Cuban Chicken Stew

Here's is a delicious recipe adapted from one of my favorite Sunset Potluck Cookbook. It is rich with flavor and it's perfect for the holidays.

Ingredients:

4-5 lbs skinless chicken thigh meat, cut into halves

2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 medium-sized onions, sliced thinly

1 red and green bell peppers, seeded and chopped finely

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp. dried oregano

2 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. paprika (optional)

2 cans (15 oz) tomato sauce

¾ cup dry white wine or chicken stock

5 red skinned potatoes

1 cup each raisins and chopped pitted black/green olives

2 cups frozen peas, thawed (optional)

Method:
1.Rinse chicken and pat dry. Heat oil in a wide pan over medium heat. Add chicken, 4-5 pieces at a time (do not crowd), and cook until well browned on all sides. Remove and transfer into a deep 6 quart casserole. Pour off and discard all but 2 Tbsp. of the drippings.
2.Add onions and bell peppers and fry till onions are soft but not browned. Stir in garlic, spices and then tomato sauce and wine. Cook, stirring often until sauce comes to a boil. Boil gently uncovered for 5-8 minutes. Add potatoes, raisins and olives. Mix well and pour sauce over chicken. Cover and refrigerate for a day.
3. Bake, covered in a 375° degree F. oven for about 1-2 hours. Serve with crusty bread or rice.
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Smoked Salmon with Endives

Endives or Chicory is an European salad vegetable. It is crisp and with a delicate flavor, perfect if you want to serve an elegant and festive dish during the holidays. Here's another recipe adapted from "Sunset Potluck Cookbook".

Ingredients:

8 Endives

1 8 oz cream cheese, room temperature

¼ cup (4 oz) sour cream

½ cup smoked salmon, minced

1 Tbsp. lime juice

1 Tbsp. onion, minced finely

3 Tbsp. fresh dill, chopped

Method:
1. Rinse endive with cold water, drain and wrap with paper towels and keep in refrigerator.

2. In a bowl combine cream cheese, sour cream, salmon, lime juice, and onions. Beat until with an electic mixer until well blended and fuffly. Mix in dill. Cover and refrigerator (can be made a day ahead)

3.To serve, place spread on a tray. Break endive spears from core of each head. Surround bowl with endive spears, tips pointing outward.

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Roast Pork Florentine with Pomegranate Sauce

 

This is one of my favorite dish to serve on festive holidays. I can prepare it ahead of time and bake it the following day.

Ingredients:

2 pork tenderloins (trimmed and cut open flat)

salt and pepper
1 Tbsp. olive oil
Kitchen strings
Filling:
3 cups chopped spinach
¼ cup parmesan cheese, shredded
¼ cup red pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. marjoram
salt and pepper to taste
Sauce:
1 cup pomegranate juice
1½ cups chicken broth
2 Tbsp honey
1½ tsps. cornstarch
1 Tbsp. water
Method:
1. Pre-heat oven to 425°F. In a skillet, cook garlic in oil until tender, stir in spinach, marjoram, salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 3 minutes till spinach is wilted and set aside. Place the cut meat flat on a piece of plastic wrap. Using a mallet, pound the pork to an even 1/2 inch thickness. Remove the plastic wrap. Using a spatula, spread the filling evenly on the pork leaving a 1-inch border on all sides; sprinkle cheese on top.
2. Starting at the edge, roll up the roast tightly to completely enclosing the filling. Rub the pork with salt and pepper. Tie the roast at 2 inch intervals with kitchen strings. Place the roast seam-side down on a baking rack. (I've added a bed of kale drizzled with olive oil) Roast until a meat thermometer inserted in the center registers 155°F.
3. Transfer pork to a clean cutting board, tent with foil and let rest for about 10 minutes.
4. For the sauce, combine the ingredients to a pot and bring to a boil over medium heat. Scrape remaining juices from baking pan to pot. Reduce mixture to about 1 cup. Thicken sauce with cornstarch and water, whisking till slightly thickened.
5. Remove string and slice roast into 3/4 inch thick slices. Serve with sauce.
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Crème Brûlée

