Laksa
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Laksa: a rich, fragrant Southeast Asian noodle soup with coconut cream, fish, kaffir lime, lemongrass, and fresh chili over rice vermicelli. Layered spice and silky coconut in every spoonful.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
45 minREADY
1 hrsLaksa is the kind of soup that fills your whole kitchen with the scent of lemongrass, kaffir lime, and toasted chili in about two minutes. This fish version leans on a proper homemade stock built from fish bones simmered with galangal, lemongrass, mint, basil, kaffir lime leaves, and dried red chilies for 30 full minutes before the coconut cream and strips of fresh fish go in.
Asking your fishmonger to fillet the whole fish but keep the bones is worth doing, bone stock is non-negotiable for proper laksa depth.
The coconut cream (not coconut milk) is what makes the broth silky and rich, thinner coconut milk won’t coat the noodles the same way. Add it near the end so it heats through without breaking into greasy slicks on the surface.
Rice vermicelli cooks in 2 minutes flat, any longer and it goes to mush, so keep an eye on it. Rinse under cold water immediately to stop the cooking, then divide into bowls before ladling hot soup over the top.
Garnish generously: sliced chilies, baby basil leaves, and fresh bean sprouts for crunch against the creamy broth.
Pro Tips
- Bruise the lemongrass stalks with the back of a knife before chopping, it releases more oils into the stock
- Strain the stock through a fine mesh sieve, stray lemongrass fibers in the finished soup are unpleasant
- Taste before salting, fish stock is naturally mineral and may need less than expected
- Serve immediately, laksa reheats poorly once the noodles soak up the broth
Variations
Ingredients
Directions
Add vermicelli to pan of boiling water, boil uncovered 2 minutes or until just tender, rinse and drain.
Remove and discard heads from fish, fillet fish, reserving bones.
Remove and discard fish skin.
Cut fillets into strips.
Combine water, powder, lemon grass, mint, basil, lime leaves, and dried and fresh chillies in pan, simmer covered for 30 minutes.
Add fish bones, simmer for another 10 minutes.
Strain resulting stock, discarding bones and chilli mixture.
You need 1125 ml of stock so add water if necessary.
Place extra lime leaves in a bowl, cover with warm water, stand 20 minutes.
Drain, and slice leaves thinly.
Return stock to pan, add chilli paste, fish strips, coconut cream, sliced lime leaves, sprouts, salt and sugar and bring to the boil.
Divide vermicelli into serving bowls, pour soup over it.
Garnish with extra sliced chillies, baby basil leaves and bean sprouts.
Chilli paste.
Blend or process all ingredients until smooth.
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