← Nouns Cooking · Malaysian & Singaporean

Ingredients

• 8 Dried chillies, snipped, seeds removed, soaked in hot water
• 6 Shallot, peeled
• 4 cloves Garlic
• 2 Lemongrass, white part only, sliced
• 3 cm piece Galangal, sliced
• 2 cm piece Ginger, sliced
• 4 candlenuts (or macadamias)
• 2 cm piece fresh turmeric (or 1 tsp ground), peeled
• 1 tbsp Dried shrimp, soaked for 10 minutes and drained
• 1 tsp belacan (shrimp paste)
• 1 tbsp Ground coriander
• 2 tbsp Malaysian meat curry powder
• 4 tbsp Vegetable oil
• 1.2 l chicken stock
• 300 g boneless chicken thighs
• 400 ml Coconut milk
• 8 Fried tofu puffs, halved
• 300 g Prawns (shrimp), peeled and deveined, tails on
• 1 tsp Sugar
• Salt
• 300 g Fresh yellow (Hokkien) noodles
• 100 g Rice vermicelli, soaked in warm water until soft
• 150 g Bean sprouts
• 2 hard-boiled eggs, halved
• 1 handful mint or laksa leaves (daun kesum)
• 1 Lime, cut into wedges
• sambal, to serve (optional)

Method

1. Drain the chillies and blend them with the rest of the paste ingredients, adding a splash of water, into a smooth, thick paste.
2. Bring the stock to a simmer, add the chicken and poach gently for 15–20 min until cooked through (75°C / 165°F). Lift it out, shred it and keep the stock.
3. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-low heat and fry the paste, stirring, for 10 min until it turns deep red, smells toasty and the oil separates.
4. Pour in the stock and bring it to a simmer. Add the coconut milk, tofu puffs, sugar and a good pinch of salt and simmer gently for 10 min; do not let it boil hard or the coconut milk may split.
5. Drop in the prawns and cook for 2–3 min until pink and curled. Taste and adjust the salt.
6. Meanwhile, blanch the noodles and vermicelli in a pot of boiling water for 1 minute and divide between deep bowls. Blanch the bean sprouts for 30 seconds and add them too.
7. Ladle the hot broth, prawns and tofu puffs over the noodles. Top with chicken, egg halves and mint, and serve with lime wedges and sambal.

Tips

• The paste freezes well in portions, so make double and you are halfway to the next laksa.
• The broth contains shrimp paste and dried shrimp, which matters for anyone with a shellfish allergy.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Malaysian Chinese Kitchen SBS Food Marion's Kitchen