Laksa Johor

The laksa is one of the most distinctive Malaysian dishes, a cuisine widely enjoyed throughout the country, with various states or regions having their own unique version of laksa influenced by local taste and culture. Laksa Johor is a version that stood out from the rest. Unlike the many soup-based laksa dish in various states, the laksa Johor dish looks similar to a plate of spaghetti bolognaise — think yellow noodles drenched in a thick gravy made of coconut milk, asam gelugur, dried prawns, lemongrass, galangal and spices. This dish is surprisingly difficult to find at eateries even in Johor, as it is mostly prepared at home on special occasions. Learn how to make this mouth-watering dish with this simple recipe!

Firstly, boil the mackerel, prawn, dried tamarind and bunga kantan in 2 litres of water until the fish and prawns are cooked. Next, separate the flesh of the fish from the bones and pound the prawns, and set both the seafood and broth aside. Heat oil in a small pot and stir fry the onion, garlic, galangal and lemongrass until fragrant. Then, sprinkle in the chilli paste and curry powder, add the dried shrimps and stir fry until the oil separates. Then, add in some fish stock, thin coconut milk, MAGGI® CukupRasa™ and sugar and let it boil. After that, add the fish and pounded prawns into boiling mixture to let it simmer until the gravy thickens. Finally, place cooked spaghetti into separate bowls and pour over the gravy. Serve your laksa Johor with some sambal belacan and lime on the side!

An array of mouth-watering recipes for laksa dishes are available at MAGGI® — find out how to make Penang Assam Laksa Fried MAGGI Mee, MAGGI Mee Asam Laksa Utara and Sarawak Tepus Assam Laksa Fried MAGGI Mee.