Malaysian Curry Laksa

• Malaysian Curry Laksa

Recipe Type: soup noodles

Cuisine: Malaysian

Author: Caroline Artiss

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 40 mins

Total time: 55 mins

Serves: 4

This is a classic dish found all over Malaysia from the Peranckan culture. There are traditionally two types of laksa – curry laksa and ayam laksa. Curry Laksa is a spicy coconut curry soup with noodles while asam laksa is a sour fish soup with noodles. There are many different regional variations of Laksa in Malaysia including Johor Laksa, Penang Laksa and Sarawak Laksa. There are quite a few ingredients required to make this dish but it is well worth the effort!

Ingredients

• Spice paste:

• 10 macadamia nuts / or 5 Brazil nuts

• 1 stalk lemon grass

• 1 inch piece galangal (or ginger)

• 1 tsp turmeric powder

• 1 tsp ground black pepper (use 2 tsp if you like it to have a kick!)

• 2 tsp ground coriander

• 10 shallots

• 4 cloves garlic

• 1 tsp belachan

• 6- 8 red chillies de seeded (depending on how spicy you like it)

• For the Laksa soup:

• 1 litre / 4 cups water

• 400ml can coconut milk

• 2 tsp sugar (dark brown or palm sugar best)

• 2 tsp salt

• 4 tbsp sunflower oil

• Other Ingredients to go on top:

• 1 chicken breast cooked and shredded

• 250g fresh de shelled and cleaned king prawns

• 3 egg omelette shredded

• Handful of fresh coriander chopped

• 500g Fine rice noodles – vermicelli cooked (you can use whatever noodles you fancy)

• Handful bean sprouts

• Cooking equipment:

• 1 large saucepan

• Small wok or frying pan

• Blende r

Instructions

1. Add all the ingredients for the spice paste into your blender

2. Add 1 tablespoon of oil and whiz until it becomes a fine paste

3. Heat the remaining oil in a large saucepan and add the spice paste

4. Cook on a low heat for 7 minutes to make all the flavours infuse together

5. Add the sugar and salt, cook for a further minute or two then add the water

6. Bring to the boil, then turn heat down to simmer and add the coconut milk

7. Simmer for 15 – 20 minutes

8. When you are ready to eat add the raw prawns to the curry soup

9. Leave to simmer for a few minutes until cooked

10. You can cook and prepare this a day in advance and simply heat up again the next day

11. Perfect for a dinner party

12. To serve this dish simply put a handful of cooked noodles

13. Plus all your other cooked ingredients, chicken, egg omelette, bean sprouts and fresh coriander, into a large bowl

14. Then ladle the hot spicy curry soup over the top until it just about covers the ingredients and serve straight away – divine!!