Crème Brûlée, is French for burnt cream, a dessert of a rich custard base with a layer of caramelized sugar on top. It is one of my family's favorite dessert!
Ingredients:
2½ cups heavy cream
½ cup whole milk
6 egg yolks
½ cup sugar
1 vanilla bean
pinch of salt
extra sugar for caramelizing
4-6 ramekins
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 325 F.
2. Combine milk, cream, and vanilla bean in a saucepan and scald mixture. Remove from heat and let steep for 20 minutes. Whisk sugar and egg yolks in a large metal bowl to combine. Stir the milk mixture a little at a time. Pour this mixture through a fine strainer into a bowl.
3.Scoop the mixture into 6 oz (individual) ramekins and set them into a large oven proof pan that will hold warm water halfway up to the ramekins. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the custard is just set. Let the custard cool and then chill in refrigerator.
4. Sprinkle the top evenly with sugar and carmelize the top in the broiler.
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Crab Quiche

                               
This dish brings back sweet memories, as John made this on our first date! Here's a revised version of the recipe from one of his favorite Sunset cookbook, "Cooking For Two".
Ingredients:
9 ounces crab meat (canned or freshly steamed)
6 ounces Swiss cheese, shredded
5 tbsp. sliced onions
5 tbsp. grated parmesan cheese
2 tbsp. parsley

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp. paprika

3 eggs

10 ounces cream

salt and pepper to taste (optional)

A 10 inch Quiche pan
Pastry:
9 1/2 ounces flour
8 tbsp. butter
1 1/2 egg yolk
Method:
1. Buttery pastry shell:Preheat oven to 350° F. In a bowl, cut butter into flour until mixture resembles fine crumbs. With a fork, lightly stir in the egg yolk. Work dough into a ball with hands. Using your fingers, evenly press dough over bottom and up sides of quiche pan. Dough tears easily, but does not toughen with handling-pinch tears together to rejoin. Bake in oven for 10-15 minutes, remove and set aside to cool.

2. Sprinkle Swiss cheese evenly over bottom of shell. In a small bowl, combine crab, onions, Parmesan cheese, parsley. Spoon over Swiss cheese. Beat eggs with cream and pour over crab mixture. Sprinkle with paprika and cayenne. Bake on the lowest rack for 45 minutes or until custard appears firm when dish is gently shaken. Cool and cut in wedges to serve.
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Jerusalem Artichoke with Chicken

Last week I harvested a basketful of Helianthus tuberosus, Jerusalem artichoke, aka sunchoke, sunroots--which is related to the sunflower. They bear pretty yellow flowers and their tubers, which resembles ginger root. It is crunchy with a slightly nutty taste. Someone told me that it is also used as a Chinese herb to treat heatiness and cleanse the system. Here's a simple dish using produce from the garden.

Ingredients:
1 small chicken, cleaned and cut in bite-sized pieces
2 tsp. sesame seed paste
2 tbsp. oyster sauce
2 tsp. tapioca starch, dissolved with a little water
salt and pepper
1 tbsp. ginger slices
4-5 Jerusalem artichokes, scrubbed clean and sliced
Method:
1. Season meat with salt and pepper. In a bowl mix the sesame seed paste and oyster sauce.
2. Fry ginger in some oil till fragrant but not brown. Add chicken to pan and fry for 5 minutes, add in the sauce and fry till meat has absorbed most of the juices. Add the Jerusalam artichokes, toss to mix and lastly add the tapioca starch, add some warm water if sauce starts to thicken. Season to taste. Serve with rice.

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Black Chicken and Silver Carp Soup

The Chinese believes that most food items contain properties that affect bodily functions. As a matter of fact, each Chinese herb are supposed to have different effects on the body and helps promote good health. If you visit a Chinese medicinal hall, you will find thousand of different herbs in various shapes and forms. Here's a soup recipe from a dear friend--It rejuvenate and helps blood circulation.

Ingredients:

1 black silkie chicken, skin removed, cut in quarters
1 silver carp, scales and guts removed
6 pieces codonopsis root (党参 dang shen)
6 pieces solomon's seal (玉竹 yu zhu)
20 dried red dates (红枣 hong zao)
muslin bag
salt to taste
Method:
1. Put ingredients into a large muslin bag, securing the ends. Fill an 8-quart pot with water halfway and put in bag and bring water to boil.
2. Remove scum on the surface and simmer for about 2-3 hrs. Season soup to taste.

