Penang Asam Laksa 🍜

Name: Penang Asam Laksa
Prep time: 24 min
Cook time: 36 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 2-4 servings
Cuisine: Peranakan Hokkien
Ingredients: 400 g mackerel (sgm), filleted; 150 g dried rice noodles (laksa), soaked; 80 g tamarind paste; 1 small pineapple, thinly sliced; 2 tbsp belachan (shrimp paste), toasted; 40 g asam gelugur slices (or extra tamarind); Red chili paste (cili kering), 3 tbsp; 1 lemongrass stalk, bruised; Garnish: cucumber, onion, mint, torch ginger bud, lettuce, sambal; Optional: boiled egg, extra toasted belachan for stirring in

Rated among the world's most beloved street foods, Penang's asam laksa trades coconut cream for a sharp mackerel broth soured with tamarind (asam) and a whisper of pineapple. Shredded fish, onion, mint, torch ginger and sambal sit atop thick rice noodles; a spoon of prawn paste balanced on the side is the local signature. The broth is built in two pulls — fish boiled and flaked, then simmered again with the spice paste — which is why a wok of it at a Penang stall smells sour, savoury and faintly sweet at once.

Penang Peranakan Hokkien ⏱ 60 min Medium

Method

1

Poach the mackerel in 600 ml salted water with lemongrass until cooked through, about 8 minutes. Lift out, cool, flake the flesh and discard skin and bones; keep the stock.
2

Blitz the flaked fish with 300 ml of the reserved stock, tamarind paste, toasted belachan, chili paste and pineapple into a smooth paste.
3

Bring the remaining stock to a boil, stir in the fish paste and asam gelugur, and simmer 15–20 minutes until the broth thickens slightly and turns a burnt-orange hue. Season with salt; it should taste sour-forward with savoury depth.
4

Blanch the soaked noodles 2 minutes, drain, and place in bowls. Spoon the hot broth over — Penang style is soupy, not dry.
5

Pile shredded cucumber, onion, torch ginger and mint on top, add a spoon of sambal and serve with a dab of toasted belachan to stir in at the table.

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Penang Asam Laksa 🍜

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