Singapore Curry Laksa

13 April 2016 By

Curry laksa (in many places referred to simply as Laksa) is a coconut-based curry soup. Usually served with a spoonful of sambal chilli paste on the side and traditionally garnished with Vietnamese coriander, or laksa leaf, which is known in Malay as daun kesum.

Ingredients (Serves 12)

  • 1 kg fresh yellow laksa noodles or use a combination with rice vermicelli
  • 400 g bean sprouts
  • 1 jar Latasha’s Kitchen Singapore Curry Laksa Paste
  • 3 tbsp Latasha’s Kitchen Chilli Oil
  • 180 ml water
  • 4 chicken drumsticks halved and 4 chicken thighs quartered or 700 g boneless chicken diced
  • 4 cups water or chicken/prawn stock (or 2 cups water if using boneless chicken)
  • 1.5 litres diluted coconut milk (mix 400 ml coconut milk with 1.1 litres water)
  • 250 ml coconut cream
  • 12 tau fu pok halved and/or fried bean curd
  • 12 fish balls, sliced
  • 6 fish cakes, sliced
  • 12 raw prawns or cooked peeled prawns
  • Juice of 1 lemon

Garnish

  • Fresh cut red chillies
  • 6 boiled eggs, halved
  • Fresh chopped coriander
  • 12 lemon quarters
  • Sambal chilli
  • 3 cups pre-cooked shredded chicken (option)

Method

  1. Blanch yellow laksa noodles (or combine with rice vermicelli) and bean sprouts in boiling water for 5 seconds. Drain well and divide evenly between 12 noodle bowls.
  2. In a large stock pot, heat 3 tablespoons of Latasha’s Kitchen Chilli Oil, add Latasha’s Kitchen Singapore Laksa Paste, 180 ml water and simmer for 8 minutes. Add chicken and stir to coat for 5 minutes, then add 4 cups water (or 2 cups if using boneless chicken) and bring to a quick boil. Simmer, cover until chicken is nearly cooked. Then add coconut milk, tau fu pok, bean curd, fish cakes, fish balls and raw prawns.
  3. Simmer on low heat until oil floats to the top, approx. 5 minutes then add coconut cream. Stir gravy gently, add lemon juice then scoop into noodle bowls. Garnish with fresh cut chillies, boiled egg, fresh coriander, lemon wedges and sambal chilli as desired. Serve immediately.

Variations

  • For a tastier flavour, replace the water with a homemade chicken stock or a good quality preservative free shop bought chicken stock.
  • For those that don’t eat meat, omit the chicken and use clams, oysters or squid. Don’t overcook.
  • You can also add additional vegetables like leafy mustard greens, oyster or shitake mushrooms, broccoli, carrots and beans or baby corn.