I made this a couple of weeks ago. The best asam laksa I’ve had in Malaysia was in Penang. One of my closest friend, Shaun, comes from a family where asam laksa runs in their blood! :p His grandparents, I was told, sold the best asam laksa in Penang before they retired. Last year, when I visited Penang and stayed with his family, I had the honour of trying Penang’s best asam laksa. Boy, was it good! Unfortunately, mine here is not made from scratch. It’s very hard to get the fresh ingredients and spices in Tassie so I had to use the instant pack ones you get from Malaysia. Stupidly, I forgot to take a photo of the pack I used but I believe you can get it from supermarkets etc. Everytime I make asam laksa, Shaun comes over for dinner. He was aghast at the way I first served the noodles and taught me the authentic way of doing it. According to him, it’s not suppose to look nice and presentable as in like restaurant looking food, but you are suppose to pour the soup over the noodles, drain it and then only refill it with soup. It’s meant to give the last minute stuff you add a good mix and ensures the soup’s not cold. Guess it’s always good to have someone with asam laksa blood in their veins to teach you stuff like that! 🙂
Ingredients:
- 1 pack of asam laksa mix (enough for 8-10 large bowls)
- 1 1/2 can of Ayam Brand sardine
- 1 can of pineapple
- Cucumber
- Red onions, sliced
- Fresh chillies
- Lettuce, sliced thinly
- Laksa noodles
- Shrimp paste (hei go/har go)
- Mint leaves, optional
Method:
- Boil soup base according to instructions on packet. It normally says to boil for 30mins or something like that, but I like to boil mine longer as it gives it extra taste.
- Add 2/3 of the sliced onions and bring to boil.
- Mash the sardines up and add to soup. Add fresh chillies. Lower heat and boil for 1 hour at least.
- Boil a kettle of water. Soak noodles for about 1 minute. Drain well.
- About 5 minutes before you are ready to serve, add half the can of pineapple. Divide noodles into individual bowls, add a bit of onions, pineapple and lettuce in each one.
- Ladle some soup into the bowl, drain and refill the bowl with soup. Garnish with mint leaves and a spoon of shrimp paste and serve hot.
hey there
i love Penang Asam Laksa, i usually make it as well using those packet that u can get from the oriental shops….but for some reason they stop selling them. are u still able to get yours?
Hi Chris,
I get mine from malaysia but i’ve seen it at the asian grocer here so you should still be able to find it. Where do you live?!
Cheers,
Pearlyn