Assam Laksa in Dubai!

I've been craving for assam laksa since I moved to Dubai and its seriously driving me crazy. Went to a Chinese restaurant here in Dubai and ohhh.. *dissapointed*. After months of torture, I finally decided to make my very own assam laksa and it was awesome! Never really had the guts to do it because I thought it would be really complicated but in fact, it is sooooo easy!!!

Here's the recipe :-) You will need .....
* 2 small mackerel
* 4 cups water
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 2 cups assam jawa (can't get it in dubai so i just use the bottled ones)
* 2 stalks sliced lemon grass - white part
* 2 tsp turmeric
* 1 tsp belacan
* 5 dried chilies, soaked, drained and chopped
* 1 galanggal -chopped
* 1 tsp sugar
* 350 g rice noodles

Methods
1. Blend lemon grass, turmeric, belancan, dried chilies and galangal till fine
2. Then add some oil and fry it on slow fire until wangi :-) and put aside
3. Cut fish into 4 pieces
4. Add fish to boiling salt water then reduce heat and simmer for 5 mins
5. Remove fish and flake off flesh
6. Leave fish head and bones in the water and add tamarind water. Simmer for 10 mins
7. Strain to remove the fish head and bones.
8. Add the fish stock to the blended and fried tumeric, belacan, dried chilis and galanggal.
9. Stir in sugar and add more salt, assam jawa as desired.
10.Simmer for another 10 mins and add fish.

There u go! Simple and delicious!


Then just garnish with whatever u want- mint leaves, pineapple, cucumber, cut chillies and onions!