Alright, this is so far the earliest known Chinese laksa on record.
The recipe is found in this Indisce Kookboek or India Cookbook. "India" here refers to the Dutch Indies when Indonesia was under Dutch colonial rule from 1600 to 1949.
(From 1600 - 1800 under the Dutch East India Company, then from 1800 to 1949 under The Netherlands after the Dutch East India Company was nationalised by the Dutch government. Total of 349 years under Dutch rule.)
Written in an older form of Bahasa Indonesia, India Cookbook was published in Batavia in 1843. Batavia is the Dutch colonial name of today's Jakarta. The authour was identified as Nonna Cornelia in later editions. (Not much is known about her - I mean I couldn't find any more information about her so far.)
To put the date 1843 in perspective, Raffles landed in Singapore in 1819, not even 25 years earlier.
The recipe gives enough details of the ingredients, techniques and processes involved for future generations to replicate the dish.
Cookbooks are such treasure troves of information / insights and hence very important historical documents.
Ingredients for Chinese Laksa
Making the Spice Paste
Grind and blend turmeric, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, galangal, coriander, cumin / caraway, pepper, ginger, garlic, shallot, candlenut, toasted coconut flakes, chili pepper and belacan (dried fermented shrimp) together into a fine spice paste (rempah).
Stir fry the spice paste (rempah) in oil till aromas are released and flavours melled together.
Prepare the Chicken
Boil or poach the hen (with offal) in water with lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves and ginger. Hand pull the chicken meat into shreds after it is cooked.
Making the Spicy Soup
Put the spice paste (rempah) into the chicken stock (leftover from poaching the chicken).
Add coconut milk. Boil and keep stirring to make the spicy soup.
Making the Sambal
Stir fry the shelled fresh prawns in oil.
To make the sambal, mash a portion of rempah (spice paste), fresh chili pepper, fried fresh prawn, and dried shrimp together. Lightly stir fry the mashed mix together in oil to make the umami, savoury, spicy, crustacean sweet sambal.
To Serve
Put blanched thick rice vermicelli (laksa noodle) in a deep plate or a bowl. Top the noodles with shredded chicken meat, boiled egg (quartered), chopped scallion, and a dollop of sambal,
Chop Chinese chives and blanch them in the spiced soup.
Pour the hot spiced soup with Chinese chives over the noodles and its toppings. Submerge the noodles in the soup.
Finally, dress with fresh basil leaves and serve.
To eat, add kicap (dark soy sauce) for savoury salty flavour as desired. Dribble zesty squeezed fresh calamansi juice to taste.
Isn't it amazing that we can replicate and taste the authentic flavours, aromas and feel of a Chinese style laksa from 1843, from nearly 200 years ago.
All credit to De Tempoe Doeloe Koken for sharing this 1843 recipe which is a treasure we all enjoy in the Nusantara till today in its many forms.
Source: Kitab Masak Masakan India
Who is Tony Johor Kaki?
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