Laksa lemak is a curried coconut and noodle soup from Singapore, southern Malaysia and Sarawak. It is popular in Australia as well. Laksa usually contains prawns, fish or chicken, and is generally served in large deep bowls with various garnishes.
The ingredients for the laksa recipe are many and these are available from Asian grocers, supermarkets and some greengrocers. Making the paste yourself takes time, but it's really worth it for the fresh flavour.
Vietnamese mint (laksa leaves) gives a distinctive taste and bite to laksa. Use it in Asian salads as well. It is easy to strike in water and grow in a pot. Laksa recipes usually contain dried shrimp paste which adds a fishy, salty taste that brings out the other flavours.
For today's recipe, I have used soy sauce instead to suggest this underlying flavour. As an alternative ingredient, try adding some Chinese salted black beans, or even a little Vegemite.
I have used Rosemary Brissenden's South East Asian Food as a reference for today's column. The recipe is chiefly based on one from Charmaine Solomon's Asian Favourites.
Solomon's vegetarian laksa paste is available from better delis or can be bought online at www.charmainesolomon.com
Laksa lemak
Hokkien noodles are often served in laksa combined with rice vermicelli. Prawns, fish or chicken can be added.
Serves 4-5
Laksa paste
10-12 shallots or 2 red onions
4-5 cloves garlic
2 stems lemongrass, peeled and sliced
2-3cm piece of fresh galangal or sliced in brine
4-5 dried chillies, soaked in boiling water and chopped, or 1 tsp chilli powder
4-5 candle nuts, or macadamias
2 tsp coriander seeds, dry roasted and ground
3cm length fresh turmeric, or 1 tsp ground turmeric
Soup
2-3 tbsp peanut or sunflower oil
5 cups low-salt vegetable stock
1-2 tsp sugar
2-3 tsp soy sauce to taste
1 cup coconut milk
175g baby green beans, broccolini or snow peas, blanched
600g fresh thick, round rice noodles or 200g dried rice vermicelli
Garnishes
4-5 hard-boiled eggs, halved
1 Lebanese cucumber, halved lengthways and sliced diagonally
4 handfuls bean sprouts, trimmed and rinsed
8-10 bean-curd puffs, blanched and halved
small bunch Vietnamese mint (laksa leaves), or fresh coriander
2 limes, cut into wedges or cheeks
fried shallots (optional)
sambal oelek or sliced fresh chilli for extra heat
Prepare ingredients for paste and pound them in a mortar with a pestle, or grind them in a food processor. Add a tablespoon of oil or water to make this easier. The paste can be made ahead and kept in fridge. Heat oil in a wok or large saucepan over medium heat and stir-fry paste for five minutes. Add stock, sugar and soy sauce and simmer, uncovered for 15 minutes. When ready to serve, add coconut milk and bring back to a simmer. Taste and adjust to balance flavours with more sugar, soy or salt and a squeeze of lime. You may want to add a little more coconut milk. Heat a fairly large saucepan of salted water and blanch vegetables. Keep water at a simmer to use for noodles. To prepare fresh rice noodles, rinse them in cold water to separate; plunge them into pan of boiling water for a moment. Rinse with cold water. Follow packet instructions if using dried noodles. Divide noodles into warmed, large serving bowls. Add blanched vegetables and tofu puffs. Keep a few sprigs of Vietnamese mint for garnish, shred rest and scatter over noodles. Ladle on hot soup. Add other garnishes of cucumber, eggs, bean sprouts and Vietnamese mint. Sprinkle with crispy fried shallots. Serve bowls of laksa with cut limes, sambal oelek or chilli and some extra fried shallots in small dishes for people to help themselves.