Laksa Lemak

Laksa Lemak is a Malay coconut and noodle soup from Malacca. It’s a meal in itself; very rich and spicy and best served in deep bowls with chopsticks and a spoon to slurp up the coconut broth. This recipe also happens to be vegan, gluten free, and nut free which makes it a great option if your serving people with special dietary requirements. See how easy it is to make in our short video below (and read on for the recipe):

Laksa Lemak

Serves: 4

Prep time: 30 minutes | Cook time: 15 minutes

Dietary: Vegan, Gluten Free

Ingredients

Spice Paste

• 5cm piece of galangal, peeled and chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
• 1 red chilli, de-seeded and thinly sliced
• 1 stalk lemon grass, finely chopped
• 5cm piece fresh turmeric, peeled and chopped
• ½ tsp salt

Noodle Soup

• 1 tbsp sunflower oil
• 2 banana shallots, finely sliced
• 1 red pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 tin coconut milk (400ml)
• 500ml boiling water
• 2 lime leaves
• 100g mange tout or baby asparagus spears
• 2 pak choy, washed and thinly sliced
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 lime, juiced
• salt to taste
• 200g dried thin flat rice noodles

Garnish

• 200g plain tofu, sliced into matchsticks
• 100ml sunflower oil for frying the tofu
• 4 spring onions, sliced into rings
• 1 red chilli, finely sliced
• handful of micro herbs such as lemon balm-alternatively use pea shoots

Method

1. Start by making the spice paste, blend the galangal, garlic, chilli, lemongrass and turmeric with the salt in a mini food processor to a smooth paste.
2. Prepare the garnishes; fry the tofu matchsticks in sunflower oil until golden and crisp, drain on kitchen paper. Slice the spring onions and red chilli.
3. To make the noodle soup, heat a large saucepan, add the sunflower oil and fry the banana shallots until soft and translucent.
4. Add the spice paste, stir-fry until fragrant and the colour of the paste has turned a shade darker.
5. Add the red pepper and stir-fry for a couple of minutes.
6. Pour in the coconut milk, water and lime leaves, bring to the boil, turn down the heat and simmer gently uncovered for 5 minutes.
7. Simmer the rice noodles in a separate pan of boiling water for 2 minutes until tender, then drain.
8. Add the pak choy and the asparagus or mage tout to the coconut broth and simmer for a minute.
9. Add the sugar, lime juice and salt to taste.
10. Divide the cooked rice noodles into 4 deep Chinese bowls. Ladle the laksa broth over the noodles. Top with the fried tofu, spring onions, sliced chillies and finish with a few micro herbs for garnish.

Delicious food photography by Rob Wicks of Eat Pictures.

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