Laksa Recipe Roundup

Laksa originates from Maritime Southeast Asia, and is often served as a thick noodle soup incorporating ingredients such as coconut milk, fish and prawn. Here are 5 delicious laksa curries for you to inspire your own laksa.

Chicken and prawn curry laksa

This recipe works by poaching your chicken first and adding prawns in salted water with some lemongrass until they’re cooked. Then, using the same poaching liquid, you can make the broth by adding laksa paste, coconut milk, chicken stock powder, along with more water, and bringing it to a boil. Then add your bean curd puff for 5 minutes and simmer.

Next, place the rice vermicelli and bean sprouts in a heatproof bowl, cover with boiling water, and leave to soak for 5 minutes, then add the fresh yellow noodles to the bowl and leave them for 3 minutes. Divide between your bowls and portion your chicken and prawns over your noodles. 

Finally, strain the laksa broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl or jug and remove the bean curd puffs. Place 3 slices of puff on top of each bowl of noodles. Make sure that the broth is still piping hot (heat it again if not) and pour the broth over the noodles.

Curry Laksa in the Klang Valley

Stir fry laksa paste over medium heat until fragrant. Add chicken and stir until chicken turns opaque. Add pandan leaves and pour in 7 cups (1.7 liters) of water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and allow it to simmer for 20 minutes. In the meantime, fill a separate pot half full of water. Bring to a boil. Scald bean sprouts for about 20 seconds. Add noodles and cook according to packaging instructions. 

Remove chicken and when cool enough to handle, shred meat. Lower shrimps into curry soup. Allow shrimps to cook for 3 to 4 minutes until shrimps curl and turn pink.

Pour coconut milk into soup. Add deep fried tofu and season with salt. Bring it up to a boil and allow coconut milk to be heated through. Place a portion of noodles and bean sprouts in a bowl. Pour curry soup over noodles and vegetables. Top with shredded chicken meat, shrimps, cucumber, mint leaves, and sambal. Squeeze some lime over noodles if desired.

Curry Laksa – Curry Mee

For this recipe you’ll need shelled clams, steamed prawns, soaked cuttlefish heads, fried tow pok, cooked pig’s blood, cooked chicken meat, blanched bean sprouts, yellow noodles and rice sticks along with coconut milk. You’ll also need shallots, garlic, coriander, chilli paste, lemongrass, peppercorns and shrimp paste to make your laksa paste.

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. When soup comes to a boil, add prawn stock and seasoning, then bring to just boiling point. Remove from heat and use stock as a soup for the yellow noodles and vermicelli. Add chicken and fish over the top of the noodles.

For the chili oil: Saute garlic and chili paste in oil until the chili disintegrates and oil floats to the surface.

Chicken curry laksa with shrimp paste

Place dried chiles in a small heatproof bowl, add boiling water to cover, and let soak until softened. Cook ginger and garlic, stirring occasionally, until lightly charred and garlic is just tender. Purée reserved chiles, Thai chiles, shallots, lemongrass, oil, shrimp paste, coriander, curry powder, cumin, ginger, and garlic in a food processor or blender until smooth.

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high. Cook laksa paste, stirring often, until paste is slightly darkened and begins to slide around the saucepan when stirred.  Add half of coconut milk and cook, stirring, until reduced by half. Add stock, tofu puffs, and remaining coconut milk. Bring to a boil; add chicken. Reduce heat and simmer until chicken is cooked through and tender. Meanwhile, cook noodles according to package directions. Add cooled and shredded chicken and sugar to soup; season with salt. Divide soup and noodles among bowls. Top with eggs and cucumbers; serve with toppings.

Laksa Soup – Malaysian curry

In a large heavy bottom soup pot or dutch oven, heat  oil over medium-high heat. Add your laksa paste and saute, stirring constantly until it becomes very fragrant and deep in color. 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. Add shrimp and coconut milk. Simmer until heated through. Do not boil this too long or you will lose the lovely sweetness from the coconut milk.

Add lime juice and fish sauce to taste, adding a teaspoon at a time. The broth should taste rich and deep, and slightly salty and just a little limey. If you want more heat, add chili flakes or chili paste. Cook rice noodles according to directions. 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.

Remember, try using quality ingredients when making these dishes, including Mama Lam’s Malaysian curry paste!