Laksa mania!

Thanks to all who have written to me asking me about the Laksa recipe in regards to the Shape Magazine article. Rather than to repeat myself several times via emails, I have decided to put up the recipe here.

Enjoy!


Laksa minus the calories!
Ingredients
300g thick rice noodles, soaked to soften
200g grey prawns(medium)
200ml water
400ml low fat Evaporated milk (1 can)
150g laksa paste (see recipe below)
Salt to taste
100g fresh laksa leaves
100g bean sprouts, blanched
5 pieces tau pok/ bean curd puffs, sliced
2 hard boiled eggs

Method for the stock:
1. Boil 200ml of water in a pot. Add prawns to cook for 3 minutes. Drain and peel the prawns. Discard the shells. Add the laksa paste to cook.
2. Remove laksa leaves from the stalks and put the stalks into the pot to cook.
3. Add evaporated milk and simmer over low heat.
4. Add diced bean curd and sliced bean curd puffs to cook. Add salt to taste.
5. Serve the laksa gravy over blanched rice noodles. Garnish with a pinch of chopped laksa leaves, eggs, cooked prawns, and more chilli if desired.



Laksa Paste
Ingredients for 300g paste:
10 red chillies
5 chilli padi
10 shallots
4 cloves of garlic
100g dried shrimps
20g belachan (fermented prawn paste)
2 cm piece galangal
2 stalks lemon grass
50ml corn oil for frying

Method
1. Blend all ingredients except lemon grass.
2. Fry paste and lemon grass in a wok over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes until fragrant.
3. Allow to cool completely.

Extra Tip by Gina
If you can get fresh laksa leaves with the stalks, pluck out the leaves for toppings, and reserve the stalks to be fried with the paste.

The laksa leaves stalks does impart the flavour into the paste making it very fragrant even though you may store in the freezer for a longer period.