Laksa Recipes

Steps:

• Boil chicken and/or seafood to make stock. If you're using tofu, then deep-fry tofu. Drain.
• Make laksa paste. Spices are best ground on the stone mortar and pestle to form laksa paste. It is best to start working from the coriander seeds and add one ingredient at a time once the spices form a smooth paste. Add dashes of salt to make the tougher ingredients (e.g. chili, lemongrass, garlic) easier to grind. If you don't have stone, you can also use the food processor. If possible, avoid adding water to the laksa paste.
• Heat enough oil in a saucepan to cover laksa paste. Stir-fry laksa paste, basil leaves, and knotted lemongrass till fragrant then add chicken/seafood/tofu.
• Add stock and slowly bring to boil over low heat.
• Add coconut milk, stir, and simmer.
• Boil noodles and drain. Add sesame oil and set aside.
• Serve immediately with noodles and garnish.

Steps:

• For laksa paste: place dried shrimp paste on a foil-lined baking tray and roast at 350 deg F (180C) for 5 to 10 minutes, until lightly roasted.
• Blend or process all the paste ingredients, including the roasted dried shrimp paste, until a smooth paste forms.
• Cut fish fillets into 1¼" pieces.
• Peel and de-vein shrimp, leaving tails intact Cut cleaned squid down one side to open out flat, score inside surface in a criss-cross pattern and cut into strips.
• Heat peanut oil in a wok until almost smoking, add laksa paste and stir-fry over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly until the oil has been absorbed and the paste is fragrant.
• Add palm sugar, coconut milk and fish or chicken stock, bring to the boil and allow to simmer for a few minutes.
• Season to taste with fish sauce, and add a little more palm sugar, if necessary, to balance the flavors.
• When ready to serve, add the fish, shrimp and squid (or chicken if you prefer), and simmer uncovered for a few minutes until the seafood (or chicken) is just cooked through.
• Meanwhile, heat the noodles according to packet instructions, drain, and keep warm.
• Lastly, add the crabmeat to the laksa and heat through gently.
• Remove laksa from heat and add the lime juice to taste.
• Divide the hot noodles, bok choy and mint leaves between serving bowls.
• Ladle hot soup over the top.
• Serve soup topped with cilantro sprigs, bean sprouts, fried shallots, and extra chili if desired.

Steps:

• Remove the heads and shells from prawns and set aside in a bowl, then devein and set the prawn meat aside in a separate bowl.
• To make the prawn stock, add cooking oil to a large saucepan on medium-high heat. Add prawn heads and shells then stir for 5 minutes, crushing the heads to release the flavour.
• Add water and chicken stock, then simmer for 45 minutes allowing the stock to reduce.
• Remove prawn shells then strain the broth into a bowl through a sieve.
• In a food processor, add dried chilli, red chilli, dried shrimp, shrimp paste (belacan), garlic, shallot, ginger, blue ginger (galangal), turmeric root, candle nuts and lemongrass stalk, then pulse for 5 minutes until a thick paste forms.
• Add cooking oil to a large saucepan then add the laksa paste and cook for 5 minutes until fragrant. Add palm sugar, fish sauce, coconut milk and prawn stock stirring to combine. Simmer the mixture for 15 minutes then add the prawns and tofu puffs, cooking for 3 minutes to finish.
• To serve, add vermicelli noodles to a bowl then top with bean sprouts, cockles and slices of fish cake. Ladle in scoops of the laksa making sure to include tofu puffs and prawns. Top with a handful of finely chopped laksa leaves and optional chilli paste.
• Enjoy!

Steps:

• Put the chicken in a large saucepan with the coriander seeds, ginger, lemongrass, lime zest and a little salt. Add enough cold water to cover, slowly bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer, gently poaching the chicken for 40 mins until it starts to fall away from the bone.
• Carefully lift the chicken onto a plate and cover with foil. Leave the stock to stand for 10 mins, skim off any excess fat and strain into a clean saucepan. Pull the chicken from the bones and tear into chunks.
• Bring the stock back to the boil, then add the fish sauce, soy, coconut milk, garlic, chillies and coriander stalks. Simmer for 2 mins, return the chicken to the pan and cook for a further 5 mins until warm. Add the spring onions and lime juice to taste.
• Divide the noodles between 6 bowls, then use a slotted spoon to lift the chicken and veg into each. Season the stock and pour over. Scatter with coriander and mint leaves, and serve with a drizzle of sesame oil, if you like.