Malaysian Laksa Lemak

SpiceBreeze

Coconut milk adds sweetness to the famous Malaysian Laksa soup and balances its sour-salty-hot flavor. In this adapted recipe shrimp paste and fish sauce are substituted with the more accessible anchovy paste and tamari or soy sauce. For a fish-free version of this delicious fragrant soup, skip the anchovy paste, substitute shrimp with chicken or tofu.

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Hands-on Time 30

Course Main Course

Cuisine Malaysian

Servings

Ingredients

1 lb fresh shrimp
2 cups mung bean sprouts
1/4 cup macadamia nuts
1 cup coconut milk
3 cups vegetable broth
4 oz rice noodles
1 cup shallots sliced
1 inch ginger chopped
2 cloves garlic chopped
1-2 lime or lemon for juice
tamari or soy sauce
oil
salt & pepper

Laksa Culinary Spice Kit

Lemongrass, galangal, turmeric, makrut lime, lime peel, chili

Optional

anchovy paste or fish sauce
fresh cilantro or mint leaves
fresh chilies sliced

Instructions

Spice Paste

In a BLENDER or small FOOD PROCESSOR, add ginger, garlic, shallots, nuts, Laksa spices, 2 tbsp tamari, and 1 tsp oil.
Blend until it becomes a smooth paste.
Add a bit of coconut milk if necessary.

Cook

Prepare noodles according to package instructions.
In a POT, heat 2 tbsp oil. Fry the spice paste for 2 minutes over medium-low heat, stirring constantly.
Add broth, coconut milk, bean sprouts, and shrimp.
Bring to a boil. Cook 5 minutes.
Add chilies to taste (opt.) and 1/4 cup lime juice or more to taste.
Adjust saltiness to taste with tamari or soy sauce, and/or anchovy paste or fish sauce.

Serve

To serve, fill noodles in individual bowls and add the soup.
Optionally, garnish with chopped cilantro or mint leaves.
Enjoy!

Notes

Substitute shrimp with small cubes of chicken, white fish, or tofu, or mix them.
Substitute bean sprouts with bamboo shoots or finely sliced cabbage.
Substitute macadamia nuts with peanuts or almonds.
Substitute noodles with cooked rice.

Marceline Reid-Jaques

2022-12-14

Karen Jones

2022-12-05

Wonderful, flavorful meals using readily available ingredients!

ann davis

2022-11-29

My daughter gave me a subscription as a Christmas present while our families were quarantining together. It was so much fun! It introduced us to several cuisines that were totally new to us. The recipes were easy to follow and the spices were transformative - fresh and pungent and delicious.