Laksa is a quick and easy Southeast Asian noodle meal soup that's ideal for warm weather. Chicken, seafood, vegetarian or any combination thereof, it remains a satisfying, aromatic noodle dish that's really is easy to cook.
Laksa is another one of those catch-all terms for noodle meal soups enjoyed all over Southeast Asia. To some extent, how "Malaysian", "Vietnamese" or "Thai" it is depends on the spices and herbs you put into it. This version, chicken and prawn laksa, is one of my personal favourite go-to versions.
I generally cook this as a "last minute" dish, making use of what's knocking about in the fridge, vegetable rack and freezer to determine its particular vibe rather than an actual shopping expedition.
I make my Laska paste in quantities that use the core ingredients—which I understand to be primarily in line with the Singaporean iteration of the dish—and vary up or down the herbs for another emphasis; sweet basil for a Vietnamese vibe; galangal and lemongrass for Thai etc. The paste stores well sealed in the fridge for at least two weeks and lasts even longer if stored in an ice tray in the freezer. Simply thaw as many cubes as you need.
This dish feeds 2 to 3 diners. NB: at these quantities, the spice paste actually produces a medium-to-hot dish. I tend to ramp up the number of red chillies if I'm cooking it for myself. But, cook it at these spice quantities when catering for those who don't like things too spicy but can also deal with a little heat. Otherwise deseed the chillies before cooking.
Using your noodle
As with Laksa's spice base, the noodles you choose to use can be incredibly broad, whether using glass noodles for more of a Vietnamese or Thai vibe or rice noodles for a vegan, gluten-free option; thin egg noodles for more of a traditional Singaporean feeling or udon simply because you prefer them.
Dried or fresh, the different noodles you choose have fairly minimal implications apart from how much you like them. For example, if using dried noodles, technically you should boil them and run them under cold water before adding to the Laska. Technically... I often don't.
Shopping list
The laksa paste
Unlike with many other Asian spice pastes, I do tend to make my own Laksa mix. This has little to do with good store-bought pastes—which you can use as a perfectly good alternative—but far more to do with personal preferences about particular herbs and spices I love. I use my homemade paste in combination with a few other fresh or "unprocessed" ingredients—such as fresh coriander and lime—according to mood and what's in the larder.
You are unlikely to use all of this spice mix on this dish—never say never—and you can easily store it for later use. It freezes very well in an ice tray.
For the chicken and prawn laksa
2 tbspns coconut cream
2 tspns minced hot red chillies
1 tbspn fish sauce (or Worcestershire sauce)
3 tbspn ginger & garlic purée
2 x 5cm lemongrass sticks; chopped
1 tbspn galangal purée
2 medium shallots, finely chopped
1 (400ml) can of coconut milk
The juice of ½ a fresh lime
The Laksa
3 tbspns laksa paste; store-bought or see above
1 large red bell pepper; chopped
2 chicken breasts; cut into bite-size pieces
Approx. 150g king prawns, fresh or defrosted. Whether you remove the shells or not is up to you.
2 hot red chillies; deseeded (if you want milder) and finely sliced
1 large brown onion; cubed
A generous clutch of fresh coriander, roughly chopped
1 large carrot (or equivalent) cut vertically into very thin slices
2 tbspns ginger & garlic paste (or equivalent grated fresh garlic and ginger)
1 chicken stock cube; diluted in approx. 200ml boiling water
1 tin (400ml) coconut milk
2 tbspns concentrated tomato purée
5 or 6 baby sweetcorn, sliced horizontally
1 tbspn sunflower oil
1 tbspn sesame oil
6 or 7 small ripe tomatoes (not plum tomatoes) cut vertically into quarters
2 sticks celery; cut vertically along their length, then chopped into roughly 2cm pieces
5 or 6 spring onions; roughly sliced
2 fresh limes
Cooking Method
Make your laksa spice paste first. You can do this up to two weeks before. For best results, use a handheld blender or spice grinder to work into a smooth-ish, wet paste. Store in the fridge, sealed for up to 2 weeks before cooking or freeze in an ice tray
Heat the oils, mixing together, in a sizeable pot with a lid on a medium heat. When the oil is hot, add 1 tbspn of the laksa paste and stir so that it dissolves and bubbles. Shortly after, add the chicken and stir regularly so that it seals on all sides. Once the chicken is sealed add your raw king prawns, stirring until they change colour to pink. Using a slatted or sieve spoon, remove and place in a separate dish, leaving the juices and oil in the pot
Increase the heat and add the cubed onion and red chillies, stirring in two additional tbspns of the laksa paste. `Cover and allow to sweat for a few mins. Then add the red bell pepper followed after a few minutes by the celery. Stir vigorously, cover and sweat until the onion and bell pepper begin to soften fully
When these ingredients are sweated, pour in the coconut milk. Add the tomato purée to the boiling water in which you have diluted your chicken stock and thoroughly stir in. Add to the pot. Bring to a gentle boil. Cover and boil for approx. 5mins
Uncover and add the coriander, allowing it to bubble at the surface of the liquid for a few minutes. Then add the finely sliced carrots and stir it all together. Cover and simmer for another 5 or 6mins
Uncover, add the tomatoes and the sweetcorn. Re-cover and simmer for another 4 or 5 mins before adding the noodles. Gently stir in the noodles and simmer for another 3 or 4mins
Add the chicken and prawns back into the pot. Re-cover and simmer for no more than 2 or 3mins
Serve in large bowls, adding the sliced spring onion as a garnish
Side dishes and condiments
This noodle meal soup is usually served without condiments or side dishes. But, if you wish krupuk or adding an uncooked "dash" of the laksa paste can work as condiments.
There's nothing to stop you eating it with chopsticks if you wish, but one isn't usually so gauche.
Alternatives
Vegans, vegetarians and pescatarians
This is one of those great mix-'n-match dishes. It's default is poultry and seafood, but you really can shake it up to serve your own dietary needs.
For example, one of my favourite pescatarian versions is prawn with sliced "fish balls"; the kind you find in many Asian grocery stores around the world. And my favourite vegan version is smoked tofu with straw mushrooms—and obviously rice noodles not egg noodles etc.
Top tip: in any recipe that calls for fish sauce, anchovy paste or Worcestershire sauce, Geo Watkins Mushroom Ketchup is undoubtedly the best vegan alternative.
As mentioned at the outset, I tend to make this as a "leftovers" dish from whatever is about to go off in the kitchen. Follow that basic principle and you'll be fine—assuming you veggie kitchen ingredients reflect your dietary choices etc.
Pairings
This is another dish I usually have with the simple drink of iced sparkling water with a dash of lime. Saying that, it's also fantastic with one of those South African chenin blancs that really ramp up the pepper and fruit undertows.
Yes, I know Karel's homework roster is very full. But we probably should get him on this one.
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