Malaysian Laksa Recipes

MALAYSIAN LAKSA

Steps:

• Shell prawns/shrimp and reserve prawn/shrimp in one bowl and heads and shells in a separate bowl. Set aside for later use.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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,.
• Then add coconut cream, fish balls, fried tofu, sugar, fish sauce, salt and freshly squeezed lime juice. Bring to boil.
• 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.
• Add egg noodles in boiling water for five minutes or until soft and transfer into the same bowls as rice vermicelli.
• 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.
• Pour 'Laksa Broth' into the serving bowls (same bowls as the prawns/shrimp and noodles).
• Then top with shredded chicken, bean sprouts, spring onions, chilli, coriander, fried shallots and serve with lime wedge's.
• Enjoy.

CHICKEN LAKSA

Steps:

• Put the chicken in a large saucepan with the coriander seeds, ginger, lemongrass, lime zest and a little salt. Add enough cold water to cover, slowly bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer, gently poaching the chicken for 40 mins until it starts to fall away from the bone.
• Carefully lift the chicken onto a plate and cover with foil. Leave the stock to stand for 10 mins, skim off any excess fat and strain into a clean saucepan. Pull the chicken from the bones and tear into chunks.
• Bring the stock back to the boil, then add the fish sauce, soy, coconut milk, garlic, chillies and coriander stalks. Simmer for 2 mins, return the chicken to the pan and cook for a further 5 mins until warm. Add the spring onions and lime juice to taste.
• Divide the noodles between 6 bowls, then use a slotted spoon to lift the chicken and veg into each. Season the stock and pour over. Scatter with coriander and mint leaves, and serve with a drizzle of sesame oil, if you like.

LAKSA NOODLE SOUP

Steps:

• Place Chicken Stock ingredients in a medium saucepan over high heat. Bring to simmer, then reduce to medium high.
• Cook for 25 minutes or until chicken flesh is falling off the bone and liquid reduces by about 1/3.
• Discard skin, pull flesh off the bone and place in bowl, discard bone. Set broth aside.
• Mix ingredients together in a small bowl. Set aside for 20 minutes.
• Heat oil in a large saucepan or small pot over medium low heat. Add garlic and ginger, sauté for 20 seconds, then add lemongrass and chillis. Cook for 1 minute.
• Add laksa paste. Turn heat up to medium and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, or until fragrant.
• Add chicken stock, coconut milk, fish sauce and 2 tsp of Laksa Chilli Sauce. Place lid on and simmer on for 10 minutes.
• Adjust to taste using lime juice (for sour) and fish sauce (for saltiness). Add tofu puffs. Leave on turned off stove with lid on for 5 minutes.
• Prepare noodles per packet directions.
• Divide noodles between 2 bowls. Top with shredded chicken.
• Pour broth over chicken. Top with beansprouts. Sprinkle with Garnishes you choose to use. Serve with Laksa Chilli Sauce on the side.

LAKSA

Steps:

• Add the fish, ginger, tamarind apple, and a teaspoon of salt into a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 10 minutes, until the fish is cooked through. Turn off the heat, then take out the fish and reserve the cooking water.
• Debone the fish and weigh the meat (you should get about 200 g). Put the heads and the bones into a blender, add the cooking water, and blend. After straining the mixture, reserve the liquid and discards the solids.
• Add the strained liquid into a clean blender jug. Put the fish meat in, then blend until smooth.
• For the gravy, soak the dried chilies in hot water for about 15 minutes, until softened. Rinse and remove the majority of the seeds. In a blender, blend the softened chilies, shallots, shrimp paste, and 75 ml of water.
• Pour the chili mixture into a large saucepan, add 300 ml of water and slices of tamarind apple, daun kesum, and ginger. Season with salt and sugar, then bring to a boil. After simmering for approximately 10 minutes over a low flame, add the blended fish, then simmer for 10 more minutes. Add some more seasonings, if needed, and remove from the heat.
• Cook the noodles according to the package directions, then strain. Slice, then nicely arrange the garnishes on a serving platter.
• When ready to serve, reheat the gravy. Add some noodles into shallow soup bowls and cover them with hot gravy. Garnish with the prepared ingredients and serve at once.

