Laksa is a spicy coconut curry soup with noodles and various toppings. And it’s seriously all about the toppings. Fried tofu, crispy shallots, softie eggs, shrimp, herbs.
And whatever you feel like freestyling – I love adding sauteed greens.
The base of my version is Thai red curry paste. Traditionally, a labour-and-ingredient-intensive homemade laksa spice mixture is called for, but the flavour profile is very similar to the store-bought Thai paste and I’m a big fan of 5-minute meals on a weeknight. Are you with me?
To make the fried shallots (SERIOUSLY SO ADDICTIVE), heat 2 cups of high-smoke-point oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat for about 5 minutes until shimmering hot (or 350ºF).
Fry thinly sliced shallots, rings separated, until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes. Sprinkle with salt. Try not to inhale them all before you actually put them on your noodles.
The best tofu for laksa is store-bought tofu puffs, which are fluffy and spongy and sop up the soup then burst in your mouth. Delicious and findable at most Asian grocers.
Since with this recipe your oil is already hot for the shallots, you can just fry some tofu yourself – but it doesn’t have the same light-as-air, bursty-juicy quality. Just drain it between paper towels for 30 minutes then cut into rectangles and fry until golden, 5-6 minutes, turning frequently. Work in batches so you don’t overcrowd the pot.
To make soft-boiled eggs, bring several inches of water to a boil, add egg and set a timer for 6 minutes.
Transfer to an ice bath or run under cold water to stop cooking. (See also: Soft Boiled Eggs Vs. Hard Boiled Eggs)
Happy slurping!
Other Delicious Noodle Recipes
See also: Pasta vs. Noodles
- Spicy Ramen Recipe
- Pad Woon Sen
- Dan Dan Noodles
- Almost Instant Miso Noodle Soup
- Chili Oil Ramen
- The Best Chow Mein Noodles
- Spinach Gomae Noodles with Sesame Sauce
Coconut Shrimp Laksa
Ingredients
For soup:
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 5 tbsp thai red curry paste
- 1 14- oz can coconut milk
- 4 cups 1 litre/quart chicken broth
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 stalks lemongrass bottom 8″ only, outer stalk removed, cut into a few pieces then smashed with the side of a knife
- 1 lb shrimp peeled and deveined, thawed if frozen
- salt to taste
- 1 lb egg noodles or a 6-person quantity of noodles of choice, wheat or rice both work
For topping:
- Fried shallots see note above
- Soft-boiled egg see note above
- Fried tofu see note above
- Lime wedges
- Bean sprouts
- Fresh mint and/or cilantro
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat. When shimmering hot, whisk in curry paste and cook for a minute. Whisk in coconut milk and bring to a boil, then whisk in brown sugar and chicken broth. Add lemongrass. Simmer 15 minutes, adding salt to taste (it will depend on how salty your broth was).
- Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add noodles and cook until tender, according to package directions. Drain in a colander.
- Add shrimp to simmering soup and cook until just opaque. Scoop some noodles into bowls, then ladle soup on top. Add desired toppings (see notes in post).
