Laksa Johor

HB loves to play host. Loves having friends & family over. I enjoy cooking. So that makes a splendid arrangement. Him hosting, me cooking... ;-) But there are times when the table turns. Whenever the theme is BBQ. His BBQ sauce is a signature among friends.

Laksa Johor is quite regular served on my dining cum buffet table apart me not a Johorean. As many know, this type of laksa uses spaghetti as the pasta. Normally, as to accommodate kids or perhaps even adults who do not or just not adventurous enough to try new food, I also prepare bolognaise sauce to eat with the spaghetti.

OK, let's get to business. I have come across a few recipes of Laksa Johor but I like this one best because it is very simple. The taste? Well... once I witnessed HB diligently helping his laksa in record time, I might as well stick to the simplest ;-)

First & foremost when it comes to laksa, the fish is very important. Since I like simplicity, I use the Spanish Mackerel (ikan tenggiri) which has lots of flesh but less bone. Spare me the time of deboning the fish.

In this recipe I use 1 normal size Spanich Mackerel. Cleaned, cut, boiled & blended. Do not throw away the broth.

Blended fish

The broth of the fish

While waiting for the fish, blend about an inch of ginger, & knobs, very much like ginger but milder), shallots & garlics.

The blended items

Now, the cooking begins. Sautee the blended ingredients.



Once golden, add in a packet of fish curry & some chilly paste. Sautee again until the paste is cooked.



After that, add in 2 tbsp of grinded dried shrimp. Stir well.


Next is to join in the broth & 1 inch & a half of lightly pounded galangal (lengkuas - pale yellow rootstalk with pink skin



And also the blended fish.



Next is to combine a packet of coconut paste (kerisik) into the pot.



Simmer until it boils & add in 5-6 tbsp of coconut milk.



Add salt to taste & it's ready

My Laksa Johor gravy is very thick as how HB loves it. As mentioned earlier, instead of normal lasksa pasta, Laksa Johor uses spaghetti. The spaghetti is served in shapes. I do not really know how the Johoreans shape their spaghetti but this is how I normally do mine.

And this is how I prepare the cucumber which is to be eaten with the laksa.




I do not put the leftover cucumber seeds to waste. Check out Wardah & Balqis enjoying their home spa... ;-)



These are some of the condiments that also go with my Laksa Johor.

I am aware that other condiments like bean sprouts, salted reddish, Vietnamese coriander(daun kesum) are quite common. Anyhow, mine are simply - clockwise onions, long beans, torch ginger (bunga kantan), calamansi.

Also the Sambal Belacan which I have made some changes to it. HB does not take belacan, hence my sambal is merely fresh chillies & onions pounded together with a bit of salt.

This is how the laksa is served. First, put the spaghetti in a bowl followed by the condiments & lastly the gravy. Here is how I like mine.

And the girls like theirs.

Kuih Keria

Kuih Keria or some calls it Kuih Gelang, is my girls' favourite especially Wardah. To them this Malay delicacy is another version of doughnuts. It is very simple to make & my little assistants always have fun helping me.

The main ingredient to make Kuih Keria is sweet potatoes. There are various types. Look for the ones with white colour.

Sweet potatoes are peeled & cut into small pieces. Boil until they tender. Some boil the sweet potatoes with the skin. They are easier to peel off once tender. But I always choose to peel first.

The tender sweet potatoes

Yasmin helping me to mash the sweet potatoes

Mashed sweet potatoes

Add in ample wheat flour to get a firm dough.

Roll the dough into small balls about the size of golf ball. Flatten it lightly & make a hole in the centre. I've never tried using a doughnut cutter. It should work just fine.

Deep fry until golden

Traditionally, the fried rings are coated with syrup. 100ml water & 120gm sugar cooked together in slow fire until sugar dissolved.

Once it thickens, add in the rings.

But I do not prepare mine as such. Improvised to make it simpler. I coat the fried rings in icing sugar. The girls love their "doughnuts" like this.



My mom, however served us sugarless outside. She adds sugar together with the dough. No need sugar coating. Hence, less messy.

Kerabu

Kerabu I must say is not my cup of tea. What is Kerabu? Basically, it is salad with a unique dressing. There are various ways serving kerabu just like salad. Since I don't really eat kerabu, this menu was never served on my dining table until recently. My mom had lunch with us & she brought along all the ingredients to prepare her kerabu.

Observing her in my kitchen, making kerabu is merely a blink of an eye. Perhaps the fact that she had prepared all the ingredients beforehand made it so simple.

This is the key to her superb kerabu. According to mom, sauteed dried chillies, dried shrimp & grated coconut are all ground together. Add salt to taste.

The vegetables she used for her kerabu are...

Pennywort Leaves (daun pegaga)

Four-angled Beans (kacang botol)

Long Beans

Onions

She normally uses Torched Ginger (bunga kantan) too but could not find fresh ones. Stir all ingredients together.

Last touch is juice from a kalamansi (limau kasturi) & salt.

My mom's special Kerabu.

Tomyam Campur

I am not really a Tomyam lover. But having tried this tomyam paste I began to appreciate this Thai Cuisine. I did not prepare this meal from scratch though. I used instant tomyam paste. Ever since I discovered this instant paste, never have I tried others.

First of all is to sautee pounded lemon grass & cut onions.

Once fragrant, pour in enough water. That is 2 glasses of water for a packet of the paste.

This is the tomyam paste I always opt for.

Add in the paste once the water has boiled.

Next is to join in kaffir lime leaves.

Add in sliced beef. Let simmer for awhile to make the beef tender

After that, the chicken.

Some squids.

And of course the vegetables. Carrots, cauliflowers & baby corns.

Add salt to taste & finally, lightly pounded bird's eye chillies

Tomyam Campur