How To Make Laksam (Rolled Noodles w/Creamy Black Pepper Sauce)

by Zaleha Olpin

Serves 4

Ingredients for the rolled
noodles
1 ½ cups of rice flour
½ cup plain flour
2 ½ to 3 cups of warm
water
1 tsp of salt
2 tbsp vegetable oil
Ingredients for the soup
500 gm Spanish
mackerel
1 tbsp tamarind juice
300ml coconut milk or
coconut cream
100ml water (more or
less)- to thin the sauce if
needed

Ingredients for the spice paste
4 medium shallots
1 garlic clove
1 cm fresh ginger
2 tsp black pepper seeds
1 tbsp sugar (optional)
1 tsp salt
Ingredients for the salad
Bean sprouts (tailed)
Long beans (finely chopped)
½ of a cucumber, shredded
Chopped cabbage (if you
like)
Vietnamese mint (thinly sliced)
Sliced bunga kantan (torch
ginger flower), thinly sliced
1 lime (quartered)

Method
For the noodles, in a mixing bowl, combine all the
ingredients and stir using a whisk making sure there are no
lumps. Fill a steamer pot and boil the water. Grease a
small amount of oil on your baking tray or pizza pan that
fits into your steamer. Pour some of the flour mixture to
form a thin, even layer on the pan. Steam the mixture for
about 5 minutes. Take the tray out and using a small
spatula run along the edges of the tray to loosen it up.
Start rolling the noodles making sure it doesn’t break. Rub
some oil on the laksam roll and cover with cling film so it
doesn’t go dry. Re-grease pan and repeat till you finish all
the flour mixture.

For the soup, poach the fish with 1 cup of water and 1 tbsp of tamarind juice. Once
cooked, debone the fish and strain the stock. Discard the bones and transfer the
fish into a food processor with all the spice paste ingredients and poaching stock
and blend. Transfer the blended sauce into a medium pot, add in the coconut
cream, sugar, salt and tamarind juice and cook on high heat. Once it has started to
boil, turn the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes. Adjust seasoning to taste. Add
more water if the gravy is too thick but be careful not to add too much water since
the gravy needs to coat the rolled noodles when you eat it.

Ingredients for the chili paste
10 dried chilies (sliced, deseeded and
soaked in boiling water)
1- inch of belacan (roasted)
½ tsp salt

Method
Using pestle and mortar, pound all the
ingredients to a coarse paste. Alternatively,
you can use sambal oelek.

TO ASSEMBLE THE NOODLES
Cut the noodle logs into bite size pieces. Ladle in warm gravy to cover the noodles.
Arrange the salad on top. Add a spoon of the sambal on top. Put a wedge of lime
on side. Enjoy.

Notes: * I usually measure about half a cup per
noodle log and pour it into my 9 inch round pizza
pan. Again, it depends on the size of your steamer
and pan. Rule of thumb, it should not be more
than 0.5cm thickness.

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