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PenangEats_LemakLaksa1

Laksa Lemak

Dinner, Fish, Hawker Food, Healthy, Lunch, Mains, Noodle, Nyonya, Soups 0

Laksa Lemak literally translates to Creamy Laksa. This gorgeously aromatic bowl of noodles in a curry sauce is also known as Siam Laksa, possibly owing to it’s origins which are believed to be Thai.

Laksa is a soupy, usually curry-based rice noodle dish found in many different variations throughout Malaysia and Singapore. There isn’t really one ‘authentic’ version as it varies from state to state.

In Penang, there are two distinct versions of laksa – Assam (Tamarind) Laksa and Lemak Laksa. In both versions, potentially unique only to Penang, they are fish-based.

A bowl of thick rice noodles is topped with sliced cucumber, pineapple, onions, lettuce, mint and chillies. Also usually added to this, is a very fragrant, but impossible to find in the UK, finely chopped torch ginger flower.

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Lemak in this version of Laksa refers to the creamy coconut milk base of this soup, which is generously poured over the bowl of noodles and veg. This is then topped with (my absolute favourite) watered down hae ko (fish paste) which is probably horrendously smelly to the western nose but is absolutely amazingly tasty.

Mackerel usually makes up the bulk of protein in this dish, cooked in water that is then used as stock, then deboned, flaked and then mixed in to the big vat of boiling soup. In my typical cheat, I simply use canned tuna.

It is one of the yummiest things ever… definitely try it out if you’re ever in Penang. It is quite difficult to find this at regular hawker stalls in Penang. Swee Kong coffee shop on Burmah Road (opposite the Police station) has a stall that usually sells from lunch time onwards. The trip round the island is worth making simply for our favourite Kim Laksa in Balik Pulau.

Print Recipe

Laksa Lemak (Siam Laksa)

A wonderfully aromatic bowl of noodles in a delicious fish-based sauce
Prep Time20 mins
Cook Time45 mins
Course: Main Course, Snack, Soup
Cuisine: Hawker, Nyonya
Keyword: fish, laksa, soup
Servings: 6
Author: Li-ling Ooi

Ingredients

Spice paste

  • 5 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 12 bulbs shallots, roughly chopped (or 4 white onions)
  • 6 bulbs garlic
  • 2 tbsp Tean's crispy prawn chilli (replace this with 6 pieces of rehydrated dried chilli and 2 tsp belacan)
  • 2 stalks lemon grass, finely chopped (use only the white section)
  • 2 tbsp coriander powder
  • 1/2 tbsp tumeric powder
  • 3 tsp belacan

For curry sauce

  • 3 tbsp fish sauce
  • 400 ml (thick) coconut milk (1 can)
  • 4 tbsp salt
  • 3 tbsp sugar
  • 1 litre water
  • 4 cans drained tuna, flaked (145 g in spring water)

Noodles and toppings

  • 1 cucumber, julienned
  • 1 small pineapple, julienned
  • 1 red onion, finely sliced
  • 1 handful mint leaves
  • 1 fresh red chilli, sliced
  • 1 pack pre-soaked rice sticks or laksa rice noodles (400g)
  • 6 tbsp 'hae ko' prawn paste (dilute further with hot water)

Optional toppings

  • 1 torch ginger flower, finely chopped
  • 3 small pickled onions
  • 1 handful 'chean hong' polygonum (Vietnamese coriander)

Instructions

  • Cook rice sticks/noodles according to pack instructions. Drain and set aside.
  • Blend all spice paste ingredients (except oil) until finely ground.
  • In a large pot, heat the vegetable oil. Add blended spice paste and stir fry until fragrant, about 5 minutes.
  • Add fish sauce and coconut milk and stir to mix well.
  • Add salt, sugar and water and bring to boil.
  • Carefully pour in tuna. Stir well to break up larger tuna chunks.
  • Simmer for 10 minutes.

To serve

  • Place one serving of rice noodles in to a bowl.
  • Add generous helpings of the toppings as desired.
  • Pour sauce over noodles and add a generous amount of 'hae ko'.
  • Serve immediately.

Notes

Options:
If you prefer to use fresh fish, mackerel is the fish of choice for this dish.
  1. Boil 4-5 mackerel in 1 l of water.
  2. Debone and flake the mackerel and set aside to add in to the cooked sauce.
  3. Use the fish stock in place of water.
 
Salted Duck Egg Belacan Fried Rice Featured

Salted Duck Egg and Belacan Fried Rice

Chinese, Course, Dinner, Ingredient, Lunch, Mains, Prawn, Preparation, Rice, Stir Fry, Supper, Type 0

Fried rice is a staple in almost every household in Asia. Every family has unique style to an amazing plateful of fried rice. At it’s most basic variation, fried rice is simply topped with frozen mixed vegetables and some prawns, this can be levelled up to include char siew (barbecued pork) and a multitude of optional ingredients, limited only by one’s imagination.

