Malaysian-style Curry Laksa

This Malaysian-style curry laksa starts with a spicy paste, made soupy with water and coconut milk and loads of add-ins like shrimp, tofu, chicken and noodles. It is a rich, wonderful seafood dish for a chilly night!

One of my favorite dishes of all time from our many, many years living in Malaysia is curry laksa. I never had to learn to make it there since there were a lot of restaurants that served lovely or at least decent versions. 

When we moved on to Egypt back in 2012, that’s when my laksa cravings meant I’d have to figure out how to make it myself. There are tons of recipes online but it took meshing a couple together to come up with one that tastes the way I remember from my favorite restaurant, Madam Kwan’s.

It has a rich, fragrant broth that tickles your nose and delights your tastebuds. 

Malaysian-style Curry Laksa

The paste is made from a long list of ingredients but don’t let that dissuade you since this recipe makes plenty enough to freeze and you will be glad to have those little bags readily available next time the craving for curry laksa hits you. You need 3 1/2 oz or 100g paste (a rounded 1/3 cup) to serve curry laksa for four people. These ingredients are available at most Asian markets.

Ingredients

For the laksa paste (rempah):

15 dried chilies, soaked in hot water (about 1/2 oz or 15g before soaking)

1/4 cup or 25g dried shrimp, pounded to powder

7 lemongrass stalks, white parts only, sliced

30 small shallots, peeled and chopped (about 6 1/3 oz or 180g)

2.8 oz or 80g galangal, peeled and sliced 

2.8 oz or 80g fresh ginger, peeled and sliced 

10 candlenuts (available at Asian markets or substitute macadamia)

1 tablespoon ground turmeric

2 tablespoons shrimp paste 

6 fresh red chilies

8 cloves garlic 

1/2 cup or 120ml canola or other light oil

For the curry laksa:

3 1/2 oz or 100g paste (a rounded 1/3 cup)

2 cups or 480ml water

1 can (113.5oz or 400ml) coconut milk 

14 oz or  400g fresh yellow egg noodles or thick rice vermicelli (or a combo)

1.75oz or 150g bean sprouts, blanched (throw them in at the very end of the noodle cooking time)

7 oz or 200g raw, cleaned, peeled shrimp or prawns

7 oz or 200g fish cakes or balls

3 1/2 oz or 100g tau pok (deep fried soy bean curd puffs)

Garnish options: 

Curry leaves and/or fresh mint

Hard-boiled eggs, halved or use whole quail eggs

Shredded chicken

Sliced chili peppers

Method

First, we make the paste: Use a blender to combine all the ingredients until you have a homogeneous paste. 

Cook the paste in a heavy pan over a low heat for about 20-25 minutes or until the onion/garlic smell is not so prominent and the paste has darkened a bit. 

These ingredients make 4 cups of paste before cooking – about 2 3/4 cups or 700g after cooking – enough for about 7 batches of curry laksa for four people. Freeze the balance until needed in airtight bags, up to three months. 

To make the laksa, add the paste to a pot with the water and whisk till combined. Bring to a slow boil.

Add in the shrimp, fish cake or balls, tau pok and coconut milk. Simmer till the shrimp are cooked, just a few minutes. 

Meanwhile, cook your noodles to package instructions. To blanch the bean sprouts, throw them in right at the end of cooking time for your noodles. Drain and rinse noodles and sprouts in cold water. Dry the sprouts on a paper towel and set the noodles aside in a colander till ready to serve. 

To serve, share out the noodles and sprouts between four large bowls. Add shrimp, fish cake (or balls) and tau pok. 

Ladle hot laksa broth into the bowls. 

Garnish with curry and/or mint leaves, eggs, chicken and sliced chili peppers. 

Enjoy! 

It's time for Fish Friday Foodies, when my blogger friends along with group organizer Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm share our favorite seafood recipes. This month the theme is soups and stews. Many thanks to our host, Sneha of Sneha's Recipe. Check out the links below. 

• Food Lust People Love: Malaysian-style Curry Laksa 
• Karen’s Kitchen Stories:  Shrimp, White Bean, and Kale Stew 
• Palatable Pastime: Shrimp and Crab Gumbo 
• Sneha’s Recipe: Seer Fish/Surmai Kujit- East Indian 
• A Day in the Life on the Farm: Sausage and Halibut One Pot Stew

Would you like to join Fish Friday Foodies? We post and share new seafood/fish recipes on the third Friday of the month. To join our group please email Wendy at wendyklik1517 (at) gmail.com. Visit our Facebook page and Pinterest page for more wonderful fish and seafood recipe ideas.

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