Laksa Kelantan

	I'm honest with you, laksa Kelantan isn't my favourite type of laksa. I tried making it for the first time recently, including making my own laksam (wide, soft laksa noodles) – a disaster which I won't be attempting again any time soon! But I found overall the soup was a little bland.
It's got a bit of sourness from the tamarind, but doesn't have enough sourness to really fit as an asam laksa. It has a lot of coconut milk, but not the curry seasoning to really qualify as a curry laksa. I also found it rather hard to get the fish suitable minced by hand (next time, I'd probably use an immersion blender!), Overall, it was all a bit meh. But never try, you'll never know!

Recipe

2 tsp oil
1 onion or handful of shallots
2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp minced ginger
2 tsp minced lemongrass
1 tsp of tamarind paste, or a few pieces of dried tamarind (if available)
1 large pinch of black pepper
1 small pinch of salt
1 large pinch of sugar
200g white fish, poached and flesh minced
2 cups coconut milk
1 cup water
Laksam (fresh, wide laksa noodles)
1 large handful green beans, steamed or boiled
1 large handful of beansprouts, blanched
Cucumber, sliced thinly into batons
Sambal belacan (chilli paste)

Method:

Heat the oil in a large pot. Add the onion or shallot, garlic, ginger, and lemongrass, and cook until tender (4-5 minutes).

Add the tamarind, salt, pepper, sugar, coconut milk and water. Bring to a simmer. Add the minched fish and cook a few minutes.

Prepare the fresh laksam noodles by blanching. Place into bowls, and pour the fishy soup over the top. Garnish with the vegetables, and sambal belacan.

Serves: 2-3
Preparation and cooking time: 30-35minutes, including preparing the fish