The fancier versions of this humble fried rice include versions such as pineapple fried rice (with tiny chunks of pineapple) often served in a hollowed-out half pineapple, partially baked to further enhance it’s aroma and belacan fried rice which incorporates a Peranakan essential belacan, a pan-fried powder shrimp paste that is exceedingly strong smelling (think smelly socks), but is amazingly tasty.

In making fried rice, it is essential to use left-over rice. It’s best to use overnight or a few days old rice that has been left left to dehydrate in the fridge. This helps the rice dry out and makes it much easier to cook to the correct texture.

This salted duck egg and belacan fried rice recipe was a product of an experiment which turned out amazingly well.

In this version the salted duck egg is used to season and flavour the rice and it does this generously. It is important to mash up as much of the yolk as possible leaving it in tiny chunks. The addition of belacan simply enhances both the taste of the duck egg and the smell of the fried rice.

 

Print Recipe

Salted Duck Egg Belacan Fried Rice

A creative twist on the standard fried rice with the use of salted duck eggs and belacan
Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time26 mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Chinese
Keyword: dinner, hawker fare, lunch, penang
Servings: 3 people
Author: Li-ling Ooi

Equipment

  • Frying Wok

Ingredients

  • 1 salted duck egg yolk mashed
  • 2 tsp belacan powder
  • 1 onion finely chopped
  • 2 tsp minced garlic
  • 6 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tsp light soya sauce
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1.5 cups refrigerated day old rice ensure grains well separated
  • 8 king prawns
  • 1/2 cup petit pois

Instructions

  • Heat vegetable oil in a non-stick pan
  • Toss in onions and garlic, and stir fry until fragrant and translucent
  • Add the mashed salted duck egg and continue breaking up the yolk as it cooks
  • Add the prawns and petit pois stir fry until the prawns are almost cooked through
  • Carefully add the rice in and mix well. Make sure that the rice is evenly distributed and coated with the other ingredients in the pan
  • Continue stir frying for 2-3 minutes
  • When you see that everything is evenly coated and distributed, evenly distribute salt over the rice
  • Then make a well in the centre of the pan
  • Add the 2 tbsp of vegetable oil in to the centre of the well
  • Break the two eggs in to the well. Break up the yolks and let it cook for about half a minute
  • Begin mixing the rice in to the egg
  • Mix well to ensure even distribution of the egg
  • Evenly spread the belacan over the rice
  • Continue to stir-fry until fragrant and very lightly charred

Notes

Serve immediately. Enjoy while hot.
Hor Fun 1920

Penang Sar Hor Fun Recipe – Your char hor fun at home

Chinese, Course, Dinner, Ingredient, Lunch, Noodle, Pork, Preparation, Stir Fry, Type 0

Sar hor fun or char hor fun literally translates to stir fried thick flat rice noodles. And while there is an abundance of stir-fried noodles in mind-boggling varieties and variations in Penang, Sar hor fun is indelibly a permanent and established fixture in the realm of hawker fare in the gastronomic capital.

It consists mainly of thick flat noodles accompanied by vermicelli seasoned and fried until slightly charred. Often with flames slightly catching the noodles adding to the taste and effect. This is then set aside.

A tasty, thick, comforting gravy is cooked separately along with the various other ingredients ranging from char siew to sliced fish balls, beautifully prepared cuttlefish, prawns and some green vegetables, typically chai sim. Egg is added on request and cooked to a stringy noodle-like consistency.

When the gravy is ready, the pre-cooked noodles are tipped back in to the wok and given a quick marriage. This is then dished out on to a large serving dish and every one tucks in greedily.

To make this at home

When making this at home, I too decided to do as the hawkers usually do and stir fried the noodles separately with some light seasoning of soya sauce. Apart from the sauces that make up the gravy and the corn flour to give it that thick, sticky texture, you can be as imaginative and adventurous with the rest of the ingredients.

Remember to let us know in the comments how your version turns out! Happy cooking!

 

Print Recipe

Sar Hor Fun (Wat Tan Hor)

Also known as Char Hor Fun (Hokkien) or Wat Tan Hor (Cantonese), this home cook variety uses thin rice noodles.
Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time30 mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Chinese
Keyword: dinner, hawker fare, lunch, penang, supper
Servings: 6
Author: Li-ling Ooi

Ingredients

A. Noodles

  • 4 cakes Fresh hor fan (if available)
  • 3 cakes vermicelli (bee hoon) if dried soak for recommended amount of time
  • 2 cakes flat rice noodles (koay teow) if dried soak for recommended amount of time
  • 5 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 5 tsp light soya sauce

