Malaysia's most iconic noodle soup: thick rice noodles in a rich, spicy coconut broth fragrant with lemongrass, galangal, and shrimp.
Laksa is the dish that most perfectly encapsulates Malaysia's multicultural culinary heritage — a meeting of Chinese noodle traditions, Malay spice-paste technique, and the coconut milk that runs through all of Southeast Asian cooking. The two great family branches are curry laksa (lemak), originating in Kuala Lumpur and the Klang Valley, and asam laksa, the tamarind-soured fish-broth version of Penang that regularly lands on lists of the world's best dishes. Curry laksa — the version here — builds on a laboriously fried spice paste of shallots, galangal, lemongrass, dried chilies, candlenuts, and shrimp paste, then bloomed in coconut milk into a broth of deep, layered heat. Thick rice noodles are added with bean sprouts, shrimp, fish tofu, and a hardboiled egg, then finished with laksa leaf. The result is as close to a complete meal as a bowl of soup gets.
Serves 4
Blend shallots, garlic, lemongrass, galangal, candlenuts, soaked dried chilies, fresh chilies, and toasted belacan into a fine paste. Add a splash of water if needed.
A high-powered blender produces the smoothest rempah.
Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add rempah and fry, stirring constantly, 12-15 minutes until deeply fragrant, darkened, and the oil separates visibly on the surface.
Add turmeric and curry powder, stir 1 minute. Pour in stock and bring to a boil. Simmer 10 minutes.
Lower heat to medium-low. Add coconut milk, salt, and sugar. Stir well and simmer gently 10 more minutes. Do not boil hard once coconut milk is added.
Add fish balls and simmer 3 minutes. Add shrimp and cook 2-3 minutes until pink and curled. Taste broth and adjust salt.
Divide blanched noodles among four large bowls. Ladle hot broth with shrimp and fish balls over top. Add bean sprouts and a halved egg.
Top with daun kesum, a squeeze of lime, and sambal on the side. Serve immediately.
Frying the rempah until the oil separates is the most critical step — under-fried paste produces raw, harsh flavors.
Daun kesum (laksa leaf) is non-negotiable for authentic flavor; it has a sharp, citrusy, slightly minty quality.
For richer broth, blend 100g of the cooked fish balls back into the stock before adding coconut milk.
Asam laksa (Penang style): tamarind fish broth instead of coconut, with mackerel and torch ginger flower.
Vegetarian laksa: replace shrimp with tofu puffs and use vegetable stock; replace belacan with miso.
Sarawak laksa: a distinct version from East Malaysia using a sambal belacan and coconut milk broth.
Broth keeps refrigerated up to 3 days; noodles stored separately and blanched fresh when serving. Reheat broth gently on the stovetop.
Laksa is a quintessentially Peranakan dish, emerging from the Baba-Nyonya Chinese immigrant communities of Penang, Melaka, and Singapore from the 15th century onward. The word laksa is believed to derive from the Sanskrit lakhsha (hundred thousand), possibly referring to rice noodles. Penang's asam laksa was ranked 7th on CNN's World's 50 Best Foods list in 2011.
Daun kesum is Vietnamese coriander (Persicaria odorata), sold in Southeast Asian grocery stores. There is no perfect substitute — regular coriander is milder and different. Seek it out for authenticity.
Coconut milk splits when boiled hard or cooked too long. Always add it off a vigorous boil and maintain a gentle simmer. If it splits, whisk vigorously to partially re-emulsify.
Yes — the fried rempah freezes well in ice-cube portions for up to 2 months. Thaw and proceed from adding stock when ready.
Per serving (550g / 19.4 oz) · 4 servings total
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