Sarawak Laksa (Malaysian Borneo Spiced Noodle Soup)

About This Recipe

Sarawak laksa is the pride of Kuching, the capital of Malaysia's Borneo state — a noodle soup so distinct from peninsular laksas (curry laksa, asam laksa, Penang laksa) that Anthony Bourdain famously called it 'breakfast of the gods.' Where Penang asam laksa is sour and fishy and Singapore laksa lemak is rich with curry coconut, Sarawak laksa hits a unique sweet spot: a fragrant broth built on a homemade laksa paste of shallots, garlic, lemongrass, galangal, chiles, candlenut and a complex toasted spice mix (coriander, fennel, star anise, cinnamon), enriched with coconut milk and sharpened with a finishing squeeze of tamarind-lime juice (calamansi if you can find it). The soup is poured over rice vermicelli and topped with shredded poached chicken, butterflied prawns, ribbons of thin omelette, bean sprouts, fresh coriander and a wedge of lime. Sarawakian breakfast stalls open at 5 a.m. and sell out by 10. The signature flavor comes from Borneo Belacan-brand laksa paste (sold internationally), though making it from scratch — though laborious — produces a deeper, more aromatic bowl that justifies the effort for a weekend cook-up.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 1whole chicken (1.4 kg) or 4 bone-in thighs, for poaching and stock
• 12large prawns, shell-on
• 200 grice vermicelli (bihun)
• 200 gbean sprouts, blanched 15 seconds
• 3eggs, beaten and made into thin omelette ribbons
• 400 mlcoconut milk
• 8shallots; 6 garlic cloves; 3 lemongrass stalks (white only); 4 cm galangal; 4 cm ginger
• 6dried red chiles, soaked in hot water 20 minutes
• 4candlenuts (or macadamia nuts)
• 1 tbsp eachground coriander, fennel seed; 4 star anise; 1 cinnamon stick; 4 cloves
• 2 tbspbelacan (Malaysian shrimp paste), toasted
• 3 tbsptamarind concentrate mixed with 4 tbsp warm water
• to serve: calamansi or lime wedges, sambal belacan, coriander leaves

Instructions

1. 1

   Poach the chicken and make stock

   Place the chicken in a large pot with 2.5 L water, a halved onion and a piece of ginger. Bring to a bare simmer (never boil — it toughens the meat) and cook 35 minutes. Remove the chicken to cool, then shred the meat with two forks. Strain and reserve 1.8 L stock; discard solids.

2. 2

   Toast the dry spices

   Dry-toast coriander, fennel, star anise, cinnamon and cloves in a small skillet over medium 3 minutes until fragrant. Grind in a spice grinder or mortar to a fine powder. Toast the belacan in foil under a hot broiler 2 minutes per side — it will smell pungent and is essential for depth.

3. 3

   Make the rempah (spice paste)

   In a food processor or large mortar, blend shallots, garlic, lemongrass, galangal, ginger, drained dried chiles and candlenuts with 3 tbsp oil until a smooth paste forms. Add the toasted spice powder and belacan and pulse once more. This is the soul of Sarawak laksa.

4. 4

   Fry the rempah

   Heat 4 tbsp oil in a heavy pot over medium and fry the rempah, stirring constantly, for 12–15 minutes. The paste should darken and the oil should separate visibly around the edges — this is when the spices are properly cooked out and the bitterness has gone. Don't rush this step; under-fried rempah tastes raw and harsh.

   Open windows and turn on extractor fans — the toasted chile-belacan smell is overwhelming but it's the price of authenticity.

5. 5

   Build the broth

   Pour the 1.8 L chicken stock into the fried rempah and bring to a strong simmer. Cook 15 minutes for the flavors to meld, skimming any orange oil that rises. Add the coconut milk and tamarind water, simmer another 5 minutes (do not let it boil hard — coconut milk splits). Taste and adjust with salt or a touch of palm sugar.

6. 6

   Prepare toppings

   Cook the prawns in the simmering broth 90 seconds until just pink, then remove and butterfly them along the back. Cook vermicelli per package directions (usually 4 minutes in boiling water), drain and divide among 4 deep bowls. Make thin omelette by pouring beaten egg into a hot oiled skillet, cooking 30 seconds, flipping, and rolling — slice into ribbons.

7. 7

   Assemble and serve

   Top each bowl of vermicelli with shredded chicken, butterflied prawns, bean sprouts and omelette ribbons. Ladle the hot broth generously over everything (the broth should come halfway up the toppings). Garnish with coriander, a wedge of calamansi or lime, and a small spoonful of sambal belacan on the side. Diners squeeze the lime and stir the sambal in to taste.

Variations

• •

  Vegetarian Sarawak laksa — omit chicken, prawns and belacan; use vegetable stock and fermented bean paste (taucu) for umami. Top with fried tofu puffs.

• •

  Quick version with paste — use 3 tbsp Borneo Belacan brand laksa paste fried in 2 tbsp oil, then build the broth as written. 70% of the flavor in 20% of the time.

• •

  Curry laksa fusion — add 1 tbsp curry powder to the rempah for a heartier Penang-style flavor.

• •

  Seafood-only — replace chicken with squid rings and mussels alongside the prawns.

Storage

The broth keeps refrigerated 4 days and freezes 3 months; cook noodles fresh each time as they bloat in liquid. Cooked chicken refrigerates 3 days. Reheat the broth gently — never to a hard boil, or the coconut milk will split. Add fresh garnishes and a squeeze of lime when reheating to brighten the soup.

Frequently Asked Questions