B. Sauce

  • 10 pieces assorted fish ball defrost if frozen
  • 10 pieces raw tiger prawns halfed (tail-off or on optional)
  • 2 pieces char siew BBQ pork thinly sliced
  • other seafood or pork liver if preferred sliced fish cake is quite common
  • 2 bunches pak choy, choi sum or kai lan cut into thick 2.5-inch lengths
  • 3 tbsp minced garlic
  • 3 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 6 tbsp oyster sauce
  • 2 tbsp dark soya sauce
  • 2 tbsp light soya sauce
  • 2 tbsp fish sauce
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1.5 tbsp corn flour mixed thoroughly in 1/2 cup of cold water
  • 2 eggs beaten lightly

Instructions

A. Noodles

  • Soak dried bee hoon or Koay teow as recommended. If using fresh hor fun or noodles, skip this step
  • Heat oil in a non-stick pan
  • Add the noodles in to the pan loosely. Try to ensure the strands are loose and free flowing
  • Drizzle the light soya sauce over the noodles
  • Fry over medium to high heat for 5-8 minutes

B. Sauce

  • Heat oil and fry garlic until aromatic
  • Add in seafood if using, prawns and fish balls and gently stir fry until partially cooked
  • Add in vegetables and continue stir frying.
  • When vegetable have just changed colour, add in all sauces - oyster sauce, dark and light soy and fish sauce and salt
  • Mix well then add 1/4 cup water
  • Bring to boil
  • Prepare corn starch mixture and add in to boiling sauce
  • As sauce thickens, gently add the eggs in to the boiling sauce, stirring well
  • Add in cooked char siew just to heat through
  • Remove sauce from heat as soon as consistency is thick and eggy strands are formed
  • Carefully pour the sauce over the fried noodles
  • Enjoy with pickled green chillies.

Notes

Serve immediately. Leaving it out to cool may change the viscosity of the sauce. 
Kuih Talam Featured

Kuih Talam

Course, Dessert, Nyonya, Preparation, Steam, Type 0

I don’t have much of a sweet tooth but I actually love the challenge of making cakes and desserts.
Kuih talam is a Penang speciality. Part of an amazing range of steamed ‘cakes’ known as Nyonya kuih.

More

GrilledFishLamChoot1280

Grilled Banana Leaf Wrapped Sea Bream and Lam Choot

Course, Dinner, Fish, Grill, Hawker Food, Ingredient, Lunch, Nyonya, Preparation, Type banana leaf, pandan 0

One of the things I miss most out of all the tremendous range of hawker food in Penang is Ikan Pangang (literally: barbecued fish). Fish and seafood wrapped in banana leaves barbecued over coal fires. Here is my away from Penang hack.

More

bakkwarecipe

Bak Kwa Recipe – Quick and easy in the oven or on the BBQ grill

Baking, Barbecue, Chinese, Course, Finger Food, Ingredient, Pork, Preparation, Snacks & Starters, Type 0

Approx. 24 pieces (serves 4) | sides | finger foodMore

belacan-chicken

Extra Tasty Crispy Belacan Chicken – straight from the oven

Baking, Chicken, Course, Dinner, Hawker Food, Ingredient, Lunch, Mains, Preparation, Type 0

Approx. 8 pieces (serves 4) | mains | with meals More

Prawn Fritters Featured

Prawn Fritters Recipe

Chinese, Course, Deep Fried, Finger Food, Ingredient, Prawn, Preparation, Seafood, Snacks & Starters, Type 0

Approx. 15 pieces (serves 3) | starter | finger food | with meals | as a sideMore

Dark Soya Sauce Chicken Featured

Dark Soya Sauce Chicken – Easy one pot recipe perfect for multi-cooker or slow cooker

Dinner, Lunch 0

8 pieces (serves 4-5) | main course | with meals | one pot meal
More

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  • Laksa Lemak
  • Salted Duck Egg and Belacan Fried Rice
  • Penang Sar Hor Fun Recipe – Your char hor fun at home
  • Kuih Talam
  • Grilled Banana Leaf Wrapped Sea Bream and Lam Choot
  • Bak Kwa Recipe – Quick and easy in the oven or on the BBQ grill
  • Extra Tasty Crispy Belacan Chicken – straight from the oven
  • Prawn Fritters Recipe
  • Dark Soya Sauce Chicken – Easy one pot recipe perfect for multi-cooker or slow cooker

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About Us

Penang is a foodie’s paradise. Penang Eats features all the traditional and modern cuisines unique to the region. From nyonya to pseudo-western and fusion food, we explore the origin, ingredients, recipes, method of preparations and places to eat in Penang.

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  • PenangEats_LemakLaksa1Laksa Lemak
  • Salted Duck Egg Belacan Fried Rice FeaturedSalted Duck Egg and Belacan Fried Rice
  • Hor Fun 1920Penang Sar Hor Fun Recipe – Your char hor fun at home
  • Kuih Talam FeaturedKuih Talam
  • GrilledFishLamChoot1280Grilled Banana Leaf Wrapped Sea Bream and Lam Choot
  • bakkwarecipeBak Kwa Recipe – Quick and easy in the oven or on the BBQ grill

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