Curry Laksa

Ingredients – Serves 1

• 2 Tbsp Oil
• ½ Tbsp curry powder
• ½  Tbsp chili paste
• 2 cups fish stock or vegetable stock (V)
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1 tsp tamarind sauce
• 3 sprig Vietnamese mint or normal mint
• 4 medium size prawns and 100g chicken breast or 200g tempeh (V)
• 2 cubes deep fried tofu (optional)
• 150 g thick egg noodles, soak overnight in room temp water to soften
• 40 g bean sprouts
• 40 g green beans
• Sugar and salt to taste

Laksa Paste:

• 1 lemongrass
• 1 Tbsp dried anchovies (optional)
• 1 Tbsp dried shrimp (optional)
• 8g fresh galangal
• 10g fresh ginger
• 8g fresh turmeric
• 2 clove garlic
• 1 shallot (about 70 g)
• ½ tsp shrimp paste
• 4 Brazil nuts or any creamy nut (optional)

Garnish Ingredients:

• 1 hard boil egg
• 1/2 red chili, slice finely
• 1/2 lime

Method

1. Prepare the laksa paste and garnishing ingredients can be done earlier and set aside
2. Laksa Paste: Wash and soak anchovies and dried shrimp separately in hot water until soft, about 10 minutes. Blend all Laksa Paste ingredients, leave aside.
3. Heat oil in a sauce pan over medium-low heat
4. Add laksa paste, slowly cooking them until aromatic, about 4 minutes
5. Add curry powder and chili paste, continue cooking for another 4 minutes or until oil separates
6. Add the fish or vegetable (v) stock, bring it to a soft boil, about 4 minutes
7. Add coconut milk, tamarind sauce, tofu puffs (optional), Vietnamese mint, mix gently, and cook for a couple of minutes
8. Season with sugar and salt, continue to cook for a few minutes
9. Then add the chicken or tempeh (v) nd cook for 5 minutes until chicken is cooked. thjen add the prawns and cook for 2 minutes.
10. Turn off the heat
11. To serve, place noodles in the bowl pour over the Laksa curry, top off with garnish ingredients.
12. Chili Paste Method – 20 pcs dried chilies:   Cut and boil to soften the chilies, then wash before grinding into paste.  Remove as much seeds as possible to have lesser spicy taste