Malaysian Laksa

Total Time: 1 hr Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 4 -5 shallots, chopped
• 6 -7 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 piece gingerroot, peeled and chopped (thumb size)
• 1 red chile, fresh (more or less, depending to your taste)
• 1 tablespoon dried prawns or 1 tablespoon dried shrimp
• 1/2 cup water
• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 12 raw green prawns or 12 green shrimp, shelled and divined
• 180 ml laksa paste
• 1 liter chicken stock or 1 liter vegetable stock
• 400 ml coconut cream
• 320 g fish balls (optional)
• 320 g fried tofu, puffs halved (fried tofu puffs)
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 3 tablespoons fish sauce
• salt, to taste
• 1 lime, juice of
• 160 g rice vermicelli
• 350 g egg noodles
• 1 chicken breast, cooked and shredded (boiled-stock can be used for the broth!)
• 1/2 cup bean sprouts
• 1 spring onion, chopped
• 1 red chile, sliced
• 4 tablespoons coriander leaves
• 2 tablespoons deep fried shallots
• fresh lime wedge

Recipe

• 1 shell prawns/shrimp and reserve prawn/shrimp in one bowl and heads and shells in a separate bowl. set aside for later use.
• 2 using a food process make 'spice paste' add shallots, garlic, ginger, chillies, dried prawns and water. then blend until it forms a smooth paste. set aside.
• 3 in a large pot, add vegetable oil and heat. once the oil is hot add prawns/shrimp shells and fry for about one minute or until they turn red. remove from pan and discard. this will add prawn/shrimp flavour to the oil.
• 4 to make the 'laksa broth' add 'spice paste' to prawn/shrimp flavoured oil and fry for a minute. add laksa paste and simmer for about two minutes. pour in the chicken or vegetable stock and bring to boil,.
• 5 then add coconut cream, fish balls, fried tofu, sugar, fish sauce, salt and freshly squeezed lime juice. bring to boil.
• 6 half fill a medium pot with water and bring to boil. add rice vermicelli for a few minutes until they become soft then remove into separate serving bowls.
• 7 add egg noodles in boiling water for five minutes or until soft and transfer into the same bowls as rice vermicelli.
• 8 in the same pot poach reserved prawn/shrimp meat until it's pink then transfer them into the same bowl as the rice vermicelli and egg noodles.
• 9 pour 'laksa broth' into the serving bowls (same bowls as the prawns/shrimp and noodles).
• 10 then top with shredded chicken, bean sprouts, spring onions, chilli, coriander, fried shallots and serve with lime wedge's.
• 11 enjoy.