Laksa Johor

Ingredients:

1kg ikan parang (wolf herring)
4 red onions
10 cloves garlic
7.5cm galangal
7.5cm ginger
3 stalks lemongrass
5 tbsp cili boh (dried chilli paste)
150g dried shrimp, soaked
50g fish curry powder
500ml coconut milk
150g kerisik (toasted, pounded grated coconut)
4 to 5 pcs tamarind slices
sugar and salt to taste
500ml water
500g spaghetti

For the condiments
onions, peeled and finely sliced
cucumber, peeled, cut into rolls and finely sliced
Thai basil leaves, chopped
Vietnamese mint leaves, chopped
bean sprouts, blanched
sambal belacan, as required
Calamansi limes, halved

Method:

1. Boil the fish until cooked. Debone the fish and blend till fine.
2. Blend the onions, garlic, galangal, ginger, lemongrass, dried chilli paste and dried shrimp.
3. In a pot, add some oil and sauté the blended paste and curry powder on low heat. Once fragrant, add in the blended fish and stir to combine.
4. Add in the coconut milk and kerisik and stir well. Add tamarind slices, sugar and salt to taste. Keep stirring and add water at this stage.
5. Let mixture simmer on low heat for 1-2 hours until oil appears on the surface and colour is orangey-brown and the texture of the gravy is quite thick. Remove from heat.
6. In a pot, cook the spaghetti until al dente. Plunge into cold water. Take a handful of pasta strands, and make a knot.
7. Serve 1 to 2 knots of spaghetti on a plate along with the gravy. Place the condiments on top with a dash of sambal belacan and a squeeze of lime for an extra zesty taste.