Laksa oh Laksa

I just had S'pore laksa as lunch. Bought it from Secret Recipe. Tasted ok but I'll not go for second helping as it is a bit too rich for me..

I was thinking why not blog something about laksa, after all we've so many variations of laksa here in Malaysia..

I was in Sibu airport few days back, went there for a site visit - basically visiting the airport itself as Ministry of Transport (MOT) is planning to expand the airport. One of the worst airport that I ever visited. Doors are rotten, floors are stained..about time they do major renovation work.

Anyway, we had no time to go to town, so we had our breakfast and lunch at the airport restaurant (only one restaurant there), it looks like typical malay nasi campur restaurant. For breakfast I had laksa (Sarawak) and for lunch we had nasi campur. The laksa was actually quite tasty, better than what I had tried at Tesco's (Mutiara Damansara) food court and Alexis (Great Eastern Mall http://alexis.com.my/html/ampang.html ).Nasi campur? The dishes were too sweet to my liking..

Anyway, back to laksa. Basically, laksa has 2 major variations - sour and without coconut milk (penang laksa, assam laksa, kedah laksa etc), and lemak (rich) laksa (nyonya laksa, mi kari, curry laksa etc).

What's the difference? Well, read here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laksa and here http://www.squidoo.com/ultimate_laksa_guide and here http://www.pickles-and-spices.com/types-of-laksa.html

Anyway, my article here is base on personal experience, taste and preference.

Kedah Laksa
I love this version. For obvious reason since I was born and raised in Kedah. I love home made version, but making it, is quite a tedious process. In Kedah, Laksa Teluk Kechai is very popular. Tried it before and I love it.

http://www.friedchillies.com/index.php/site/detail/laksa_teluk_kechai/

recipe sample - http://www.scribd.com/doc/24064747/Laksa-Kuala-Kedah

Kedah Laksam
Not many people knew that there is a Kedah version of laksam as it is not popular outside Kedah. Even in Kedah, laksam is only popular in Kuala Kedah and nearby area like Alor Star. Anyway, my parents' neighbour originated from Kuala Kedah. The late Mak Mah made a mean laksam. Before she passed away, my sister managed to get a recipe from her. And now we can always enjoy laksam whenever my sis invited us over for makan makan at her place..

sample recipe http://kuaci-corner.blogspot.com/2009/09/laksam-chek-nani.html

Penang Laksa
Very close resemblance to Kedah Laksa...

recipe sample - http://resepi.mesra.net/Detailed/1058.shtml

Perlis Laksa
Close resemblance to Kedah Laksa. But they add sugar in their gravy...
i tried Perlis Laksa before, tasted like Kedah Laksa to me...anyway, I heard people said (urban myth?) that authentic Perlis Laksa use eels as its main ingredient..

recipe sample - http://www.docstoc.com/docs/8290699/My-Resipi-Laksa-Kuala-Perlis/

Penang Assam Laksa
I prefer Kedah Laksa, assam laksa is an acquired taste for me, my bf is chinese so sometimes when we eat at chinese stalls, there's nothing much that I can eat except assam laksa, rojak, grilled fish or grilled tauhu. After a few bowls of assam laksa over a number of years, I now love this version...

recipe sample - http://www.penangchefs.com/recipe.aspx?recipeid=22

Curry Laksa
Spicier version of nyonya laksa

Sample recipe - http://kuali.com/recipes/viewrecipe.asp?r=830 (for halal version, opt out pig's blood)

Nyonya Laksa
Quite similar to Singapore laksa but spicier...
Sometimes when I have craving for this laksa, I'll have it at either Secret Recipe or Nyonya Colors http://food.malaysiamostwanted.com/venues/nyonya-colors-nyonya-foods-one-utama

Nyonya Colors also offers Thai Curry Laksa & Dry Curry Mee (close relatives to Nyonya Laksa)

recipe sample - http://www.malaysianfood.net/recipes/recipelaksalemak.htm and http://resepi.mesra.net/Detailed/758.shtml

Pot Laksa
Another variation of nyonya laksa. My sis's specialty. She found a recipe in a recipe book, modified it and made it her own. Another dish that we'll always enjoy whenever she has makan makan do at her place.

recipe sample http://www.101cookingrecipes.com/nyonya-recipes/pot-laksa.php

Mi Kari
Malay version of Nyonya Laksa, less creamy, spicier. Taste like you are eating your noodles with thin curry...

Recipe sample - http://www.resepirrrecipe.com/recipe_details.php?rec_id=172

Sarawak Laksa
Will never eat this version in Peninsular Malaysia. Tasted horrible. But In Sarawak it actually taste quite nice.

recipe sample - http://www.1easyasianrecipes.com/borneo-recipes/sarawak-laksa-recipe.php

Singapore laksa
- not my favourite kind of laksa. Secret Recipe offer this dish in its menu

recipe sample - http://www.hpb.gov.sg/hpb/default.asp?pg_id=1488

Johore Laksa
- not my favourite, a bit too rich for me..

recipe sample - http://resepi.mesra.net/Detailed/3321.shtml

Kelantan laksa & laksam
My favourite during fasting month..

recipe sample http://qutreen.fotopages.com/?entry=1668638 and http://kuali.com/recipes/viewrecipe.asp?r=85

And many more variations that I've yet to try...

