My Mother's Laksa Recipe
An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott
Preparation time: 30 minutes plus 30 minutes soaking time for chillies and prawns
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Serves 4 people
- 3 large red onions, peeled and quartered
- 20 dried chillies, soaked in hot water for 30 minutes
- 1.5 tablespoons belachan (shrimp paste)
- 1/2 cup dried shrimp/prawns, soaked in hot water for 30 minutes
- 12 candlenuts
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- 2 teaspoons turmeric powder
- Oil for frying
- 2 fat stalks of lemongrass, white only, crushed and cut into inch long pieces
- 4 cups chicken or seafood/prawn stock
- 2x 425ml/14floz. tins coconut milk
- 3 tablespoons sugar (or to taste)
- 1 tablespoon salt (or to taste)
- Hokkien noodles (or vermicelli or a mix of the two)
- 400g/14ozs. bean sprouts
- 500g/lb prawns, cooked
- 4 chicken tenderloins, poached
- 4 fish cakes, sliced
- Vietnamese mint to garnish
Buyer's tip: dried chillies, belachan, dried shrimp, candlenuts and fish cakes can be found at Asian grocery stores. Vietnamese mint may be a little trickier to find depending on the area but you can also use regular mint too. And macadamias can substitute for candlenuts in a pinch.
Step 1 - Place the onions, chillies, shrimp paste, dried prawns and candlenuts in a food processor and make a paste. Empty into a ceramic or glass bowl and mix in the coriander and turmeric (I avoid putting turmeric in the food processor as it tends to stain the plastic yellow).
Step 2 - Add oil to a large frypan or wok and fry off the spice paste and lemongrass. Cook on high heat until oil separates out. Add chicken or seafood stock and then add the coconut milk mixing well. Season with salt, pepper and sugar to taste.
Step 3 - Place a large pot of water to boil and gently separate hokkien noodles and immerse in water for a minute and then add the bean sprouts and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Place in a strainer and run cold water over the noodles and sprouts and divide the mixture between four to six bowls. Add the prawn, chicken, and fish cakes on top and then spoon over the soup mixture. Dress with Vietnamese mint.