Laksa - Singapore's soul food

Picture courtesy of
www.singaporefoodrecipes.com -
sorry, I don't take pictures when
I have guests to feed.

I've had the immense privilege of moving around the world and living on three continents, with another move always just ahead. Because of the international nature of the oil industry, I've met even more mobile people and families from all around the world in Houston, who've lived in more countries than I can count on one hand.

The one funny thing about people who move around is that, invariably, they will talk about food - particularly, food from home. Stories about craving bacon in Qatar, or finding the one brand of peanut butter they will deign to eat in Indonesia, and conversely the one brand of cereal that cannot be found in America (Dorset Cereals from England).

[Plug: People, you can find Divine Chocolate at Central Market. It's a UK brand with a revolutionary business model. More information can be found here: http://www.divinechocolateusa.com/about. Become a fan! Eat it. Use it in your cooking. Scharffen Berger is ubiquitous, but Divine Chocolate is better!]

Me? The food I talk about invariably involves the likes of tumeric, galangal, lemongrass, red finger chillies, belacan (shrimp paste), kecap manis (sweet dark soya sauce), dried shiitake mushrooms, agar agar etc... and let's not start on fruit. But, unlike the Japanese, Thai and Chinese communities for example, my (other) South East Asian counterparts don't seem to be as quick to establish roots wherever they are. So looking for ingredients becomes an adventure each time I move. And having to find substitutes where none can be found.

This weekend past, The Boy very generously (although somewhat unsuspectingly) invested his entire weekend to explore the nether corners of Houston, Texas with me in search of such tropical offings.

First stop, we braved the Chinese weekend crowd in Chinatown (Bellaire). Urg, no luck, but we did find some frozen fish cake - product of Singapore, hoorah! P.S. If you've never braved a Chinese weekend crowd before, just try going to the Forbidden City in summer some time. Don't forget your elbow guards.

At my beloved H-Mart, there was a small selection of South East Asian fare, but nothing great. We did discover red finger chillis there where they have never been found anywhere in Houston. Seriously. I did a little dance on the spot (much to the curiosity of the Korean grandma next to me who was checking out a root of daikon). My mum is also doing a little dance too, because she doesn't have to smuggle chilli seeds across the border now - I was going to grow red finger chillis, you see.

Tumeric, galangal and lemongrass, strangely enough, can be found at Whole Foods - but you must wait till Wednesday, when they get their "exotic" shipment. Which brings me to our biggest find in Houston to date: Asia Market in the Heights (Calvacade Street)! The Fearless Critic (actually, that might count as our biggest find) warns: don't be put off by the run down 7-11 with bars across the window; if your idea of heaven is tumeric, galangal, lemongrass etc (they also had fried grasshoppers and milk worms, eech!), then you will die and go there here. Also attached to the grocery section is a small eatery (might be stretching it to call it a "restaurant"), where the best pad thai, som tham (mango salad) and green curry can be found, IMHO (The Boy disagrees with my assessment of the pad thai). Three words: oh. my. goodness.

With these lovely finds at hand, what was I going to do? What else but make Laksa. I really didn't have a choice, if you think about it.

This recipe is adapted from A Treasured Collection, a collection of recipes by the women of the Covenant Community Methodist Church of Singapore, by Janie Wong, with my own substitutes, additions, comments and tips:

"Very often at church meetings, social gatherings and special occasions, members could look forward to enjoyin delicious and mouth-watering fare lovingly prepared by teh many culinary wizards in our midst. It was then felt that these precious recipes could be preserved in a cookbook to be shared with all who love and enjoy food. This is how "The Treasured Collection" was conceived. A Committee comprising a group of enthusiastic ladies, bonded together by God's love, was then formed. In line with our church's mission of showing compassion for the disadvantaged and needy, it was decided that proceeds from the sales of the book could assist "women in distress".

I wish they would launch a big reprint. But if this or any of their other recipes reprinted in this blog blesses you in any way, it would make me - and I hope you - very happy if you made someone else's life better in one small way today. Reminds me of when I was a Girl Guide in school way back when - one good deed a day. Maybe with some laksa? =)

RECIPE: LAKSA - Singapore's soul food
Cooking time: 1 hour
Serves: 10

A - Stock
1 lb/500g prawns
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
2.5 litres water

B - Coconut
1.5 coconuts, grated } OR
3 cups water } 3 cups canned coconut milk

C - Fragrances
1" / 2.5 cm galangal (otherwise known as "blue ginger"), peeled and sliced
1" / 2.5 cm tumeric, peeled and sliced (careful, your fingers will turn yellow!)
2 stalks lemongrass, sliced (remove the woody exterior layer first)
10 candlenuts (or 10 macadamia nuts)
2 cups shallots (approx. 1 bag), peeled and sliced
30 dried chillies, seeds removed and softened in cold water
19 fresh red finger chillies, seeds removed
1 pc belacan (2.5cm x 2.5 cm x 1 cm / 1" x 1" x 0.5")

D - Spices
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup dried shrimp, pounded (I minced mine in the food processor)
2 stalks lemongrass, bashed
1 tbsp coriander powder, roasted
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

E - Noodles
3 lb / 1.5 kg white rice bee hoon noodles (or spaghetti)

F - Garnishing
1/2 lb / 250 g bean sprouts, scalded
Prawns from A
5 pc fried fish cake, sliced into strips
5 hard boiled eggs, halved
1 pkt triangular tofu puffs, each halved
1 cucumber, peeled, cored and thinly sliced into strips
3.5 oz / 100g laksa leaves, finely shredded (or a mixture of mint and cilantro, chopped finely)

*****

A - Marinate prawns with salt and sugar for 15 mins. Bring water to boil. Add prawns.

Remove prawns when cooked (approx. 10-15 mins) and set aside prawn stock. Cool prawns under running tap water. Remove prawn shells. Cut prawns into half lengthwise. Set aside for garnishing.

Return shells and heads to the stock and simmer for 15 mins. Drain and discard shells. Set aside prawn stock.

B - Extract 2 cups 1st squeeze coconut milk and set aside. Add water to the coconute and extract 2nd squeeze coconut milk. Add 2nd squeeze coconut milk to prawn stock in A.

OR Add 1/3 of coconut milk to prawn stock.

C - Grind ingredients into a fine paste. I use the food processor. Note: This takes a while - it must be a fine paste.

D - Heat oil and fry C till fragrant. Add rest of ingredients and fy till oil bubbles through.

Add to the prawn stock. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 10 mins.

Add 1st squeeze coconut milk and stir to prevent coconut milk from curdling. Remove from heat when gravy begins to boil.

E - Scald bee hoon in boiling water. Drain. Divide into individual serving bowls.

OR Cook spaghetti till al dente.

F - Garnish and add hot gravy. I like adding the bean sprouts beneath the noodles, arranging the food on top of the noodles, and garnishing with the cucumber strips and laksa leaves.

I was a happy happy camper on Sunday night.