Penang food and recipes (Otak-Otak & Penang Sour Laksa)

Penang food is famous in Malaysia. Strictly, the term of Penang food is refers to "hawker food", that is, street food sold at the roadside. In Malaysia there are many state can found the Penang hawker food. But to taste authentic Penang food, there is no other place than Penang itself.

Otak-Otak:

Steamed fishcake drapped in banana leaves.

Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients:
600g fish fillet, preferably kurau or garupa
3 pcs limau purut leaves, thinly sliced
1 egg
225ml thick coconut milk from 1 coconut
2 tsp glutinous flour
1 ½ tsp salt
½ tsp sugar

Ground to paste:
15 dried chilies
1 cm pc turmeric root
2 stalks lemon grass
4 slices galangal (lengkuas)
15 shallots
½ pc belacan
2 pips garlic
12-14 pcs kaduk leaves
6 pcs banana leaves (20cm x 25cm)

Directions:
1. Combine all ingredients together and mix well. Add the fish last.
2. Spoon the mixture on banana leaves lined with mixture on banana leaves lined with kaduk leaves. Repeat till mixture is all used.
3. Wrap and secure with toothpicks. Trim the top for a neat finish. Steam for 10-15 mines in a prepared steamer. Serve hot or cold.

Penang Sour Laksa: Fish-based spicy rice noodle soup

Serves : 4

Ingredients :
1 packet laksa noodles (scalded & drained)

2 pieces fish cakes1 packet fish balls

800g mackerel (boilded, discard head & bones)
2 limes (quartered)2 hard-boiled eggs (halved)

3 tablespoons black shrimp paste / otak udang

15g polygonum leaves

1 stalk ginger flower / bunga kantan

3 dried assam slices

Finely sliced

350g pineapple

1 medium cucumber

2 large onions

1 red chilli
2 litre watersalt, sugar to taste

Ground ingredients

4 shallots

4 cloves garlic

8 dried chillies

2cm piece young ginger

2cm piece dried shrimp paste

Method :
1. Bring a large pan of water to boil. Put in the ground ingredients, assam slices, ginger flower, polygonum leaves and seasonings. Stir occasionally till it boils again. Reduce heat and simmer till the ingredients are cooked.
2. Add in black shrimp paste, fish cakes and fish balls. Let it boil once more.
3. Place laksa noodles in small bowls, top with the sliced ingredients followed by the eggs. Ladle the soup and squeeze lime juice on it to give the extra flavour.