Laksa

About This Recipe

Laksa is the definitive dish of Malaysian and Singaporean Peranakan (Straits Chinese) cuisine — a spectacular marriage of Chinese noodle soup traditions with Malay spice pastes. The cornerstone is the laksa rempah: a pounded paste of dried chillies, shallots, lemongrass, galangal, turmeric, candlenuts, shrimp paste and dried shrimp, fried until deeply aromatic before coconut milk is added. The resulting broth is extraordinary — simultaneously rich, spicy, fragrant and savoury — and is served with thick rice noodles or vermicelli, plump prawns, tofu puffs, fish cakes and a generous garnish of fresh laksa leaves (daun kesum), bean sprouts and a dollop of sambal belacan. Penang Laksa (Asam Laksa) uses a tamarind-fish broth instead of coconut milk; the coconut version (Curry Laksa) is popular in Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Johor.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 400 mlcoconut milk
• 600 mlchicken or prawn stock
• 300 glarge prawns(peeled and deveined)
• 200 grice noodles or thick rice vermicelli(soaked per package)
• 150 gtofu puffs(halved)
• 100 gbean sprouts
• 6dried red chillies(soaked in hot water)
• 4shallots(roughly chopped)
• 2 stalkslemongrass(white part only, roughly chopped)
• 3 cmfresh galangal(sliced)
• 2 cmfresh turmeric(or 1 teaspoon ground turmeric)
• 4candlenuts or macadamia nuts
• 1 tablespoonbelacan (shrimp paste)(toasted)
• 2 tablespoonsdried shrimp (udang kering)(soaked)
• 3 tablespoonsvegetable oil
• 1 tablespoonfish sauce
• 1 bunchfresh laksa leaves (Vietnamese mint)(to garnish)

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the laksa paste (rempah)

   Blend or pound the soaked dried chillies, shallots, lemongrass, galangal, turmeric, candlenuts, belacan and soaked dried shrimp into a smooth paste using a blender or mortar and pestle, adding a splash of water if needed.

   A mortar and pestle gives a more intensely flavoured paste, but a blender works well. If using a blender, add the oil to help it blend smoothly.

2. 2

   Fry the paste

   Heat the vegetable oil in a large wok or pot over medium heat. Add the laksa paste and fry, stirring constantly, for 8–10 minutes until it is deeply fragrant, the oil separates and the colour darkens to an orange-red. This is the most important step — under-fried paste will be raw-tasting.

3. 3

   Add stock and coconut milk

   Pour in the chicken or prawn stock and stir to combine with the paste. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Add the coconut milk and return to a gentle simmer. Season with fish sauce and taste — adjust salt and heat as needed.

4. 4

   Add prawns and tofu

   Add the tofu puffs and simmer for 3 minutes. Add the prawns and cook for 2–3 minutes until just pink and curled. Do not overcook the prawns.

5. 5

   Assemble and serve

   Divide the soaked and drained noodles among bowls. Ladle the hot laksa broth over with the prawns and tofu puffs. Top with fresh bean sprouts and a generous garnish of laksa leaves (or Vietnamese mint). Serve with sambal belacan on the side.

Variations

• •

  Penang Asam Laksa uses a sour tamarind and poached fish broth instead of coconut milk, topped with pineapple and ginger flower.

• •

  Sarawak Laksa from Malaysian Borneo uses a more complex paste with both coconut milk and a sour element.

• •

  Vegetarian: swap the protein for roasted king oyster mushrooms, smoked tofu or cooked chickpeas — adjust seasoning slightly upward to compensate.

• •

  Spicier: add a finely chopped fresh chile or a teaspoon of crushed Aleppo/Urfa pepper to the aromatics for warm, layered heat instead of a single sharp hit.

Storage

The broth keeps for 4 days in the fridge and freezes well for 3 months. Cook noodles fresh and add prawns when reheating.

Frequently Asked Questions