Prawns in Fragrant Spicy Sauce/Udang Wangi Berempah

Years ago, I've submitted this recipe to a nursery in exchange for some kaffir lime leaves. Since then whenever they have surplus leaves, they would send me some in the mail. Now I have a bush of my own and it has given me a few fruits and plenty of leaves. I love the citrus lemon-lime smell in this dish. Masak Udang Wangi Berempah literally means "fragrant spicy prawns" in Malay.
Ingredients:
1½ lbs. prawns
1 large onion, chopped
8-10 dried chilies, pre-soaked, seed removed
4-6 pcs. kaffir lime leaves
2-3 pcs turmeric root or 1 tsp turmeric powder
3 buah keras, or 2 tablsp. chopped cashew nuts
1 inch ginger
4 pips garlic
3 stalks lemon grass, cut in chunks
¼ cup oil
1 cup coconut milk
2 tsp. sugar
Juice of ½ lemon
salt and pepper to taste
Method:
1. Blend or pound the spice ingredients until fine.

2. Slit the prawns on top, remove the black vein and leave shells intact. Wash well to remove any slim and season with a dash of salt. Set aside.

3. Heat oil and fry the spice past until fragrant over medium low heat until mixture is fragrant and moisture has evaporated, and there is a thin layer of red film of oil on top of mixture. This will take abit longer if your paste is processed through a blender.

4. Add half of the coconut milk and mix in with the chilli paste. Turn heat up to high and add in the prawns to cook. Add the rest of the milk and sugar, then the lemon juice. Season to taste with salt.

5. Remove from heat and garnish with chopped fresh young kaffir leaves on top. Serve with rice.
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Organic Beef Broth

Our son, Kwan got me into purchasing a quarter portion of grass-fed beef from a farm in Marin. We had to borrowed a friend's large cooler to bring all those beef home. I have never seen so much meat in my life! We have enough bones to make this wholesome broth that is nutritious and easy to prepare. If your only experience with soup involves opening a can, it's time to take this soup a little more seriously.

Ingredients:

3 lbs beef bones

2 carrots, cut in chunks (unpeeled)
4 celery ribs, cut in chunks
1 large or 2 medium onions, quartered (unpeeled)
1 small yam, quartered (unpeeled)
4 bay leaves
3 cloves garlic
10 peppercorns
2 tsp. parsley
2 tsp. bouquet garni (thyme, rosemary, marjoram, oregano)
3-4 quarts water
2 tsp. olive oil
Method:
1. Heat oil in a large, heavy saucepan and brown bones to provide favor.  Add water, salt and bring to a boil. Skim off excess froth off the top and discard.
2. Add vegetables and rest of ingredients. Reduce heat to low and cover to boil slowly for about 4-5 hours.
3. Strain liquid with a fine sieve and use as soup base. Freeze the rest for later.
Note: To remove most of the fat, I would freeze it and gently remove the layer of fat on top. Broth can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or 4 months in the freezer.
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Sweet Potato and Yam in Coconut Cream/Bubor Cha Cha

Bubor Cha Cha is a popular Nyonya dessert in Malaysia. It can be served both warm or cold. There are many variations to the recipe, but the key ingredients are: sweet potatoes, yam/taro, and tapioca simmered in rich coconut milk. The other optional ingredients that can be added are colorful cooked starch, or bananas. Here's how I like mine.

Ingredients(A):
1 medium sized sweet potato, peeled and cut into bite-sized cubes.
1 medium sized yam, peeled and cut into bite-sized cubes
Ingredients (B)
2 cans coconut cream/milk
2 pieces cane sugar, or 1/2 cup light brown, or plain sugar
3-4 fragrant pandan leaves (screwpine)
1/4 cup tapioca pearl, presoaked in water (optional)
 a pinch of salt

Coloured Cooked Starch (This is a abit messy to make, but it is really nice as it has a springy texture)
4 oz. tapioca flour/starch
a pinch of salt
1/4 cup boiling water
red, yellow, and green food coloring
Method:
1. Bring water to boil on high in a steamer, add in ingredients A and steam for 15-20 minutes until cook but not soft or mushy. Remove from heat and let cool.

2. Colored starch: Put tapioca flour, salt in a bowl, then pour in boiling water and stir well. The water must be boiling hot in order to pre-cook the starch. Stir to mix, the texture will resembles like white crumbs. Cover and set aside for 10 minutes.