EASY PENANG ASAM LAKSA

Steps:

• Step 1 PREPARE TAMARIND WATER: Squeeze tamarind in 6 cups of water. Set aside.Step 2 PREPARE INGREDIENTS FOR LAKSA PASTE: Soak all laksa paste ingredients (except belacan and pineapple) in a large bowl of water. Remove skin of galangal, turmeric, and onions. Deseed chili.Step 3 BLEND LAKSA PASTE: Chop laksa ingredients, add a little water, and blend laksa paste in a blender.Step 4 BOIL STOCK: Add blended laksa paste, tamarind water, laksa leaves (tied into a knot), and torch ginger stalk. Mix well. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 20 minutes.Step 5 COOK NOODLES & PREPARE TOPPINGS: While stock is boiling, cook noodles in boiling water. Remove with a sieve and drain. Set aside. Slice vegetables for asam laksa toppings. Place on a plate.Step 6 SEASON: When broth is ready, remove laksa leaves. Season with sugar, salt, and prawn paste.Step 7 COOK FISH: Add fish into boiling broth. Cover and let it cook for another 6 minutes. Turn off heat. Remove fish, debone, and put fish flakes back into the soup. Mix well.Step 8 SERVE. Pour soup over noodles. Top with vegetables (pineapple, cucumber, lettuce, onions, mint and torch ginger). Drizzle with diluted prawn paste, if you like.

LAKSA

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper (we used white pepper, but you can also use black pepper), and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake in the oven for 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.
• While the chicken is cooking, heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large saucepan or medium pot over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute. Add the minced lemongrass and chilies, and cook for 3 minutes.
• Add the laksa paste and brown sugar. Fry for another 3 minutes, letting all the flavors meld together. Add the chicken stock, coconut milk, and fish sauce. Bring to a boil. Add the soy puffs, cover, and allow to simmer for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, rinse the noodles in warm water (for cooked hokkien noodles or rice vermicelli) or prepare according to package instructions (for fresh or dried wheat noodles). Distribute among four large noodle soup bowls.
• Shred the cooked chicken and skin and distribute among the bowls. Pour any juices from the roasting pan into the broth. (You can even use a little bit of warm water to scrape any lingering tasty bits off the parchment paper).
• Season the broth with lime juice and more fish sauce to taste, until your broth has reached your desired levels of saltiness/sourness. If you would rather not use fish sauce as your salting agent (it can be quite pungent to some palates), season with salt instead.
• Meanwhile, toss the thinly sliced shallots in flour until they're lightly coated. In a cast iron pan, heat an additional 2 tablespoons oil. Fry the shallots until crispy and set aside.
• Season the shrimp with salt and pepper and sear them in the same oil you used to cook the shallots, just until they're cooked through.
• To assemble the laksa, pour the broth over the noodles and chicken, and add a couple pieces of soy puff to each. Top with the cooked shrimp, bean sprouts, cilantro, and fried shallots. Serve with extra lime wedges, and enjoy!

CURRY LAKSA (CURRY MEE)

Steps:

• Heat 1/2 cup oil to saute the spices till fragrant. Add in salt, rock sugar and 500ml general santan and bring to a low boil till sugar dissolves. Add in the rest of the coconut milk, tow pok, and pig's blood, if used. When soup comes to a boil, add prawn stock and seasoning, then bring to just boiling point. Remove from fire and use stock as a soup for the yellow noodles and vermicelli. (Should the gravy or stock curdle, strain it.)
• For the chili oil: Saute garlic and chili paste in oil until the chili disintegrates and oil floats to the surface. (Use this to garnish when serving.)

LAKSA SOUP - A MALAYSIAN COCONUT CURRY SOUP

Steps:

• Make the Laksa paste- see the notes below (or use store-bought laksa paste).
• Cook rice noodles according to directions. Set aside. See notes for fresh noodles.
• In a large heavy-bottom soup pot or dutch oven, heat 3 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Add all the homemade Laksa Paste (or the 7-ounce Jar), and saute, stirring constantly until it becomes very fragrant and deep in color about 2-3 minutes. (Turn stove fan on- it will smell strong- don't worry.). Add the chicken broth, scraping up all the brown bits. Add the lime leaves, salt and sugar and bring to a simmer.
• Add chicken and simmer 4-5 minutes. Add shrimp, cook for 2-3 minutes, add coconut milk. Simmer until heated through. Do not boil this too long or you will lose the lovely sweetness from the coconut milk- just gently warm.
• Add lime juice, starting with a 1 lime, and add more to taste. Add fish sauce to taste, adding a teaspoon at a time. The broth should taste rich and deep, and slightly salty (the noodles will mellow the salt out) and just a little limey. If it tastes, too "fishy" add more lime juice. Guests can squeeze more lime to taste. If you want more heat, add chili flakes or chili paste.
• Divide the cooked rice noodles among bowls. Ladle flavorful soup over top of noodles. Top bowls with a handful of fresh bean sprouts, fresh cilantro and/or mint. Serve with chili sauce and lime wedges.
• For rice noodles, calculate two ounces ( dry rice noodles ) per person.