Beginners Guide: Penang Assam Laksa

Penang Assam Laksa is a traditional noodle soup popular in Penang and northern Malaysia that consists of rice noodles and thick spicy, sour, sweet flavour fish-based soup. Shredded fish, sliced onion, cucumber, pineapple, mint leaves and lettuce are the common toppings.

What Is Penang Assam Laksa?

It is believed that the Malaysian fishermen who live in the coastal area created the Assam Laksa. They created the dish from the available ingredients they have. Throughout history, the dish advanced into Assam laksa that we know nowadays.

Penang Assam laksa is a signature dish of Penang, Malaysia. We called this dish “Penang Laksa”. It is a favourite with both local people and visitors.

Assam laksa has an exceptionally complex flavour of spicy, sour and sweet. The best part of the dish is the fish-based soup that is cooked for a long time with many herbs and spices. One of the special ingredients in this dish is the Bunga kantan (torch ginger) that has a nice aroma.

You can buy torch ginger seed in the Amazon store. * As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Assam laksa is commonly served with thick round rice noodles and topped with shredded fish, sliced onion, cucumber, pineapple, mint, lettuce and special prawn paste (locally known as Hae Ko).

Preparing Penang Assam Laksa Spice Paste is Time Consuming

There are many ingredients in the spice paste for Penang Assam laksa. It is time-consuming to prepare the paste from raw ingredients. Sometimes it is difficult to get all the raw ingredients. I am not good at mixing spices, I use the instant Assam laksa paste to cook this dish at home.

Authentic Instant Penang Assam Laksa Spice Paste You Should Try

If you never use instant spice paste in your cooking, you should give it a try. It saves you time in preparing from raw ingredients. You will spend less time cooking a delicious dish and more time enjoying the dish with family and friends.

There are many different brands of curry paste in the market. Always look for natural flavours in the paste. The artificial flavour is not going to taste the same.

There are many ingredients in the paste. If you are allergic to a certain food, remember to look at the ingredients when shopping for the paste.

It is very easy to prepare and cook Penang Assam laksa using instant Assam Laksa paste.

We recommend a few authentic instant spice paste brands for cooking noodles, chicken, beef, and seafood. You can find them at this store.

Ingredients and Preparation

  1. 1 packet Assam Laksa Paste
  2. 1300 ml water
  3. Rice noodles
  4. Onion
  5. Cucumber
  6. Pineapple pieces
  7. Lettuce
  8. Mint leaves
  9. Shredded fish (Optional)
  10. Shrimp paste (Optional)

Cooking Instructions

  1. Heat up 1300 ml of water
  2. Add in the paste, and stir to prevent the paste from sticking at the bottom of pot
  3. Ready to use once boiled
  4. Prepare laksa noodles and add in all necessary vegetables
  5. Add in soup and ready to serve
Assam Laksa

Penang Assam Laksa

Penang Assam Laksa is a traditional Malaysian noodle soup that consists of rice noodles and thick spicy, sour, sweet flavor fish-based soup. Shredded fish, sliced onion, cucumber, pineapple, mint leaves and lettuce are the common toppings.
Penang Assam laksa has an exceptionally complex flavor of spicy, sour and sweet. The best part of the dish is the fish-based soup that is cooked for a long time with many herbs and spices. One of the special ingredients in this dish is the bunga kantan (torch ginger) that has a nice aroma.
Prep Time 20 mins
Cook Time 17 mins
Course Noodle
Cuisine Asian
Servings 4
Calories 404 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 packet Penang Assam Laksa paste
  • 1300 ml Water
  • 800 g Rice noodles
  • 100 g Red onion
  • 200 g Cucumber
  • 200 g pineapple slices
  • 100 g lettuce
  • 30 g mint leaves
  • 300 g shredded fish
  • shrimp paste

Instructions
 

  • Heat up 1300 ml water in a pot
  • Add in the paste, and stir to prevent the paste from sticking at the bottom of pot
  • Ready to use once boiled
  • Prepare laksa noodles and add in all necessary vegetables
  • Add in soup and ready to serve

Notes

** Nutritional value is for reference and estimates only, it may not be accurate. Please refer to our Nutrition Disclaimer.
Keyword Penang Assam Laksa