3. Mix and knead mixture into a non-stick dough. Divide dough into portions, and color with food coloring. On a lightly floured board, roll each portion into a long strip and cut into small pieces diagonally to resemble a triangle. There is no strict rule to the shapes and size to this dough.
4. Filled a pot of water halfway to a boil, and add in the cut starch and cook till it floats up. Dish up and dip in ice water to keep it from further cooking.

5. In a large pot mix together 1 and 1/2 cans of coconut milk with enough water to make about 6-7 cups of water. Add the pandan leaves, 2 pieces of cane sugar (if used), salt and bring to a boil. Cook until the sugar has dissolved completely, season to taste for sweetness.

6. Stir in the yam, sweet potatoes, and cooked starch and simmer for about a minute. Lastly stir in the rest of the coconut milk, add sliced bananas (if used) and give it a good stir. Do not overcook the coconut milk. Remove the fragrant leaves and turn off heat. Serve hot or cold.
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Sweet and Sour Pork

Sweet and Sour Pork or "goo lou yok" in Cantonese dialect is a classic dish served in many Chinese restaurants. It is crispy fried pork glazed with a sweet and tangy sauce and bell peppers or pineapple. I find the sauce in the restaurant abit too sweet and too much coloring to my taste--here's my version.
Ingredients:
¾ lbs. pork tenderloin or shoulder pork, trimmed and cut into 1" cubes
1½ tsp. light soy sauce
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
Oil for deep frying
Sauce:
¼ cup light brown sugar
3 Tbsp. ketchup
2 Tbsp. plum sauce
2 Tbsp. Thai Sweet Chilli sauce, optional
1/8 cup apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp. cornstarch, dissolved in some water
Batter:
½ cup flour
½ cup cornstarch
1 egg white, lightly beaten
½ cup warm water, as needed
Garnishing:
1 carrot, sliced thinly
1 medium sized onion, sliced thinly
1 of each red and green pepper, sliced
Method:
1. Marinate meat in soy sauce and cornstarch for 20 minutes.
2. In a bowl, combine brown sugar, ketchup, plum sauce, vinegar ingredients together, and season to taste. For a spicy sauce, add the chilli sauce if desired. Set aside.
3. For the batter, mix flour and constarch. Add in the egg white and enough warm water to form a thick batter that is not too dry or too moist. (The batter should not be runny, and should slide off the back of the spoon)
4. Heat enough oil for deep frying. Dip the marinated pork in the batter. Deep fry in small batches until golden brown. Remove and drain on paper towels.
5. In a pan over medium heat, add enough oil and stir fry the onions, carrots, and bell peppers. Add the sauce and bring to fast boil and thicken with the cornstarch mixture, stirring and adjust seasonings, adding more salt, sugar and/or vinegar if desired.
6. Ladle hot sauce over pork and serve with rice.
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Chicken Pie

I had opened a can of golden mushroom by accident thinking that it was something else. An idea came to mind and hence, this version of my chicken pie. It is simple to prepare and to save time, I used ready-made pie crust.

Ingredients
6 pieces skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized.
2 cans Campbell's Golden Mushroom Condensed Soup
3 medium sized potatoes, cut into bite-sized
½ cup chopped carrots
½ cup peas
½ medium onion, minced
2 tsp. dried rosemary
1 tsp. dried thyme
1-2 Tbsps. flour
1 box frozen pie crust, thawed
A deep glass pie dish
salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbsp. butter
1 egg, beaten
Method:
1. Pre-heat oven to 400°F. Bring a pot of water to boil, pre-cooked potatoes and carrots. Drain and set aside.
2. Pat meat dry with paper towels, season with some pepper and salt.
3. Melt butter in medium heat, add onions and rosemary and cook unitl onions is soft and transparent. Add the meat, golden mushroom soup. Mix well and cook on medium heat until chicken is cooked through. Stir in the rest of the vegetables and mix well.
4. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and mix in the flour to thicken mixture. Set aside to cool.
5. Pour into prepared pie dish and brush egg wash on top of crust. Bake in oven for about an hour, or until crust is golden brown. Note: I would put a pan under the pie on the lower shelf to catch any drippings.
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Beef Rendang/Dry Beef Curry

A traditional dish of beef simmered in a rich spicy coconut milk. This is a special dish to prepare during the festive and/or weddings in Malaysia. It is generally served with ketupat (compressed rice cubes), roti jala or plain rice. The authentic rendang recipe calls for kerisik, which is pan-fried or toasted fresh grated coconut. It is then grind to form a fine powdery paste. My family loves this dish and I used to make batches of it and freeze them. Whenever my kids come to visit, they have something yummy to bring home. Years ago, I used to prepare the curry spices from scratch using the mortar and pestle and it is very time consuming and tiring for my shoulders. Nowadays, I substitute it with ready-made pastes and spice ingredients that I can get in the local markets. I've tested a few of these ready-made paste and by far, the best one is Brahim rendang paste, and the Mae Ploy red curry paste.

