Not So Lemak Laksa

Healthy hawker food need not be the contradiction in terms that everyone thinks it is.

I make laksa gravy that I can drink copious amounts of and Hokkien mee that I can eat without worrying about the fat! (Search for this recipe on this website.)

There are lots of ways of making those favourite hawker dishes we grew up with, long for and eat almost everyday, healthier and still yummy.

A few tricks come to mind:

Braise, rather than fry. If you have to fry, use healthy canola or olive oil (tried char kway teow fried with olive oil? It is rich and full tasting!) And substitute soya milk for coconut milk.

They all work, and well, too. And if you’re worried about cholesterol levels, no need to cut out the meat or seafood altogether.

Just make sure the meat used is lean and use less cholesterol- rich prawns and squid and more fishcake, for example.

As for the soya milk in laksa, the Shanghainese offer a savoury soya milk soup as street food during winter. Hot soya milk is flavoured with chilli oil, some dried shrimp and sesame oil and voila, a delicious but healthy warming soup is on offer.

Laksa, anyone?

Ingredients:

Lean Laksa (For 6-8)

• 400 g fresh thick beehoon (rice sticks)
• 100 g fresh prawns
• 4 pieces fish cakes
• 100 g snow pea sprouts (dou miao)
• 1 bunch kesom leaves (laksa leaves)
• 4 cups unsweetened soya milk
• 1 Tbs. dried prawns
• 1 stalk lemon grass – bruised with the back of a knife
• 1 Tbs. salt
• 1 tsp. sugar

Spice mixture:

• 5 dried red chillies - softened first in water
• 1 tsp. belacan
• Half cup peeled shallots
• 5 slices of fresh galangal (lengkwas)
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tsp. coriander powder
• Reserved scallop-flavoured wine

Method:

1. Place ingredients for spice mixture into a food processor and chop till fine.
2. Bring one cup of water to boil and cook prawns till just pink. When cool, peel prawns and leave aside, together with prawn stock.
3. Heat 1 tsp. oil in a pot large enough for the gravy. When hot, lightly saute spice mixture, together with lemon grass, till fragrant. Add prawn stock from time to time to prevent burning.
4. Add washed dried prawns to the sauteed spice mixture. After a few minutes, add 3-4 cups of water and bring gravy to the boil, then add the soya milk. Reduce heat to prevent curdling.  Season with salt and sugar or to taste.
5. In the meantime, scald noodles with hot water, slice fish cake and shred a handful of kesom leaves (laksa leaves).
6. Divide noodles equally among 6-8 bowls. Top with prawns, fish cake, pea sprouts and kesom leaves. Pour over hot gravy and serve at once.

Tip:

Soya milk is very rich in flavour – you can add more, according to taste. Or thin it down with water. If it curdles, use a whisk to break down the lumps.