A bright and aromatic Malaysian noodle bowl featuring a tangy tamarind broth, flaked fish, and fresh herbs. Chewy thick rice noodles are topped with a crisp medley of cucumber, pineapple, red onion, and mint.
Ingredients
- 600 g thick rice noodles, fresh or dried (lai fun)
- 900 g whole mackerel, gutted and cleaned
- 1.8 l water
- 80 g seedless tamarind paste
- 8 pieces shallots
- 4 pieces fresh red chilies
- 6 pieces rehydrated dried red chilies
- 3 sprigs lemongrass
- 25 g fresh galangal
- 15 g fresh turmeric
- 15 g fermented shrimp paste (belacan)
- 20 leaves laksa leaves (daun kesum / Vietnamese coriander)
- 1 piece torch ginger flower (bunga kantan), frozen or brined
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 piece cucumber
- 300 g fresh pineapple
- 1 piece red onion
- 6 leaves romaine lettuce
- 1 bunch fresh mint
- 1 piece fresh red chili, for garnish
- 1 piece lime
- 4 tbsp sweet dark shrimp paste (heh ko / petis udang)
- 180 g homemade assam laksa spice paste
Method
- Rinse the mackerel, cover with water in a large pot, and bring to a simmer; cook until the flesh flakes easily and the liquid develops a clean, savory fish aroma.
- Transfer the fish with a slotted spoon to a plate and let cool slightly, then remove the skin and bones; flake the meat with your fingers and return the bones to the broth to simmer briefly for deeper flavor.
- Strain the broth, stir in the seedless tamarind paste until dissolved, and return to low heat; the broth should be cloudy, tart, and deeply savory.
- Add the assam laksa spice paste, lightly bruised lemongrass, laksa leaves, and sliced torch ginger flower; simmer gently until the raw edge of the spices cooks off.
- Return the flaked mackerel to the soup, season with salt and brown sugar, and simmer gently until the broth becomes thick, tangy, spicy, and fragrant.
- Prep the toppings while the soup finishes simmering: thinly slice the cucumber, pineapple, red onion, romaine lettuce, mint, and fresh chili for a crisp garnish.
- Cook or reheat the rice noodles according to package directions, then rinse briefly in warm water so they stay pliable without turning mushy.
- Divide the noodles among warm bowls, ladle over the steaming mackerel soup, and mound the fresh garnishes on top.
- Finish with a drizzle of sweet dark shrimp paste and a lime wedge; serve immediately so the hot, sour, fruity, and herbaceous flavors hit clearly in every bite.
Nutrition
Per serving
- Energy
- 479.5 kcal
- Protein
- 31.42 g
- Carbohydrate
- 58.63 g
- Fat
- 12.98 g
- Fibre
- 8.55 g
- Calcium
- 24.66 mg
- Iron
- 1.62 mg
- Magnesium
- 40.16 mg
