Mum's Laksa Recipe
My mum's homemade Laksa recipe, also known as laksa lemak or Laksa Johor, with homemade paste from scratch plus a Cheat's Laksa Recipe!
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp vegetable or peanut oil
- 400 ml coconut milk
- 200 ml water
- 200 g chicken, cut to bite size pieces
- 200 g prawns (shrimps)
- 600 g fresh rice noodles or dried
- 4 handfuls beansprouts
- Vietnamese coriander (daun kesum) lime leaves or fresh coriander leaves (cilantro)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp salt to add to the boiling pot of water
- 2 Tbsp dried shrimp soaked in very hot water for 10 minutes
Spice Paste
- 1 large onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 stalks lemongrass sliced thinly
- 5-10 dried red chillies soaked in very hot water for 10 minutes
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- 2.5 cm galangal 1 tsp shop bought paste
- 6 candlenuts or macadamia nuts
- 2 tsp shrimp paste toasted
- 2 tsp ground coriander
Garnish
- lime wedges
- fried tofu – just cubes of fresh tofu fried in a little oil for 5 minutes until golden
- slices of fishcake
- 4 boiled eggs halved
- cucumber julienned
- strips of Vietnamese Coriander or real fresh coriander finely chopped
- any sambal or chilli paste
Instructions
Prep Work
- Drain the dried shrimp and either pound in a pestle and mortar or chop in a chopper. In the latter, you'll end up with a floss like result, which is perfect. If you're pounding, try and break the shrimps down as much as you can.2 Tbsp dried shrimp
- To toast the shrimp paste, watch the video.2 tsp shrimp paste
- Place all the paste ingredients, starting with the onion and lemongrass in the same unrinsed chopper and chop to get a fairly smooth paste. Add each ingredient in the order that it's listed above. This allows the more fibrous lemongrass and dried chilli to get a longer chopping time.1 large onion, 2 stalks lemongrass, 5-10 dried red chillies, ½ tsp ground turmeric, 2.5 cm galangal, 6 candlenuts, 2 tsp shrimp paste, 2 tsp ground coriander, 2 garlic cloves
- I don't add any water as the moisture from the onion is usually enough but if you find yourself stuck, literally, add 1 Tbsp or 2. When all's done, set it aside.
Let's Get Cooking
- Heat the oil in a heavy based saucepan or deep wok over medium high heat and sauté the paste ingredients for about 5 minutes until you get a wonderful cooked aroma from the paste.2 Tbsp vegetable or peanut oil
- Lower the heat down and add the pounded shrimp, stirring well for 30 seconds.
- Add the chicken and coat thoroughly.200 g chicken, cut to bite size pieces
- Pour in the coconut milk and water and bring to a gentle simmer and cook, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Remember, don't cook on high heat when using coconut milk.400 ml coconut milk, 200 ml water
- Add the prawns, lime leaves and Vietnamese coriander or lime leaves, ½ tsp salt and cook for another 5 minutes. Check seasoning, then turn the heat off.200 g prawns (shrimps), Vietnamese coriander (daun kesum), 1 tsp salt
- We are now going to blanch the noodles and beansprouts separately, then dish up. Bring a large pot of water to a simmer. Add 1 Tbsp salt.1 Tbsp salt
- If using dried noodles, follow packet instructions to soften, which usually involves soaking them for 15 minutes or so first.600 g fresh rice noodles
- Have a large Chinese strainer/skimmer at hand or something similar. Place the noodles in the simmering water and cook for just 1 minute and remove. If you don't have a strainer, just use a sieve and strain the water into another saucepan, as we will be using the same water for the beansprouts. Set the noodles aside.
- Do the same with the beansprouts. You could leave them raw/fresh but just make sure they're not too cold.4 handfuls beansprouts
To Serve - Here's how we eat Laksa!
- Place some noodles in a bowl.
- Top with a handful of beansprouts.
- Ladle some laksa gravy over.
- Top with condiments/garnish of your choice - eggs, fishcakes, herbs, cucumber, etc.fried tofu – just cubes of fresh tofu fried in a little oil for 5 minutes until golden, slices of fishcake, 4 boiled eggs, cucumber, strips of Vietnamese Coriander or real fresh coriander
- Squeeze some lime juice all over.lime wedges
- Top with sambal/chilli paste.any sambal or chilli paste
- Then feed your soul!
Nutrition
Serving: 4Calories: 628kcalCarbohydrates: 26gProtein: 37gFat: 43gSaturated Fat: 29gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 463mgSodium: 1474mgPotassium: 475mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 330IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 177mgIron: 7mg
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