Book of Days Tales

On this date in 1963 Sarawak was granted self-governance by the British government with the expectation that it would become a member of the proposed state of Malaysia, which it did on 16 September of that year.  Before the Second World War Sarawak had been governed by members of the Brooke family as a monarchic dynasty known as the White Rajahs.  After the war Charles Vyner Brooke ceded Sarawak to Britain as a Crown Colony.

Recipe of the day has to be laksa, a flavorful noodle soup with chicken, shrimp, omelet, and sprouts.  It comes in infinite varieties and is much easier to get in a restaurant in Kuching than make at home.  However, if you are not in Sarawak you have little choice but to make your own.  This is one version only. Good luck finding all the necessary ingredients.

Ingredients

Soup

    shredded cooked chicken

    cooked prawns, shelled, tails intact, deveined

    60 ml  (¼ cup) neutral oil

    400 ml coconut cream

    300 gm dried rice vermicelli noodles

    150 gm bean sprouts

    4  eggs

    salt to taste

    chicken stock

    cucumber, thinly sliced

    cilantro

    sambal belacan, to serve

    limes wedges, to serve

Dry spices

    50 gm cumin seeds

    100 g coriander seeds

    6 star anise

    8 cloves

    1 nutmeg

    8 cardamom pods

Rempah (laksa paste)

    2 cm piece toasted belacan

    10 red Asian shallots peeled and chopped

    12 garlic cloves, peeled

    10 cm galangal, peeled and chopped

    6  long red chiles, chopped

    6 dried red chiles, soaked in hot water for 15 minutes, drained

    4 lemongrass stalks, white parts only, chopped

    50 g  candlenuts

    210 gm (1½ cups) unsalted roasted peanuts

Instructions

Toast the dry spices in a large dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant. Transfer to a spice grinder, clean coffee grinder, or blender, and process into a fine powder.

Place all the ingredients for the rempah into a blender or food processor and blend into a smooth paste, adding a little water if needed.

Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat and add the rempah. Fry for 20 minutes or until very fragrant. Stir in the ground spices until well combined. Add 1.5 liters of the stock, bring to a simmer, then cook for about 5 minutes.  Add the coconut cream and bring to a simmer again.

Place the noodles in a heatproof bowl and pour boiling water over them. Stand for 10 minutes, then drain and set aside.

Beat the eggs well.. Heat a large skillet over medium heat, then lightly grease it. Pour just enough egg into the pan to coat the base, tilting the pan as you go. Cook until just set, then remove and repeat with the remaining egg mixture, stacking the egg sheets on top of each other as you go. Roll up the sheets into a cylinder, then slice into thins strips.

To assemble the laksa, place the noodles into a serving bowl and ladle over the laksa soup, piping hot. Top with the chicken, prawns, cucumber, egg strips and cilantro. Serve with sambal belacan and lime wedges on the side.