Sunday 3 August 2014

Dry Laksa by Cheryl Lam

Recipe I used today can serve a big group of 7 – 10. For smaller portion, you may half the ingredients or even use a third. Apologies for the “agaration” but I had done research on the net and experimented a few times using an amalgamation of several recipes found. Below is the best, I feel, for my recipe below. Simple and easy.
Ingredients
500g x 3 packets of thick vermicelli
17 medium sized tiger prawns, de-shelled *Use more or less, to your liking
2 packets of tau kwa (I got the regular ones, not the mini ones. Mini ones may ‘disappear’ after cooking / frying *LOL*).
2 packets of big fish cake sliced to your liking
2 packets of Dancing Chef Laksa Paste
1 packet of Kara coconut cream
Some laksa leaves (this is important for the taste)
Some bean sprouts *Optional
Some cockles *Optional
Some onion, diced
A handful of dried shrimps (hey bee), soaked in water, and then pounded slightly (or use food processor to pulse a bit). You may also use the whole shrimps. Remember to keep the shrimp water.
**It depends on you how much you wish to use but I suggest a generous rice bowl or two of the dried shrimps! It really gives the laksa the crunchy taste

Method
1.    Bring a pot of water to boil and dump the vermicelli into the pot. Just blanch for 2-3 minutes and drain. Set aside.
2.    Heat wok until hot with oil. Stir fry the diced onions for a couple of minutes or so.
3.    Add the dried shrimps and cook until fragrant.
4.    Add the prawns and cook until just turn pink.
5.    Set aside
6.    If you use cockles, you may stir fry them now until cooked to your liking and set aside. Or you may just dump the whole lot at the end (after all the cooking) – if you prefer more raw taste. Same goes for the bean sprouts.
7.    Without adding more oil, using the same wok, stir fry the sliced fish cakes until not so wet anymore. Set aside.
8.    Stir fry the tau kwa until reduced in size. The tau kwa is cooked anyways, so it is up to you how long you wish to stir fry. Suggest 2 -3 mins. Set aside
9.    Without adding any more oil, pour the Laksa Paste onto the wok. Stir fry a bit. Then, add the packet of Kara coconut cream and stir fry until just turn hot.
10.    Add the vermicelli to the wok. Mix until coated.
11.    Add the rest of the cooked ingredients (dried shrimps, prawns, tau kwa, fish cake, cockles and bean sprouts, laksa leaves). Add the laksa leaves last and leave some to garnish on the dish. Mix evenly.  I recommend using a large spatula together with chop sticks to do the mixing.
12.    Now do the taste test - you may add the shrimp paste water and/ or any other seasoning you wish (fish sauce or light soya sauce) if you find it  not salty enough or too spicy.

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