Malaysian Favorite Food Recipe - Laksa Johor

Laksa Johor, or Johore Laksa comes from the southernmost state in Peninsular Malaysia. Typical characteristics of Johorean meals include generous amount of coconut milk used and loads of fresh herbs (ulam) and spices.

Preparation time : 1 hour
Cooking time : 30 minutes

A plate of Laksa Johor

Laksa Johor Gravy

700ml water
1 pc ikan bilis stock cube
200g boneless fish fillet (king mackerel/tenggiri)
100g shelled prawns
1tbs dried prawns
2 fresh red chillies, sliced thinly
3 shallots, sliced thinly
3 cloves of garlic, sliced thinly
1 stalk lemon grass, sliced
1 cm ginger, sliced
1 cm gelangal, sliced
60ml water
3 tbs oil
2 tbs fish curry powder
1 tbs chilli powder
3 pcs asam gelugor (tamarind apple slices)
1 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
140ml thick fresh coconut milk

Laksa Johor Noodles and Garnish
400g spaghetti
4 long beans, finely sliced
1 cup raw beansprouts
1 cup finely shredded cucumber
1/2 cup finely sliced big onion
2 red chillies, finely sliced
1/2 cup finely shredded laksa leaves (daun kesum) or peppermint
1/2 cup finely shredded daun selasih (or Thai basil)

Method for making laksa Johor:

1. Bring water and crumbled ikan bilis stock cube to boil in a pan. Add fish and prawns, cook for 4-5 minutes.
2. Cool and puree fish and prawns in small batches. Set aside stock and pureed meat.
3. Rinse dried prawns and soak in warm water to soften. Drain.
4. Place dried prawns, chillies, shallots, garlic, lemon grass, ginger, gelangal and water in an electric blender and grind until fine. Set aside.
5. Heat oil in a deep pan over medium fire. Fry the ground paste, curry and chilli powders until fragrant and oil separates (naik minyak).
6. Add the pureed fish/prawns, fish stock and asam keping to boil. Simmer for ten minutes.
7. Add coconut milk. Lower fire, taste and adjust seasonings.
8. Take pan off fire and reheat gently before serving.
9. Meanwhile, cook spaghetti in salted water till tender.
10. Take small portions of spaghetti and "twirl" with a fork to make small, neat piles.
11. To serve, place spaghetti pile in a bowl, ladle hot gravy over it.
12. Top with fresh garnishes.

Malaysian Favorite Food Recipe - Nasi Goreng Kampung

Malaysian Favorite Food Recipe - Nasi Goreng Kampung

Nasi Goreng Kampung a type of fried rice, traditionally flavored with pounded fried fish (normally mackerel), though recently fried anchovies are used in place of it.

Ingredients:
1 bowl Cooked Rice (long grain rice)
1/2 cup Boneless Chicken
1/2 cup fried Anchovies
Salt & Sugar to taste

How to prepare:

For the sambal-grind into a paste:
5 dried Chillies (soak in water)
2 cloves Garlic
1/2 - 1 in Belacan (shrimp paste)
6 Shallots
1/2 in fresh Turmeric
Enough Oil to saute the sambal

For Garnishing:
Shredded Cucumber
Fried Crisp Shallots
Chopped Spring Onions

Method For Sambal:

1. Heat up enough oil in low flame, add in the sambal paste and saute until oil surface.
2. Dish out in a bowl.

Method For Dish:

1. In a wok add 2 tbsp oil, add boneless chicken and stir fry add in cooked rice, stir-fry until the oil coats the rice nicely.
2. Add the sambal, salt, sprinkle some water and stir the rice nicely. Close the fire.
3. Add in the anchovies and mix.

To serve:
Dish into a plate and garnish with cucumber, crisp shallots and spring onions.

Malaysia Favorite Food Recipe - Nasi Lemak

Malaysian Favorite Food Recipe - Nasi Lemak (Coconut Milk Steamed Rice)

Ingredients for Nasi Lemak (Coconut Milk Steamed Rice)
2 cups of rice
3 screwpine leaves (tie them into a knot as shown above)
Salt to taste
1 small can of coconut milk (5.6 oz size)
Some water

Just like making steamed rice, rinse your rice and drain. Add the coconut milk, a pinch of salt, and some water. Add the pandan leaves into the rice and cook your rice.

Ingredients for Sambal Ikan Bilis (Dried Anchovies Sambal)
1/2 red onion
1 cup ikan bilis (dried anchovies)
1 clove garlic
4 shallots
10 dried chillies
1 teaspoon of belacan (prawn paste)
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1 tablespoon of sugar

Other ingredients

2 hard boiled eggs (cut into half)
3 small fish (sardines or smelt fish)
1 small cucumber (cut into slices and then quartered)

Tamarind Juice
1 cup of water
Tamarind pulp (size of a small ping pong ball)

Method:

1. Rinse the dried anchovies and drain the water. Fry the anchovies until they turn light brown and put aside.
2. Pound the prawn paste together with shallots, garlic, and deseeded dried chilies with a mortar and pestle. You can also grind them with a food processor.
3. Slice the red onion into rings.
4. Soak the tamarind pulp in water for 15 minutes. Squeeze the tamarind constantly to extract the flavor into the water. Drain the pulp and save the tamarind juice.
5. Heat some oil in a pan and fry the spice paste until fragrant.
6. Add in the onion rings.
7. Add in the ikan bilis and stir well.
8. Add tamarind juice, salt, and sugar.
9. Simmer on low heat until the gravy thickens. Set aside.
10. Clean the small fish, cut them into half and season with salt. Deep fry.
11. Cut the cucumber into slices and then quartered into four small pieces.
12. Dish up the steamed coconut milk rice and pour some sambal ikan bilis on top of the rice.
13. Serve with fried fish, cucumber slices, and hard-boiled eggs.