Asam Laksa can happen in Hertfordshire, England.

A couple of decades ago I I was missing Asam Laksa so much but it was near impossible to find all the ingredients here. I was ‘importing’ my stash every time I balik kampung

My stash included torch ginger (bunga kantan), polygonum odoratum (daun kesum) and calamansi lime (limau kesturi) but nowadays they are able to be gotten here but still not easy.

Today I have decided to use some of my stash from Malaysia to cook Asam Laksa as I am going to replenish my stash soon.

For my paste I like to add a small bit of turmeric and galangal (blue ginger) Both these ingredients are easy to find here in Chinatown.

TIP 1 – To get a clear fish broth sieve it once with a normal sieve then sieve it a second time by placing a sheet of kitchen roll on your sieve as an extra lining for a much clearer fish broth.

TIP 2 – Blend your spices till fine. I like to blend some of my lemon grass and torch ginger besides adding some to boil with the broth.

TIP 3 – Remove the big bits from your broth before adding in your fish meat.

Updated 8/08/2021

Actually Asam Laksa is very easy to cook. Years of working and cooking for a family you learn to organise yourself.

I like to boil and picked my fish the night before and the next day just blend and fry the paste. Mush easier and less stress.

Note – I have tried ordering asam laksa outside and I have yet to find one I am willing to part my ££ for! A famous restaurant in Chinatown which I once took a Japanese friend to try (after singing the virtue of how cool and different asam laksa is) was a HUGE let down.

When I queried, the waitress told me it just tin sardines + chilli + asam jawa water and the people working there don’t even eat it! Till this day I am still shocked!

When I read some good reviews recently I think I have to go and try again to see if they have ‘updated’ their asam laksa OR maybe I am just fussy? – kekekekekeke

A good asam laksa (my opinion)

1 – The broth should not be a murky dark brown or look like curry. It should be a clear fish broth with hint of red chilli oil.

2 – The mackerels if you have picked yourself should be in chunks not in bits.

3 – The taste should be sour, spicy, taste of lemongrass, galangal and most important of all the combo of torch ginger and laksa leaves!

Note – Remember the heh ko/prawn paste is sweet. Use as much or as little as you like.

One of my vices is chicken gizzards. It’s not often that I can buy them here in the UK. Sometimes I do not see any fresh ones for more than a year. They can usually be found in Chinatown but I seldom travel down to London.  However when I do get them this is how I like to eat mine. 

I have tried to convince my family that crispy chicken gizzards with a glass of cold beer and a good film is the bomb but I have yet to convince them. Thus whenever I cook this dish I have to eat them all by myself over a 2 day period but I am certainly not complaining. 

SEPTEMBER 11, 2017 BY ADMIN

Last Saturday a few of us met up for a get together to celebrate the Malaysian Carnival at https://www.brickendonbury.co.uk/view-blog/merdeka-malaysian-carnival-23rd-september-2017-9/ It was a fun chin wag alongside plenty of food.

A friend gave me a very fresh packet of curry leaves and I’ve been thinking of ways to celebrate them. It is not that easy to get such fresh curry leaves in the UK. As I have some frozen leaves in my freezer already I decided to go to town with these to use them fresh today and tomorrow. 

Often we think of something we would like to eat with the flavours we love. I was thinking about crispy pork belly for a few days so I decided to combine them and my fresh curry leaves. Hence this very moreish dish is born.