Sarawak Laksa

I decided to experiment in the kitchen during the long festive holidays and came up with my own version of Sarawak Laksa that is based on a Flavours magazine recipe. It's pretty simple to make as long as you assemble your ingredients before you serve the laksa.

The paste was bought quite a while back when we visited Sarawak: Paradise in Borneo along Jalan Bukit Bintang. Somehow my laksa lacked the ooomph! compared to the ones we eat outside so I suspect it's the laksa paste I used. There are different manufacturers of the paste and I don't think this is one of the famous brands the Sarawakians use hence the taste is different from mine. Will definitely have to source the paste from somewhere else. The paste is said to be made from sambal belacan, tamarind, garlic and lemon grass. Any Sarawakians out there who can help me with a solution on why my laksa just doesn't taste the same? Would love to also hear from anyone too on where I can buy laksa paste in Kuala Lumpur.

Sarawak Laksa (5 servings from Flavours)

350 grams laksa paste
2 litres chicken stock
250 to 300 ml thick coconut milk

400 grams thick vermicelli noodles

Toppings

50 grams beansprouts, blanched
100 grams chicken breast fillet, cooked and shredded

5 large prawns, cooked and shelled

Garnish

2 eggs, made into omelette strips

2 stalks coriander, chopped (I used spring onions since I had no coriander)

3 calamansi limes, halved

For the gravy, boil the laksa paste in the chicken stock for 15 minutes. Strain into a pot. Add the coconut milk and stir until well mixed. Season to taste with salt and sugar. Soak the dried vermicelli to soften and blanch with hot water. Place noodles in a bowl and add the toppings in the order listed. Ladle hot laksa gravy over. Garnish withe the shredded omelette, coriander, lime halves and sambal (recipe below).

Sambal

30 grams garlic

50 grams shallots

100 grams onion

50 grams dried chillies, soaked in hot water
30 grams dried shrimps, soaked and drained
6-8 tablespoons oil
50 grams chilli paste such as chilli boh
30 grams/1 tablespoon tamarind paste mixed with 3 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon sugar to taste
1/2 teaspoon salt to taste

To prepare the sambal, place garlic, shallots, onions, dried chillies and dried shrimps in an electric blender and process to a fine paste. Heat the cooking oil and fry the blended ingredients until brown and aromatic. Add the chilli paste, tamarind juice and season to taste with sugar and salt. Cook for 25 minutes over a slow fire.

Tagged with: Malaysian Food + Sarawak Laksa