Laksa

Name: Laksa
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 6 people
Ingredients: 8 cups water; 1 lb raw shrimp; 1 boneless chicken breast; ½ cup vegetable oil; 2 cups coconut cream; 6 oz. diced or fried tofu balls; 2 stalks curry herb; 16 oz. fresh Hokkien egg noodles; 6 oz. dried rice vermicelli; 6 oz. bean sprouts; salt; 1 (2-inch / 5 cm) piece galangal; 1 (2-inch / 5 cm) piece fresh turmeric; ½ lb shallots; 10 cloves garlic; 20 dry red hot peppers; 6 large fresh red hot peppers; 10 candlenuts; 2 oz. dried shrimp; 2 tablespoons belacan; 2 stems lemongrass; Pestle and mortar

User Reviews

5.0

3 reviews

Excellent

Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Total Time
1 hr
Servings
6 people
Course
Main Course, Soup
Cuisine
Indonesian, Malaysian, Singaporean

Laksa

Erin Shaw

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Laksa is a popular spicy noodle dish in Southeast Asian Peranakan cuisine made with wheat noodles and/or rice vermicelli, chicken, shrimp or fish, served in a coconut milk soup, in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and southern Thailand.

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Ingredients

Servings

8 cups water
1 lb raw shrimp peeled and deveined (reserve the heads)
1 boneless chicken breast skinless
½ cup vegetable oil
2 cups coconut cream
6 oz. diced or fried tofu balls cut in half
2 stalks curry herb
16 oz. fresh Hokkien egg noodles
6 oz. dried rice vermicelli soaked in lukewarm water for 10 minutes then drained
6 oz. bean sprouts
salt

For the Laksa paste

1 (2-inch / 5 cm) piece galangal , peeled and chopped
1 (2-inch / 5 cm) piece fresh turmeric , peeled and chopped
½ lb shallots , peeled
10 cloves garlic , chopped
20 dry red hot peppers , seeded and soaked in hot water for 30 minutes
6 large fresh red hot peppers , seeded and chopped
10 candlenuts
2 oz. dried shrimp , soaked in hot water for 10 minutes, then drained
2 tablespoons belacan (dried shrimp paste), roasted
2 stems lemongrass , chopped

Equipment

Pestle and mortar

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Instructions

Laksa paste

Using a pestle and mortar, combine all the ingredients for the laksa paste and reduce them to a fine paste.

Laksa

Pour a large amount of water into a large pot and bring it to a boil, then lower the heat and add the chicken.
Simmer for 25 minutes.
Remove the chicken from the broth and reserve the broth.
Let cool then shred the chicken into small pieces. Set aside.
Heat the oil in a large wok over medium heat and fry the reserved shrimp heads for one minute, remove them using a fine skimmer then add the laksa paste and fry for another 15 minutes at low to medium heat, stirring regularly.
The paste should be dark brown with a layer of red oil separating from the spices.
Pour the entire content of the wok into the pot of chicken broth and bring to a boil.
Pour in the coconut cream, salt, add the curry leaves and the fried tofu, then lower the heat and simmer over very low heat until ready to serve.
Fill another large pot with water and bring it to a boil.
For each serving dish, place a small handful of Hokkien noodles and rice vermicelli, as well as a few shrimp in a metal colander or sieve and soak the colander in simmering water for 1 minute.
Drain and shake off excess water, then transfer to a large bowl.
Top the noodle bowl with the bean sprouts and chicken, then pour the hot laksa broth with a few tofu pieces on top.