Season with salt to taste.
To Serve
Add the noodles
to a bowl.
Top with tofu
pok.
Ladle the
fragrant curry laksa over the noodles.
Garnish with
mint leaves and Thai basil.
Serve with calamansi lime for that zesty finish.
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