Malaysian Laksa

A couple of weeks ago I attempted to make laksa, a popular Malaysian soup, after watching an episode of Jamie Oliver's 15 minute meals. Despite the delicious flavor, the soup took me longer than 15 minutes to make and did not actually turn out as soup but rather more like a shrimp and noodle dish.

After that experience, I was determined to make laksa and decided to look up some recipes. I soon realized that most of the recipes involved making a spice paste that was combined with a broth, typically seafood though it could be substituted for chicken or vegetable, and then preparing the rest of the ingredients separately. In the end it kind of became a "build your own adventure" type of soup with the garnishes served alongside the spiced broth.

I wasn't able to find the shrimp paste typically used as part of the spice paste so I combined elements from various recipes to create my own spice blend. I have to admit that I'm quite proud of the paste and resulting broth that I made. It was milder than what I usually make but this also made it more light and gentle tasting. Served alongside some chili garlic sauce it was perfect because each person could make it as spicy as they wanted.

In the past, I have had difficulties with the rice noodles absorbing too much liquid and the result no longer resembles a soup. This time I followed the packaged instructions and cooked the noodles separately. The only problem was that I found that the rice noodles did not absorb much of the flavor of the broth when it was simply ladled over top, rather than cooked in it. After consulting with my mom we collectively decided to add the noodles in their entirety to the broth and let it sit over night. As we suspected, the noodles ended up absorbing the liquid but at the same time became much more flavorful and delicious. Once again the laksa stopped being a soup but I was okay with that because it tasted good and that's what matters the most.

Malaysian Laksa
Note: These directions reflect the original way I made the soup. If desired, the noodles can be cooked directly in the broth but the result will most likely not be soup-like in consistency.

• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 2-3 green onions
• 1 tsp peanut butter
• 1 tbsp chopped lemon grass
• 1 tbsp fish or oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp chili garlic sauce
• 4 dried Kaffir lime leaves
• ½ bunch cilantro
• 6 cups stock (seafood, chicken, or vegetable)
• 1 400 mL can coconut milk
• 300 g dried vermicelli rice noodles
• Juice of 1 lime
• Salt
• Optional add-ins/garnishes: shrimp, chicken, bean sprouts, cilantro, lime wedges, chili garlic sauce

1. In the bowl of a food processor combine the garlic, ginger, turmeric, onions, peanut butter, lemon grass, fish sauce, sesame oil, chili garlic sauce, kaffir lime leaves, and cilantro. Blend until completely pureed and a paste forms.
2. In a large pot heat the stock. Once boiling, add the paste to the pot and mix well.
3. Add the coconut milk to the pot and then the lime juice. Adjust seasoning if necessary with salt and more lime juice or fish sauce.
4. Meanwhile, prepare the rice noodles by allowing them to soak for 8-10 minutes in hot water. Drain the water and set the noodles aside.
5. To assemble the soup place a handful of noodles into a small bowl and top with desired add-ins and garnishes. Ladle soup broth over top and enjoy.