Honey & Cinnamon (Madu & Kulit Kayu Manis)

Images from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honey and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinnamon

After all the eating n binging, clothes starts to feel a bit tighter. Been doing weekly yoga (after office hours organized by our sports club) but not much improvement can be seen as the instructor keeps on skipping classes (her excuse - heavy rain n my car might stall!), other club members refused to change instructor as they like her!

Been participating in weekly qigong classes too (organized by sports club as well) but the only difference I can see, I manage to do all movements without rest (first few classes I was unable to finish specific numbers of repetitive movements like the rest of the class). Weight wise? gained few pounds :-( ha ha I guess when we were asked to imagine 'you are one big ball of qi in the entire universe' work for me too well! We were asked to imagine our body expanding in all directions (to capture qi).... n literally I'm turning into a ball.....gasp. This Friday I'm going to imagine "I'm the slimmest and leanest form of good quality qi".

Anyway, I thought I should try some kind of supplement n remember a tip someone forwarded to me before about honey n cinnamon. So I tried the drink last night n this morning. As the blogger below suggested, I prepared the drink n drank half of the drink before I went to bed, n this morning before shower, I took the other half of the drink. So by the time I was ready to go to work more than 1/2hr had passed n I took my breakfast (Alpha Lipid colostrum drink, Intra herbal drink, evening primrose oil, vitamins)...Will see how it goes.....

Excerpt from http://www.weight-loss-advisor.com/blog/2006/05/01/honey-and-cinnamon-for-weight-loss/

Ingredients
half teaspoon of cinnamon powder
1 teaspoon of honey
1 cup of boiling water
Preparation
Mix the cinnamon and honey in the cup and make a paste. Add the boiling water and cover the cup for half an hour. Stir the mixture water and filter it. Wait until it cools enough for drinking and it’s ready.

Take one half of the drink before breakfast and the other half after dinner, before going to bed.

Weight loss success stories
People who have tried this amazing weight loss drink say that they have lost about 3 kg (6-7 lbs) for 1 week.

I know it sounds too good and easy to be true, but I do believe it really works. I will try it myself in the next couple of weeks, actually as soon as I supply myself with the necessary ingredients - cinnamon and honey. For now I got only the water.

I promise to share my weight loss success story as a comment to this post.

Plenty of health benefits but be aware of adverse reactions if taken too much. http://www.klbiotech.com/content/6_cinnamon.php

Excerpt from http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/nutrition/a/cinnamonbenefit.htm
Adverse Reactions
In “normal uses” in cooking, cinnamon is unlikely to cause problems in non-allergic people, and up to ½ teaspoon at a time are thought to be safe. People attempting to take more as a supplement should be aware of the following: Most negative reactions are in the form of skin rashes, or irritation to the tissues of the mouth or stomach. Cinnamon has a mild anti-clotting effect in the blood, which could be beneficial. But it is conceivable that too much could cause bleeding problems, especially when combined with medications which “thin the blood,” including aspirin. In traditional medicine, high doses are not given to pregnant women, due to possible stimulating effects on the uterus.

Excerpt from http://www.homeremediesweb.com/cinnamon_health_benefits.php
What are the Side Effects of Cinnamon?Some recent studies in Europe have shown that cinnamon derived from the Cassia plant contains a toxic compound known as Coumarin. This compound is known to cause liver and kidney damage in high concentrations. Since the powdered cinnamon that we purchase in our supermarkets is typically derived from the Cassia plant, it is important to avoid consuming high doses of it. Since cinnamon has an anti-clotting effect on the blood, caution should also be exercised when it is used in combination with other blood-thinning products such as aspirin. Large quantities of cinnamon should also be avoided during pregnancy due to the possibility of adverse effects on the uterus. Anyone that is currently taking medication for controlling blood sugar levels or blood thinners should consult their doctor before using cinnamon as a regular supplement.

More info on honey n cinnamon here:

http://www.healthmad.com/Alternative/10-Miraculous-Health-Benefits-of-Honey-and-Cinnamon-Combo.92011

http://www.oohoi.com/natural%20remedy/everyday_food/Benefits-of-Cinnamon.htm

http://ezinearticles.com/?25-Health-Benefits-of-Cinnamon---A-Miraculous-Spice&id=1665340

http://www.organicfacts.net/organic-oils/natural-essential-oils/health-benefits-of-cinnamon-oil.html

http://www.healthdiaries.com/eatthis/10-health-benefits-of-cinnamon.html

http://www.thehealthysnacksblog.com/2007/11/12/the-top-5-health-benefits-of-cinnamon/

http://altmedicine.about.com/od/cinnamon/a/cinnamon.htm

http://intlxpatr.wordpress.com/2008/04/08/benefits-of-cinnamon-and-honey/

http://www.monumentalmassage.com/articles/benefits_of_cinnamon.html

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=68

http://www.womenshealthmag.com/nutrition/the-benefits-of-cinnamon

http://food-facts.suite101.com/article.cfm/health_benefits_of_cinnamon

http://www.zimbio.com/Health+Benefits+of+Cinnamon

http://www.only-cookware.com/blog/2008/11/17/benefits-of-cinnamon-and-honey/

http://blog.taekwondo-network.com/2008/09/health-benefits-of-cinnamon.html

http://www.health-fitness.com.au/cinnamon-health-benefits/

ATHLETE'S FOOT - http://www.inwardbliss.com/benefit-cinnamon.php