Laksa is a spicy Malaysian soup. Common ingredients include: rice noodles, chicken/ prawns/ tofu, lime juice, curry paste, fish sauce and coconut milk. This is my “I wanna be a Laksa when I grow up” but I’m really a thinner Thai Red Curry. Nevertheless it was a light, healthy supper that was done in 20 minutes and my take on Meat Free Mondays. I will definitely make this again. See the tips section for variations and what I would have done if I had more ingredients!

 

Laksa

Ingredients:

• 1/2 packet (50g) Suree Red Curry Paste
• 1 Tb oil
• 1/4 red onion sliced
• 1/2 punnet mushrooms, halved or quartered depending on size
• 1/2 cup green beans
• 1 cup diced butternut pieces
• 1 tin of coconut milk
• 1/2 tin of water (measure in the coconut milk tin)
• red chilli flakes to taste
• 1 tsp of sugar
• spring onions sliced
• fresh coriander to serve
• cooked noodles – rice stick noodles or rice vermicelli preferable but spaghetti or linguine will work

Method:

1. Fry the sliced red onion in the oil. Add the red curry paste.
2. Cook for 1-2 minutes and then add your veggies (butternut, mushrooms, green beans).
3. When all the veggies are coated with the paste add the coconut milk and water. Pour the coconut milk first, then pour water into the tin up to half way and add this in.
4. You can do this step reversed – coconut milk first then veggies, but I thought adding the veggies first would allow them to really absorb the flavor of the paste and brown a little.
5. Cover with a lid and simmer on medium heat for 5 – 10 minutes. Add 1 tsp of sugar before taking it off the heat.
6. Cook your noodles and add to your soup or keep separate.
7. Build your laksa in a bowl – noodles, soup, serve with fresh coriander, lemon/lime and spring onions.

Tips & Variations:

• Add protein – thinly sliced chicken, tofu, prawns, shrimp or boiled egg.
• Add fish sauce, lime juice for balance.
• Different veggies – cucumber ribbons, bean sprouts, pineapple, mange tout.
• Garnish – chilli paste, sliced red chilli, coriander, tamarind, lime wedges, crispy onions, Sriracha sauce.
• Instead of water – use chicken stock for even more flavour
• Noodles – vermicelli, rice stick, udon.
• Have fun and enjoy!

*Disclaimer – I know this is not a traditional Laksa by any means, but it’s what I told myself when I ate my supper this evening so I could feel fancy.