Ingredients:
4-5 lbs topside or round chuck beef, cut in large pieces (larger than bite-sized)
1 can coconut cream (dilute with some of the coconut milk)
½ can coconut milk
Fry Ingredients (C):
1 stalk crushed lemon grass
4 kaffir lime leaves
3 star anise
2 cloves
1 small piece cinnamon stick
3 pieces dried tamarind
1 tumeric leaf, finely sliced (optional if not available)

4 Tbsp. oil

Kerisik: (optional)
¼ cup grated coconut for kerisik
Spices (A): (Blend to fine paste)
1 package Brahim rendang paste (if not available, substitute with 2-3 tablespoons Thai red curry paste, or curry powder)
5 shallots, sliced

1-2 large onions, sliced
10 dried chilies, soaked and seeds removed

2 cloves garlic

½-inch ginger
4 stalks lemon grass, thinly sliced
4 kaffer lime leaves, sliced
4-5 slices of galangal

5 candlenuts (can substitute for a handful of walnuts)

Marinade (B):
2 Tbps curry powder

1 Tbp dark soya sauce

1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt

Method:
1. Season meat well with marinade ingredients (B) and set aside.
2. To make the kerisik, if using: fry the grated coconut in a non-stick frying pan (without oil) on low heat. Keep stirring until it is evenly browned and golden in color. It takes about 8-10 minutes. Remove and set aside to cool. When cool enough to handle grind until it resembles a fine paste. I use a mortar and pestle to do this task. Tip: Adding kerisik to the rendang helps thickens the gravy and give it a nice aroma.

4. Heat oil in a large pot over medium-low heat, fry lemon grass, kaffir lime leaves, blended spices (A), until fragrant and oil from the chilli starts to bubble on the surface. Continue stirring to prevent mixture from sticking.
5. Add in half of the coconut milk and stir the mixture for another 5 minutes, then add in the meat, dried tamarind, star anise, cloves, and cinnamon stick. Stir and mix until the mixture coats the meat evenly.
6. Add half of the coconut milk/cream, making sure the liquid is just enough to cover the meat. Cover and simmer on low until the meat is tender, stirring occasionally. Continue to simmer for 2 hours until the meat is tender and gravy has thickened
Tip: You don't add too much liquid as the meat will shrink during cooking, adjust when the mixture is getting too dry.
7. Add in the kerisik at the last hour of cooking time and stir in to mix with the gravy. The gravy should be thick and fragrant after the final stewing. Skim off some of the oil if you prefer.
8. Season to taste and serve hot with rice, roti or nasi kunyit.
Cook's tip:
You can make the kerisik ahead of time and keep in the refrigerator. I suggest you make extra and have enough for your next rendang. You can store it in an airtight container for up to about a month.
I find it economical to use coconut cream and add water to dilute and use accordingly. If using coconut milk do not dilute.
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Braised Pork in Soy Sauce/Tau Yew Bak

This is a traditional Straits-born (Peranakan) dish that is excellent for both the young and old as it is full of flavor. and easy to digest. "Tau Ewe Bak" is a Hokkien dialect for Soy Sauce Pork. It is pork simmered with a good quality soy sauce with spices and hard boiled eggs. This is also one of my daughter's favorite dish.

