Malaysian Curry Laksa

Ingredients

Laksa paste

• 10 dried chillies, soaked in hot water for 15 minutes and deseeded
• 6 shallots, peeled
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled
• 2 stalks lemongrass, white part only, sliced
• 2.5 cm (1 in) piece galangal, peeled
• 2.5 cm (1 in) piece fresh turmeric, peeled, or 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 4 candlenuts (buah keras), or 6 raw cashews
• 1 tsp shrimp paste (belacan), toasted
• 1 tbsp ground coriander
• 2 tbsp meat curry powder
• 60 ml (1/4 cup) cooking oil

Broth

• 600 g bone-in chicken thighs
• 1.2 L (5 cups) water
• 400 ml (1 2/3 cups) coconut milk
• 12 large prawns, peeled and deveined, tails left on
• 10 tofu puffs (tau pok), halved
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp sugar

To serve

• 300 g fresh yellow noodles, blanched
• 100 g dried rice vermicelli (bihun), soaked and blanched
• 150 g (1 1/2 cups) bean sprouts, blanched
• 2 hard-boiled eggs, halved
• A handful of Vietnamese mint (daun kesum) leaves
• Sambal and calamansi limes, to serve

Method

1. Blend all the laksa paste ingredients except the oil with 3 tbsp water to a smooth paste.
2. Put the chicken and the 1.2 L water in a pot, bring to a boil and skim off any foam. Cover and simmer for 25 minutes until the chicken is cooked. Lift out the chicken and keep the stock. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred the meat and discard the bones and skin.
3. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat and fry the paste, stirring often, for 10 minutes until it is deep red and fragrant and the oil separates.
4. Pour in the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add the salt, sugar and tofu puffs and simmer for 5 minutes.
5. Stir in the coconut milk and heat gently for 3 minutes without boiling hard, so it does not split. Add the prawns and simmer for 3 minutes until pink. Taste and adjust the salt.
6. Divide the noodles, vermicelli and bean sprouts between 4 deep bowls. Ladle the hot broth, prawns and tofu puffs over, then top with the shredded chicken, egg halves and mint. Serve with sambal and lime.

Tips

• Make the paste ahead: fried laksa paste keeps for 1 week in the refrigerator or 3 months in the freezer, so you can make a double batch.
• Lighter broth: use 250 ml (1 cup) coconut milk and an extra 150 ml stock.
• Storage: keep the broth separate from the noodles. The broth keeps for 3 days in the refrigerator.
• Curry laksa or asam laksa: curry laksa has a coconut curry broth; Penang asam laksa is a sour fish and tamarind broth with no coconut milk.