The minute I saw this beautiful bunch of Laksa leaves at the asian grocery store, I could not resist. There was this image of a piping hot bowl of Laksa with loads of gravy and these super aromatic herbs that I could not get out of my head. Thank goodness I still have a box of Prima Taste Laksa that I brought back from Asia during my last trip, whew! So instead of using the teeny pack of dried Laksa leaves provided (which usually serves its purpose pretty well I have to say), I threw a bunch of these into the gravy... ohlala, the fragrance is to die for.
This herb has just the most interesting flavour that I have yet to find the right words to describe. I was searching the Internet for more recipes that feature it but found only Laksa and Nasi Ulam much to my disappointment. How could such a flavourful herb be used in so few recipes? Furthermore, it would be impossible for me to cook Nasi Ulam here in France - there are simply too many missing ingredients. For now, I will have to be contented with my taugeh, laksa leaf packed bowl of good old Laksa.
12 comments:
laksa leaves a rarity in oz too...makes me saliva looking at it.
thanks for visiting my blog, danny. i'd be happy to send you some laksa leaves but i doubt very much they would get past the australian customs! :)
nah....its okie, oz custom is well-known I will drop by your blog to admire the leaves and imagine the taste.
i have one suggestion for you.
if u can eat chicken it would be perfect for this menu.
first you boil water add salt and seasoning powder when the water is boiling you put chicken let it boiling until it cooked. after that replace it and let it cool and keep the soup. then you tear chicken into small pieces or you can chop based on the size that you wish.
this menu require ginger. just wonder that you have pastel and mortar or not. if you have , pound or crash ginger. but if you dont have pastel and mortar you can finely chopped ginger. (if you prefer spicy taste you can add chillies).
for Laksa leaves you have to finely chopped them.
finally you re-heat the soup until it boiling add ginger , chicken, and lime juice. ( it would be better if you put fish sauce )
thats all. this is chicken soup in Lao style.
hope you will try it.
so sorry with my weak grammar and language.
few day ago I saw laksa pesto recepie and I wanted to try it, but here in Croatia there is no chance to find it(laksa leves or laksa powder) . if you eat tiger shrimps you can try it. in a mortar grind pine nut, almond, chestnut (cooked), garlic, chili, olive oil, parmesan, salt and black pepper and 2 hand fulls of laksa leves. on a hot pan warm pesto, add shrimps and pour vegetable stock. cook till shrimps are done and serve with pasta.
thank you for your suggestions! i will have to give them a shot soon.
sorry to bother you but do you maybe know latin name for laksa? maybe I could get it from Austria, but person asked me for German or latin name.
Thank you in advance!!
A quick search in wikipedia yields the names "Persicaria odorata" and "Polygonum odoratum". Hope this helps.
Danny, Laksa leaves are available all over Sydney and melbourne. Look for an asian grocery store and they should be there. Anywhere there are vietnamese people you'll find them. P.S. they are very easy to grow too. Stick them in a glass of water until they sprout roots then plant.
Thanks for your tip, i am going to try it sometime.
I tried laksa leaves for the first time in singapore in my laksa! Not really available in Vancouver, BC either. That laksa pesto sounds amazing!! Great blog you have here :)
hi,
just found this blog, due to the research which compelled me to search on the net from finding laksa leaves in my garden.
so danny if you want some let me know i will send them by mail. i live in sydney nsw.
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