Ingredients:

500 gm belly pork or shoulder pork (trim off excess fat, and cut into 2" cubes)

2-3 cups water
3 hard-boiled eggs, shelled (optional)

2 pieces firm bean curd or fried bean curd (optional)

5-6 dried Shitake mushrooms, soaked in water and cut in half
Marinade:

3 Tbsp. light soy sauce
4 Tbsp. dark soy sauce
2 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. peppercorn, cracked
4 cloves unpeeled garlic, bruised
1 cinnamon stick
2-3 star anise
1 tsp. cracked peppercorns
1 tsp. salt
Method:
1. In a large pot or clay pot, add  water and bring to a boil. Add the marinade spices and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Add pork and simmer for about 30-45 minutes until the water has reduced slightly and has reach a thick consistency. A little more water can be added if you like more gravy.
2. When the pork is tender to touch, add mushrooms, bean curd, eggs and continue to simmer for another 15-20 minutes. Adjust seasonings if necessary. Serve with steamed rice.
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Grilled Spicy Prawn Rolls/Rempah Udang

After watching Julie and Julia, I became similarly inspired. In my case, though I'm taking a particular type of Malaysian cuisine, known as Peranakan or Nyonya. There are over a dozen recipes that I have in mind--For starters, Rempah Udang is an old time favorite, great for afternoon tea or snacks.

Ingredients:

100 gms prawns, shelled and chopped finely
100 gms dried prawns, soaked and chopped finely
150 gms coconut, toasted and ground finely
2 Tbp. dried winter melon, chopped finely
A few drops of blue coloring, or 2 tsp. dried bunga telaga ("Clitoria ternatea")
2-3 banana leaves (scald with hot water, wiped dry and cut into 5x6"pieces)
toothpicks or staples to secure ends
1 tablespoon oil
Spices:
5 small shallots
3 gloves garlic
1 stalk lemon grass, sliced finely
2 candlenuts
½ tsp. Sar ginger powder
2 tsp. coriander powder
1 tsp chilli paste
Seasoning:
salt, sugar, pepper to taste
Rice Mixture:
300 gms glutinous rice, washed and pre-soaked overnight
2 cups thin coconut milk
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
Method:
1. Heat oil in a pan and fry blended ingredients until fragrant. Mix in the dried prawns and fry till well mixed and fragrant. Add in the prawns and stir fry till cooked. Mix in roasted coconut, winter melon and seasoning. Continue to stir until ingredients become dry and golden brown. Set this aside.

2. Add water to a steamer and bring to a boil. Combine glutinous rice with coconut milk, salt and sugar in a deep pan. Steam for 30-40 minutes until cooked.
3. Remove and leave to cool. Divide rice mixture into 2 portions, coloring one with blue. If using the dried bunga telaga, steep it with a few drops of hot water and squeezed out most of the color. Note: use a few drops of blue food coloring if this is not available.
4. Assemble rolls: To prevent rice from sticking, rub your hands with some cooking oil. Take a tablespoon of the white rice mixture and spread it thinly in the center of the banana leaf. Add 1 tablespoon of filling over and top with another tablespoon of the blue rice mixture. Gently roll up neatly, tug ends neatly and secure with toothpicks or staples.
5.Brush rolls with some cooking oil and grill for about 15 minutes turning occasionally.

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Noodles in Spicy Coconut Milk/Siamese Laksa

Siamese Laksa is a noodle soup with coconut milk and flaked fish gently simmered with the basic ingredients of lemongrass, chilli, kaffir lime leaves, galangal, and tumeric. The flavor is rich and spicy with a sweet and sour taste.

Ingredients:

1 packet noodles (Vermicelli or Lai Fun)
2 cans Fish without oil (mackeral or salmon)
8-10 dried chillies, soaked and remove seeds (more or less)

1 large onion, chopped

3 stalks of lemon grass, chopped
4 small tumeric, peeled
3-4 kaffir lime leaves
2" galangal
1" ginger, peeled
2 cans of coconut cream
some oil
½ cup tamarind juice (approximate)
salt and sugar to taste
Garnishing:
1 bunch of polygonum odoratum (also known as daun kesom in Malay)
2 cucumber, peeled and julienned
Method:
1. In a blender of food processor, combine the lemon grass, onion, ginger, tumeric, galangal, a few of the kaffir lime leaves, and ground to a fine paste. Set aside.
2. In a bowl, flake the fish finely. Heat a little oil in deep pot and gently fry the above till fragrant, add some of the coconut cream, and rest of the kaffir leaves. Stir it to mix in medium flame.
3. Add in the fish and adjust the soup with more coconut milk and tamarind juice. Season to taste and simmer for about 8-10 minutes.
4.In another deep pot, bring some water to a fast boil and cook the noodles according to the directions on the packet. Rinse noodles with water and set aside.
5. Serve some noodles in a bowl with laksa gravy, and garnish with the daun kesom and some cucumber.
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